Katherine Ryan has opened up more about her eldest daughter’s dad, having previously promised never to 'say a bad word' about him.
The star moved to the UK with her partner from Canada in the late 00s, having met him on the comedy circuit. In 2009, the pair welcomed their daughter, Violet Ryan.
Having never made his identity public, Katherine split from the father while their daughter was young and has previously spoken about being a single mum.
And in a new interview, the TV panel show staple has said she reckons Violet’s dad ‘breadcrumbs’ her and has ‘never paid anything for her’.
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Katherine has purposely avoided going wild on badmouthing her ex for the sake of her daughter.
“I’ve been careful never to s**g him off just because I don’t think it’s the right thing to do,” she said during an appearance on the Juicy Scoop with Heather McDonald podcast.
“And I really protected him while my daughter was young. I would never say anything bad about him. But now she’s 16, she can see for herself that unfortunately, he’s not a bad person, but he’s never made any sacrifices, never paid anything for her, just kind of texts her, which I think is breadcrumbing.”
Breadcrumbing doesn’t necessarily just have to be a trend in dating, but in any relationship – as it sees one person sending ‘crumbs’ of attention, such as low-effort messages or non-committal bits of attention.
Clinical psychologist Dr Monica Vermani described breadcrumbing to CNN as 'feigning interest and acting as though they feel sincerely interested and invested in a relationship with another person when they are not'.
Katherine added: “Like, ‘Hey, love you. How are you?’
“Which is better than no contact. But he hasn’t been the type of dad that you would want for your daughter.”
During today’s (18 February) episode of her Telling Everybody Everything podcast, the comedian was answering listeners’ questions as she said her ‘primary concern’ when she left Violet’s dad was sharing her.
“And I wish, really, it's all turned out fine now, but I really wish that I had stood up for her and stood up for myself more than followed the guidelines, like, to be nice, like to avoid animosity, like to be fair, especially at a young age,” Katherine explained.
“And she has told me things since about like what would go on over there, that like, I just wish, I wish that I had put my foot down and been like: ‘This is my child, you can see her whenever, but if you would like to be taking her every other weekend without me, then come and make me give that to you.’”
Katherine also said to Heather McDonald that Violet’s dad was ‘not really’ involved with the teen’s life as she joked she’d also be great at being a ‘non-contact parent’.
Admirably honest in her interviews and famously always taking the most ‘extreme stance’ (because as she says, ‘it’s the funniest’ one to have), the star said all that a dad needs to do with a teen girl is just drive by and see if they want ‘to come get a Starbucks’.
“The flow goes one way – parent to child. Just make yourself available, make some type of sacrifice,” she added.
Katherine also shares Fred, four, Fenna three and baby Holland with her husband Bobby Kootstra.
What has Katherine Ryan said about Violet's father in the past?
In her 2019 Netflix special Glitter Room, Ryan promised to 'never say a bad word' about Violet's dad, though she seems to have had a change of heart since.
She joked: "Being a single mom's not for everyone, but it certainly is for me. And I think I co-parent with Violet's father quite successfully.
"If you are co-parenting you have to be nice about the other partner. He's no one to me. He's my child's dad. And for that reason, I shall never say a bad word about him."
Though she's now criticised his parenting, Ryan previously praised the 'peaceful' way she separated from her ex.
In 2024, the comedian told the Guardian: "My parents divorced when I was 15. It was acrimonious and they’ve never been in the same room together since.
"It helped me when I left the father of my eldest daughter, Violet. I knew from experience there’s a peaceful and kind way to split."
Topics: Parenting, Celebrity News, Podcast, Celebrity
Jess Battison