Raven-Symoné says she felt ‘attacked’ and ‘judged’ over remarks about being African American she made in an interview with Oprah Winfrey almost a decade back.
The 38-year-old entertainer addressed the October 2014 controversy on the latest edition of her Tea Time With Raven and Miranda podcast Tuesday, titled ‘we need to talk…,’ alongside wife Miranda Maday, 36.
‘When that aired, I felt like the entire Internet exploded and threw my name in the garbage,’ said the Atlanta native, who got married to Maday, 36, in June of 2020.
The one-time Disney Channel star, who starred on That’s So Raven and Raven’s Home, said she has been ‘haunted’ by the comments ‘since 2014.’
Raven-Symoné explained that she was rehashing the 2014 controversy amid a segment on Real Time With Bill Maher, in which Maher mentioned her past comments. They came in a segment focusing on comments by actor Idris Elba that people ‘are obsessed with race.’
Raven-Symoné says she felt ‘attacked’ and ‘judged’ over remarks over being African American she made in an interview with Oprah Winfrey a decade back
The 38-year-old entertainer addressed the 2014 controversy on the latest edition of her Tea Time With Raven and Miranda podcast Tuesday, titled ‘we need to talk…,’ alongside wife Miranda Maday, 36
Said Raven-Symoné: ‘He is commenting on something I said to Oprah back in 2014.’
In the segment with Oprah, 70, Raven-Symoné was asked, ‘So you don’t want to be labeled gay?’ to which she said, ‘I don’t want to be labeled gay.’
Raven-Symoné added, ‘I want to be labeled a human who loves humans. I’m tired of being labeled – I’m an American, I’m not an African American – I’m an American.’
Oprah said in response, ‘Oh girl, don’t set off Twitter.’
On her podcast Tuesday, Raven-Symoné said amid the blowback, she felt that the comments didn’t land as intended with people.
‘There was so much backlash from my community and others that misunderstood/didn’t hear the exact words that I said,’ she said. ‘And the exact words that I said is that, “I’m an American, not an African American.”
‘A lot of people thought I said that I wasn’t Black – and I never said that.’
When pressed for further clarification by Maday, Raven-Symoné broke down the meaning behind her 2014 declaration.
Raven-Symoné explained that she was rehashing the 2014 controversy amid a segment on Real Time With Bill Maher in which Maher mentioned her past comments
Said Raven-Symoné: ‘He is commenting on something I said to Oprah back in 2014’
In the segment with Oprah, Raven-Symoné added, ‘I want to be labeled a human who loves humans. I’m tired of being labeled – I’m an American, I’m not an African American – I’m an American’
On her podcast Tuesday, Raven-Symoné said amid the blowback, she felt that the comments didn’t land as intended with people
Raven explained that she was referring to her country of origin with the remarks
‘When I say that African American does not align with me – that label – it doesn’t mean that I’m negating my Blackness or I’m not Black,’ Raven-Symoné said. ‘It means I am from this country.
‘I was born here. My mom, my dad, my great-great-great-great-great – that’s what I’m saying. The pure logistics of it.’
Raven-Symoné said that she has a deep understanding of ‘how much blood, sweat, and tears’ her ancestors ‘soaked into this earth in order to create the America that I live in today – free, happy, tax-paying American citizen.’