Raven-Symoné Recalls Feeling 'Very Vulnerable' When Coming Out: 'There Were a Lot of Challenges'

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Nearly 10 years after she came out, Raven-Symoné is reflecting on the difficulties she faced while on the journey to embrace her identity.

"There were a lot of challenges," the Raven's House star, 37, told E! News as she accepted an Icon Award at the 9th Annual Better Brothers Los Angeles Truth Awards.

"There was the crumbling of the wall that I had put up for so many years," she continued. "And I felt very vulnerable, it was an interesting wound that was opened up in public."

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Now, the actress prioritizes representation in her work. "I want to make sure I'm creating content that reflects the community that we're a part of," she added. "Respectfully and with dignity."

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Raven-Symoné previously said she knew she was gay at age 12 — while she was a Disney star on That's So Raven. Because of her on-screen persona, the actor was uncertain about coming out.

"I never thought I would come out because my personal life didn't matter," she said in an "It Gets Better" video released in 2016. "It was only supposed to be sold as, you know, a Raven-Symoné record."

Once she came out, though, things changed. "I felt lighter. I felt like I could go out and not have to put on 17 different hats to be myself," she said. "I realize that just living my truth of what I am, there's one less person to fight me in my own head."

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Raven-Symoné married Miranda Maday in 2020.