Raven-Symoné has been working in entertainment since she was a baby, but that doesn’t mean the industry is always easy to navigate.
The actress and musician, 39, appeared at the Teen Vogue Summit 2025 in Los Angeles alongside her wife Miranda Maday, Teen Vogue‘s Associate Culture Director P. Claire Dodson, and fellow former child star Alyson Stoner for a discussion about coming of age in the spotlight. Raven initially rose to stardom on The Cosby Show as Olivia Kendall, the adorable step-daughter of Lisa Bonet‘s character, Denise Huxtable Kendall, who unexpectedly returns home from Africa with a husband and step-daughter in tow. Raven became an instant hit on the show for her adorable face and keen sense of humor. In later years, she went on to star on the popular Disney Channel series That’s So Raven, as well as the Disney Channel original movie The Cheetah Girls.
🎬 SIGN UP for Parade’s Daily newsletter to get the latest pop culture news & celebrity interviews delivered right to your inbox 🎬
While Raven always enjoyed acting, she found certain aspects to be challenging. Back in the days when she was getting started, social media had yet to exist. That meant there was no way to differentiate herself from the characters she played on TV.
“There was no personal social media to really differentiate between who I was at home, and who I was on camera,” Raven said. “I’ve always known that I have certain masks to get through for people to see me.”
While social media provides her the opportunity to share a bit of herself, it also opens her up to extensive criticism.
“It’s disgusting,” Raven said of some of the comments she receives online. Maday noted that she’s learned a lot from Raven in regards to privacy and the way to respond to horrible comments.
Despite the dark side of child stardom, Raven sees the positive aspects as well. Ultimately, she told the Teen Vogue crowd that it taught her a lot.
“It builds character,” she explained.
What’s Raven Up to These Days?