Katherine Ryan says she is happy to have “dangerous” conversations about an alleged perpetrator of sexual abuse within the entertainment industry.
The Canadian comedian previously confronted the unnamed individual about the alleged incidents, and said that many believed his actions were an “open secret”.
She discussed the allegations with documentarian Louis Theroux during the most recent episode of the new BBC Two series, Louis Theroux Interviews.
Ryan was recently in the press when she revealed she had confronted the man, a fellow comedian, to his face about “predatory” behaviour.
🤩 @louistheroux sits down with @kathbum for a frank conversation about her career, relationships and the changing shape of her family.
Watch Louis Theroux Interviews: Katherine Ryan on iPlayer from Tuesday pic.twitter.com/gBpKy8dUgb
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Asked by Theroux what she meant by the term “predator” she replied: “I think I mean a perpetrator of sexual assault, but it is very dangerous for us to have this conversation.
“I’m happy to have it, but it’s a litigious minefield because lots of people have tried to nail this person down for their alleged crimes and this person has very good lawyers.
“So am I going to put my mortgage on the line by saying who this person is or entering into any conversations like that?
“We’ve seen what happens to the people who talk about alleged predators.”
Ryan added that “it’s not really my story to tell… no one has perpetrated any sexual assaults against me”.
“But this person, I believe very strongly, so do a lot of people… is an open secret, is a perpetrator of sexual assault,” she told Theroux.
“I, in front of loads of people, in the format of the show said to this person’s face that they are a predator, again and again.”
Parts of the episode of the unidentified programme, in which Ryan confronted the individual, were later removed from the show.
“It’s fine, I still got paid and I still did my job, but I did it in my way that I felt was fair,” she said.
“This is what we talk about… female comics and probably actresses and women in my industry talk about all the time because that is the safest way for us to talk about it.
She added: “I didn’t tell any employer or blow or whistle or do anything at all, I handled it, for lack of a better term, like a man, and said it to his face.”
Asked about the criticism she had received for not naming the individual, she went on: “every time these things are eventually proven… everybody knew.”
She added: “I didn’t mean to cause a stir about it, I just say things as they are.”
During the series Theroux has also conducted intimate interviews with other big names in the entertainment industry, including Stormzy, Dame Judi Dench and Bear Grylls.
