Debby Ryan Opens Up About Backlash to New Series 'Insatiable'

Debby Ryan absolutely knew that there was going to be a reaction to her new Netflix series, Insatiable.

After over 200,000 people have signed a petition calling on Netflix to cancel the show for body-shaming, the 25-year-old actress spoke with the Sydney Morning Herald about the reaction.

“What I’ve learnt from the reception to the trailer is that the size of the reaction is the size of the wound,” Debby shared. “Clearly this is striking a sensitive chord but the humour is not in the fat-shaming.”

She adds, “The redemption is in identifying the bullies and saying, ‘This is not okay.’ And just because this one thing happened to Patty that changed her on the outside, it doesn’t solve her problems because she’s not free of compulsion and addiction.”

That’s exactly what drew her to the series in the first place.

“Twelve years into my own struggles with body image, struggles that took me in and out of terrible places I never want to go again and things I choose every day to leave behind, I was drawn to this show’s willingness to go to real places about how difficult and scary it can be to move through the world in a body,” Debby says. “Whether you’re being praised or criticised for its size.”

Insatiable is streaming now on Netflix.