Raven-Symoné is getting real with her audience. On the December 5 episode of her podcast, Tea Time with Raven & Miranda, which she hosts with her wife, Miranda Maday, the 39-year-old Disney Channel alum opened up about undergoing breast reduction surgery at just 15 years old—a choice she says was tied to improving her chances of landing acting roles. However, as she revealed during the episode, the decision wasn’t entirely hers.
“I went from a triple D all the way down to a B,” The Cosby Show alum hared. “Someone said I needed to do it in order to get a show,” adding that her father “suggested strongly” that she go through with the procedure. In addition to the breast reduction, Raven also underwent liposuction at the time. “I was like, ‘Yeah, if I get lipo, will people stop calling me fat?’ And so, I got a twofer,’” she said.
Symoné also discussed the physical and emotional aftermath of the procedures. “I have scars. I still have scar tissue to this day,” she continued, revealing that this wasn’t her last experience with breast reduction surgery. “I gained weight after and had to, like, go back for a quick little, like, [get] a little bit more out ’cause [my breasts] were still too big for others’ feelings.”
Despite the challenges she faced, Symoné acknowledged the progress made in today’s beauty standards. “There’s this beautiful embracing of the body now that I didn’t get as a young girl,” she said.
