A 7-Year-Old Raven Symone Wasn’t Allowed to Eat While on Set of ‘The Cosby Show’
Raven Symone’s celebrity spans generations. The star began acting as a child and went on to establish a successful career in her adult years. Symone has been very vocal about her time as a child actor speaking about her experiences and mental health issues that came from that time. She once revealed she wasn’t allowed to eat while on the set of The Cosby Show despite being seven years old.
Raven Symone was body-shamed as a child
Tales have been told about how Hollywood exploits child actors. The ’90s were the worst with many actors who started out during that era speaking about the exploitation. From the Olsen twins being forced to work twice as hard to Symone getting body shamed, there’s more to write a book or seven.
Symone started her career on The Cosby Show in 1989 appearing as Olivia Kendall. Before her role on the ultra-popular show, however, Symone had auditioned to star alongside her TV granddad in 1983 on Ghost Dad but was passed over due to her young age. She was three.
Her role on The Cosby Show made her popular and earned her several roles thus beginning a journey of acting that has continued to this day. Symone went on to achieve mega-stardom on the Disney Channel with her first role being in the 1999 film Xenon: Girl of the 21st Century playing Nebula.
The role ushered her into the network as two years later she auditioned for Absolutely Psychic which later became That’s So Raven. However, her time on Disney Channel wasn’t all rosy as she had to endure years of body shaming that left her mentally scarred.
The actor opened up to PEOPLE in 2017 saying, “I wish I was living now as a younger person. I probably wouldn’t have so many mental issues.” Symone opened up about hearing snarky comments about her weight with some forcing her to lose weight.
She recalled being told that she was “too big to be doing an hour and a half concert. ‘I don’t know how she can dance being that big.’- I still did it.”
Raven Symone was prevented from eating on ‘The Cosby Show’
Symone starred as Olivia in The Cosby Show when she was seven. Most people at that age aren’t aware of their bodies and therefore, don’t feel any pressure to alter anything. However, being a child actor took a toll on a 7-year-old Symone who constantly had to hear comments about her weight.
The View co-host told her fellow panelists that she was warned against eating anything while on set. “I remember not being able to have the bagel or anything at- We would call it crafty, where it’s just a table of food, ready for you to eat whatever you want. And I remember people would be like, ‘You can’t eat that. You’re getting fat!’ I’m like, ‘I’m 7 I’m hungry,” she said, calling the situation “hard.”
Raven Symone is doing better these days
Symone’s woes wouldn’t end there as she told Oprah Winfrey in the “Where Are They Now” segment that she tried losing weight but by the time she achieved that, the industry shifted its focus to plus-size women.
Symone is doing better these days and sharing her experience has helped her a lot. She also went to therapy which helped her improve and cope. Although she’s in the spotlight, the actor does things on her own terms and stays true to herself. Symone went back to Disney Channel to do a reboot for That’s So Raven titled Raven’s Home. She has also appeared on The View as a co-host and is an LGBTQ advocate.
