Emmerdale‘s Beth Cordingly has addressed a fan question about her character Ruby Fox-Miligan’s abuse storyline.
Viewers recently learned about Ruby’s traumatic past, after an emotional flashback episode revealed that her father Anthony sexually abused her as a child. Ruby suspects that Anthony could be the biological father of her daughter Steph and fears it will destroy her family.
After an emotional chat with Chas Dingle, Ruby arranged a DNA test to find out if her husband Caleb is Steph’s father. Upcoming episodes will see Caleb discover the DNA test, leaving Ruby in a difficult situation.
Discussing whether Ruby has ever considered telling Caleb about the abuse, actor Cordingly shared: “Someone asked me that on Instagram, actually. They said ‘why wouldn’t she?’
“I don’t think she has, the thing about their relationship is that he rescued her. She feels that Caleb saved her life and saved her because she left her family and went to be with him. So that rescued her from being with her dad.”
She added: “Her relationship with Caleb, there’s sort of a purity to it that she doesn’t want to taint with him knowing this horrific thing that has happened to her.”
The star also explained how Ruby’s “shame and guilt” and “all those feelings that you would but shouldn’t feel in that situation” have stopped her from telling Caleb the truth.
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“She doesn’t want him to see her as a victim. She enjoys being this kind of tough person that Caleb thinks is amazing,” she said. “She’s decided to go to the grave with that secret.”
Cordingly revealed that Ruby “hasn’t really got any answers” for Caleb regarding the paternity test because she “doesn’t want to ever” tell him the truth about the abuse.
She continued: “She’s so fierce about wanting to protect Steph from the knowledge. She doesn’t want anyone to ever know that there’s a chance that her dad has fathered her child, because it’s just too horrendous for a person to have to accept that for their child.”
