Raven Symoné Reveals That She Declined Disney’s Request To Make Her Character Gay “Raven Baxter’s Not Gay”

Though Raven Symoné is open about her sexuality and identifies as nonbinary, doesn’t mean Raven Baxter is.

The That’s So Raven alum opened up about why she didn’t want Raven Baxter to be gay on the show, and it has nothing to do with Symoné but everything to do with the character.

“I think Disney wanted her to be queer in the beginning, and I just didn’t feel comfortable doing that,” the former child star said.

“They were like, ‘Do you want Raven to be gay?’ I said, ‘Why?’ [And they said,] ‘Because you are.’ I said, ‘Bad, bad reason. That’s a bad reason,” she said.

Raven’s Home is the spinoff to the early 2000s show, about Raven Baxter all grown up and raising her son, with some familiar faces from the past.

“No, Raven Baxter never exhibited any type of sexual identity situation in the priors,” she added. “I’m not being myself on this show; I’m being a character,” Symoné continued.

Raven Symoné gained popularity in 2003 after playing psychic teenager Raven Baxter on the hit TV show, That’s So Raven. Ever since, she has been the star of Disney, going on to star in The Cheetah Girls franchise, acting in The Princess Diaries 2, and so much more.

The original sitcom ended in 2007, but in 2017, Raven’s Home was created and is going on its fifth season.

“Raven Baxter’s not gay. No matter what the first four seasons looked like, with me and Chelsea sleeping in the same room and us raising a family together,” the former The View co-host continued. “OK, that’s not the case. We are friends. Who sleep in the same room.”

“It’s so funny because we’re working on the sixth season now, and I’m talking to the EPs, and they’re like, ‘And you’re gonna start dating?’ ” she stated. “I’m like, ‘She don’t need to date either. She’s just gonna be nothing.”

Raven’s Home is currently on Disney Plus.