Jacque Ryal shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Good morning Jacque, it’s such a great way to kick off the day – I think our readers will love hearing your stories, experiences and about how you think about life and work. Let’s jump right in? Who are you learning from right now?
I’m learning from the women in my life, across all ages and experiences.
From fellow female artists and friends in my community who are willing to provide constructive feedback, to my music production teacher who isn’t afraid to say “that wasn’t the assignment”.
My sister who is always my guide, my mentor in business with the most invaluable advice, the women in the #metoo movement that have been so brave to rattle the cage and come forward, to my friends mother’s and their wide stretched wings.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Jacque Ryal is an indie-pop songwriter, artist and producer based of New York City.
I’m most known from synth-electronic duo RYAL, but I have also written and produced songs for independent artists as well as for my solo project.
I have had over 60 songs written, published and recorded, with recurring sync placements on ABC/Disney morning shows since 2020 to present and with accolades from LadyGunn, WFNM, PopDust, Time Out Magazine.
Beyond my own music, I’m passionate about supporting women in the industry. I co-founded a women-in-music collective called DONNA in NYC to create a space for female artists and music professionals to collaborate, share resources, and navigate the industry together. This collective has been a constant source of inspiration and community for those involved.
Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. Who saw you clearly before you could see yourself?
My dearest and oldest friend in the world Paige.
We were inseparable as children and she accepted me and all of my strangeness
When did you stop hiding your pain and start using it as power?
In 2017, I was one of 38 women who came forward anonymously in Glenn Whipp’s LA Times exposé revealing the sexual assaults committed by Hollywood writer/director James Toback. That article opened the floodgates—over 200 women, including several celebrities stepped forward with their own stories.
In 2022, New York Governor Kathy Hochul signed the Adult Survivors Act, giving survivors outside the statute of limitations a one-year window to file civil suits. One of the victims, Mary Monahan, discovered this law and brought together an extraordinary legal team to fight for us.
End of April of this year (2025), myself along with 39 other women testified in court against James Toback.
The jury convicted him, awarding us $1.68 billion in damages.
I was crippled with shame after my assault, even when I came forward in 2017. It has taken years of unraveling and shedding of the shame and fear of what others might think of me knowing my experience.
It took coming forward in court standing in front of a jury and judge sharing my secret of 20 years did I realize the power of speaking out holds.
Alright, so if you are open to it, let’s explore some philosophical questions that touch on your values and worldview. What’s a belief you used to hold tightly but now think was naive or wrong?
It is text book, but I believed for years I was at fault for my assault.
How could I put myself in that position? Fall into such a trap? Be so stupid?
It took hearing the other women testify in court to realize that I was not alone. That this horrible monster (James Toback) IS a predator and is schooled and calculative using his power to manipulate and get what he wants.
It wasn’t on me, this is on him.
Thank you so much for all of your openness so far. Maybe we can close with a future oriented question. What false labels are you still carrying?
That i am not good enough.
Guilt and shame are sticky so it is a daily mantra of mine to keep pressing on and pursuing my art and work regardless of my inner monologue.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://jacqueryal.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/jacqueryalmusic.com
- Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/jacqueryalmusic
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@jacqueryalmusic
Image Credits
Emily Berger
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
