Ryan Phelan’s mental health battle after domestic violence charges dropped
Axed Channel 7 host Ryan Phelan has opened up about his mental health struggles after he was cleared by police of domestic violence charges based on allegations made by his girlfriend Chelsea Franklin.
Confidential
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Axed Channel 7 host Ryan Phelan has opened up about the impact on his mental health after he was cleared by police of domestic violence charges based on allegations made by his girlfriend Chelsea Franklin.
Last week, all charges against Phelan were dropped three months after he was accused by police of assaulting Franklin inside their $2m northern beaches home.
The former The Daily Edition host told 2GB’s Ben Fordham that the legal nightmare took a devastating toll on his mental health and he’s relieved after being cleared of any wrongdoing.
“You feel like your world has just imploded,” Phelan said.
“When I heard what had been alleged, I willingly participated and went to speak to the police to give them the version of events. I did so thinking it was a matter that would be cleared up there and then and it didn’t transpire that way.
“... It’s been a daily battle with mental health and finding the strength to deal with these things because so much of your world is out of your control and it’s about trying to get some control back in your life, which is extremely difficult... every single day is a battle for me those three months felt like three years.”
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Phelan, 45, previously pleaded not guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm and common assault and on Friday, prosecutors withdrew all charges levelled against him.
An apprehended violence order that was taken out against the TV presenter by police was also withdrawn and dismissed.
Despite the ordeal, Phelan said he bears no ill will towards Franklin, 44, and looks forward to putting this all behind him.
“You can be a multitude of different ways when these things happen, you can be bitter, you can be angry but at the end of the day that’s someone I love and care about,” he said.
“I’m very interested in protecting her and I don’t want her to be seen as a villain in all of this because there’s always two sides and in a situation like this there’s no winners and people are hurting.
“I know she’s hurting, I know I’m hurting through this and we’re mindful of working together to move forward and hopefully put this behind us.”
When asked about a possible return to television, Phelan said he has not ruled out the idea.
“Obviously I’ve had such a wonderful 26 years in television and sometimes these things happen in your life and you acknowledge many facets of what your career means to you and what you hope to do with it next,” he said.
“I don’t really know what lies next, all I’m focusing on is my mental health, my strength and getting back to where I need to be and hopefully the best lies ahead for me in whatever capacity that is.”