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Raven-Symoné is sharing her journey with breast reduction surgery, which she underwent as a teenager.
During a recent episode of her podcast Tea Time with Raven & Miranda, co-hosted with her wife, Miranda Pearman-Maday, the 38-year-old Disney alum opened up about growing up in the spotlight and the intense pressure to conform to beauty standards.
At just 15 years old, Symoné underwent her first of two breast reduction surgeries — a decision heavily influenced by the adults around her.
“I went from a triple D all the way down to a B. Someone said I needed to do it in order to get a show,” she shared, adding that her father “suggested strongly” that she go through with the procedure.
At the same time, Symoné opted for liposuction in an attempt to silence criticism about her weight. “I was like, ‘Yeah, if I get lipo, will people stop calling me fat?’ And so, I got a twofer,” she explained.
The Cosby Show alum revealed that the surgery, which required significant paperwork due to her being a minor, came with complications. She suffered a seizure after waking up from anesthesia and continues to deal with lasting physical reminders. “I have scars. I still have scar tissue to this day,” she said.
Despite the surgery, Symoné faced ongoing scrutiny. “I gained weight after and had to, like, go back for a quick little, like, [get] a little bit more out ‘cause [my breasts] were still too big for others’ feelings,” she recalled.
Reflecting on how much has changed over the years, the actor highlighted the progress in the body positivity movement. “There’s this beautiful embracing of the body now that I didn’t get as a young girl,” she said.
Symoné’s candid recollection sheds light on the challenges of growing up in the entertainment industry and the toll it can take on young stars pressured to meet unrealistic expectations.
This isn’t the first time she has spoken about the pressures she faced as a young performer.
In a 2017 interview with People, she recalled being told she was “too big to be doing an hour and a half concert” while touring with the Cheetah Girls. “I was like, ‘I still did it! I was on tour forever because it’s not about your size, it’s about what you have to say, if you can sing or dance, and performing,’” she said.
Symoné also addressed claims that her body was digitally altered on That’s So Raven during an October 2024 episode of The Bright Side Podcast. She confirmed that such discussions had occurred, saying: “There’s this really interesting thing you can do with film, when you’re in television, and you can stretch the film. So if you’re wide and you stretch it long ways, you look skinnier. And, there were talks about that.”