Dark Secrets Of These Disney Channel Stars

Publish date: 2024-05-06

Raven-Symoné was a TV veteran long before "That's So Raven," "Zenon: Girl of the 21st Century," and "The Cheetah Girls." A child star who got her start on "The Cosby Show," she soon became a staple of the Disney Channel. And while her career sounds like a dream come true, things were not always easy behind the scenes. As she said to Insider, "When you're in the industry and in front of millions of people whose livelihoods depend on your work and engagement, things can get a little strenuous." 

As if that wasn't enough pressure to grapple with, Raven told Insider that when she was still a teen, her clothes and weight were under constant scrutiny. And in OWN's documentary "Light Girls," she shared that a crew member once asked her to no longer visit tanning beds, and not because he was worried about the health risks. "We have to relight the whole entire show," she remembered him telling her. 

What's more, Raven feared she could never come out publicly. In the docuseries "It Got Better," she spoke about coming to terms with her sexuality at the age of 12 but keeping it hidden because she feared the backlash would destroy her career. "I never thought I would come out because my personal life didn't matter," she said. "It was only what was supposed to be sold as the Raven-Symoné brand." She came out on Twitter in 2013.

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