Raven-Symoné, known for her iconic roles in Disney Channel shows during the early 2000s, recently shared a deeply personal story that sheds light on the harsh realities of being in the spotlight from a young age. The actress, now 37, opened up about her experiences with body shaming and the plastic surgeries she underwent before the age of 18 in an emotional episode of her podcast, “The Best Podcast Ever With Raven and Miranda.”
Her journey began, she says, when she faced relentless weight-shaming during her teenage years. The pressure to conform to unrealistic beauty standards took a toll on her self-esteem. The actress revealed that her father, Christopher Pearman, played a role in her decision to undergo plastic surgery. In her own words, she recounted, “My dad suggested strongly that I should get my breasts reduced.” This suggestion came as a response to the bullying and body shaming she endured.
During the episode, Raven-Symoné unveiled that she opted for two breast reduction surgeries and liposuction before turning 18. “If I get lipo, will people stop calling me fat?” she recalled asking herself. In a candid admission, she expressed the emotional turmoil she faced as a young person undergoing such invasive procedures.
Side Effects and Hard Recoveries
The surgery wasn’t without its challenges. After her first breast reduction, Raven-Symoné still felt dissatisfied with her appearance and decided to undergo another procedure. Tragically, the experience turned traumatic as she suffered a seizure shortly after the operation. “I remember waking up and seeing everything and then I started to have this dry mouth and couldn’t breathe and then I went back under and they were like, ‘Oh yeah, you had a seizure,’“ she said.
Post surgeries, Raven-Symoné shared she was was filled with both physical and emotional pain. She explained that she still carries scar tissue from the procedures and emphasized the importance of understanding potential consequences. “I have scars. I still have scar tissue to this day,“ To make matters worse, even though she underwent surgeries to alter her appearance, the relentless criticism continued.
Relentless Critiques
She said this caused her to get more surgery. “Because I wasn’t as skinny as everybody else and they still called me fat,“ she shared. “You get that done and it’s still not what everybody wanted to see.“ The star said the liposuction didn’t get rid of her belly fat, which she says due to a hormone imbalance. “So, I was going to gain weight whether I had lipo or not,“ she said.
As she has grown older, Raven-Symoné has come to understand the significance of self-acceptance and embracing one’s body. She urges others to think twice before making drastic changes to their bodies and recommends therapy to navigate such decisions at a young age.
