GK Barry has opened up about a traumatic experience from her teenage years, saying she was raped by a 27-year-old man while completing work experience at 17.
The TikTok star, whose real name is Grace Keeling, said she kept the experience largely to herself for years. Speaking about it publicly, she recalled how being young, wanting to complete her college course and not fully understanding the warning signs left her feeling trapped in a situation she did not know how to handle.
GK Barry Opens up About Assault
Barry shared her story during an appearance on Paul C Brunson's We Need To Talk podcast. She explained that she was studying media at college and needed to complete work experience to pass the course.
She found a placement and met a man she remembered as being around 27. Barry said he was 'quite attractive' and 'really friendly'. He later began sending her flirtatious messages, but at the time, Barry said she did not immediately recognise his behaviour as a warning sign.
One time after her first day, Barry recalled that he insisted on taking her to a park instead of driving her straight home.
'I immediately knew what that meant... I ended up having to do stuff to him in the park,' Barry said, recalling that she was sexually assaulted before being taken home.
Despite what happened, she returned to finish her work experience as she feared it could affect her chances of getting into university.
On her final day, the assault happened again. Barry said her boss took her away from the other people at the workplace and brought her to a room where there were no security cameras.
'He said, "Yeah, come in the room". So I was like, "Right, okay". And then basically, he raped me in there,' Barry said, visibly emotional.
According to her, she never told anyone what had happened and kept the experience private for several years.
Why She Blamed Herself for Years
Looking back, Barry said it took her years to understand that what happened to her was not her fault. She initially blamed herself, particularly because she had flirted with the man and felt unable to say no.
Telling her best friend became a turning point, as her reaction helped Barry recognise the power imbalance and understand that she had not consented.
Now, around a decade later, Barry said she has come to fully recognise that what happened was 'really wrong' and feels she needs to speak about it.
She also reflected on how her understanding of sexual assault had been shaped by misconceptions, explaining that she once associated rape with a stranger attacking someone in a dark alley. Now, she wanted to point out that 'rape can come in so many forms'.
Barry has also discussed her experience in Grazia, in an article titled GK Barry: I Want Girls To Learn From My Experience Of Rape That You Can Say No.
From TikTok to TV: Who Is GK Barry?
GK Barry is a British comedian, content creator, podcaster and television personality.
She became widely known after building a following on TikTok with humorous videos during the Covid-19 pandemic. Her popularity later led to the launch of her Saving Grace podcast, where she has interviewed celebrities and other public figures.
Barry has since moved into mainstream television, becoming a regular panellist on Loose Women in 2024 and appearing on I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! later that year. She also made her acting debut in Netflix's Missing You in 2025, appearing as Vanessa.
While Barry is best known for making people laugh, her latest revelations show another side of her story. By finally speaking about an experience she kept private for years, she has opened up a difficult conversation about consent, vulnerability and the warning signs that can be missed when someone is young.
