Has Raven Symone’s Weight Loss Hurt Her Career?
In 2011, former Cosby kid and Disney star, Raven Symone, proudly introduced the public to her new body. Symone, who spent much of her adolescent and adult life being “thick and fabulous” suddenly lost a total of 70 pounds after years of pressure from the media. However, Symone, who has always been proud of her body, says that the decision to lose weight was personal one and she still stands by her original message: “be comfortable with yourself,” with hopes that girls and women everywhere understand that you do not have to be thin to be beautiful and confident.
While Raven and most of the public celebrated her new look, fans who had been following her career since the Disney Channel’s That’s So Raven began to express their disappointment. Some fans commented that they were “not happy” because they believed Raven had gotten “too thin.” Others felt that by losing such a large amount of weight, Raven, who was once one of the only “thick” actresses on television, had fallen victim to society’s ideal body image.
More than three years later fans are still discussing Raven’s drastic weight loss, with one Twitter user even tweeting: “i liked raven symoné better when she was big.” Another user cited other celebrities who have gone from thick to thin, noting that, “So many celebs lose weight and become irrelevant…..toccara, j.hudson, ruben, monique, raven symone, etc….stay fat = key to success-” and he may just a point. Prior to her weightloss, Raven starred in several films and television shows, including That’s So Raven, a show which focused primarily around her. However, since 2011, Raven’s only major role has been in ABC Family’s Georgie Rule, which only lasted one season. Raven’s character, Georgia Chamberlain was actually intended to be played by Raven at her previous weight. After shedding some pounds, Raven was required to wear padded clothing while on set.
Although Raven’s dedication to exercising and eating healthy has certainly added to her quality of life, it seems as though her new habits haven’t done much to help her career. Perhaps Raven has been receiving lots of roles and turning them down, perhaps she is currently working on a large project, or maybe she is just enjoying a little time out of the spotlight. However, it seems ironic that after the media spent years pressuring Raven into losing weight (it is rumored that That’s So Raven was cancelled because of her weight), there is no longer any room for her in Hollywood now that she is thin.
(Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for Heart Truth)
