Raven-Symone Gets Candid On Why She Felt ‘Catfished’ By ‘The View’, Talks Not Having A ‘Safe Environment’ As A Queer Child 

In a candid new interview with Raven-Symone, the 36-year-old actress opened up about her experience as a former co-host on “The View” and why she initially didn’t want to come out as queer.

Although the former Disney child star “enjoyed” her time on the daytime talk show, Symone revealed she “wouldn’t” co-host “The View” ever again.

“First of all, they told me this wasn’t gonna be politically oriented when they revamped it. So catfished for one,” Symone told them. “Two, me coming out wasn’t a part of that.

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“Like I said, when I started [“The View”] I pretended like I didn’t even say anything. Like it wasn’t a part of my identity,” she continued, referring to having already come out as queer in a 2013 tweet before she signed onto the show in 2015. “I went right back to that other person. I’m used to hiding. I’m used to hiding myself. So it was easy to hide in plain view.”

The TV personality added that during her time on-air, despite it being a short run, she learned a “massive lesson” that it is “a skill to be on live television and voice your opinions.” Symone became a permanent fixture on “The View”‘s panel, serving as a co-host from June 2015 through late 2016, after previously having guest hosted the show numerous times.

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While speaking about coming out to the world as queer, the “Raven’s Home” star admitted that she has fellow “Sister Act” actor, Demond Green, to thank for giving her “the courage to do it.”

“I didn’t have any role models,” Symone said of growing up queer. “Like who did I have to look up to? No offence Ellen, back then, that didn’t go so well for her. And so all of those moments just did not lead up to a safe environment for me to come out.

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“And [Green] goes, ‘yeah, but you’re that for other people.’ And I’m like, ‘why I gotta be the martyr? Like that’s not fair.”

Now, Symone admitted that she feels “happy” to be an inspiration to the generations after her, adding that, in return, they “helped” her “be more true to [herself].”