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Raven-Symoné podcast controversy

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2026-09-03 23:20 UTC → 2026-09-06 00:59 UTC · added ~~removed~~

Controversy emerged following a podcast episode of ‘Tea Time with Raven & Miranda’ regarding the cultural significance of the Disney Channel series ‘That’s So Raven’. During a discussion with guest Kalen Allen, Raven-Symoné questioned the necessity of race in the character Raven Baxter’s relatability, suggesting the character’s identity was universal by asking Allen to ‘take away the color’ and imagine the characters as green. Miranda Pearman-Maday also noted the show’s white writers during the exchange. Social media backlash followed, with critics arguing the character held specific cultural importance for Black audiences. The debate escalated to include reports of death threats against Allen. In response to the criticism, Pearman-Maday clarified her position, stating that while she was not a dedicated viewer of the series growing up, she was aware of Raven-Symoné’s career. She addressed the online backlash and death threats she received, explaining that ‘watching a show is different than knowing someone exists’ and noting she had encountered the series through her sister. The situation intensified as a clip of the exchange went viral. In the footage, Allen asserts that the character was ‘Black as f***’, to which Symoné responded by questioning why the character felt Black and repeating her prompt to ‘make them green’ to focus on the dialogue. Additionally, former Miss Teen USA contestant Gloria Almonte has shared a social media claim regarding a 2001 interaction, alleging that a 15-year-old Symoné told her she did not vote for the winner, Miss Missouri, because she was ‘the Black girl’. Symoné and her wife, Miranda Maday, have not yet addressed the recent viral video.

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