Katherine Ryan speaks out on daughter’s ‘no-contact’ father after years-long silence

‘He hasn't been the type of dad that you would want for your daughter,’ comedian said

Katherine Ryan has publicly criticised the father of her 16-year-old daughter for the first time, claiming he “never pays for anything” or “makes sacrifices” for Violet.

The comedian, 42, raised Violet alone after splitting from her ex, whom she met on the comedy circuit in Canada. They split after moving to Britain in 2011, and Ryan has never shared his identity.

She said that he is “not really” involved in Violet’s life, and has now branded him a “no-contact parent”. She declared in a new interview: “He hasn't been the type of dad that you would want for your daughter.”

Ryan said she’s been “careful never to s*** him off” previously because she “didn’t think it was the right thing to do” – but feels Violet is now old enough to draw her own conclusions.

“I really protected him while my daughter was young – I would never say anything bad about him,” the stand-up comic told podcast Juicy Scoop with Heather McDonald.

“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.”

Ryan, who also has three children with husband Booby Koostra, has been reticent to discuss the subject of Violet’s father in the past, stating in 2019 Netflix special Glitter Room: “He's my child's dad, and for that reason I shall never say a bad word about him.”

(Getty Images for SXSW London)

However, she has now hit out at the minimal contact he keeps with Violet, stating: “All you have to do with a teenage girl is drive to the mother's house, send her a text, and go, ‘Do you want to come get a Starbucks with me?’ It's all they have to do.

She continued: "If not, I'll go get you a Starbucks. I'll drop it off. You come to the car, I'll give it to you, say, ‘Hey, how are you? I love you. Here's your Starbucks, bye.’ No pressure.'

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Ryan said she thinks she would be “a great non-contact parent because it's so easy”.

“The flow goes one way – parent to child. Just make yourself available, make some type of sacrifice.”

Ryan previously said she enjoyed the years she spent alone with Violet and called her single motherhood era “a wonderful decade”

Katherine Ryan with teenage daughter Violet (Ian West/PA)

Speaking to Kate Thornton on the White Wine Question Time podcast, Ryan reflected: “I don’t think being a single mother explicitly was a struggle.

The Duchess star explained: “Being a single mother is fantastic and rewarding, and you know that you can’t rely on anyone else so you just do it and you do it without resentment, because you don’t have an example of another adult who isn’t doing it and you don’t have to consult with anyone.

“You know exactly where you stand, and you have this unique life experience.”