14 DAY TRIAL // Actress Raven Symone remains a fan favorite even though she’s no longer getting the same kind of media attention she got back in the day. The reason why she will never go out of favor is that you can always rely on her to call somebody else’s bluff, especially fellow celebrities.
Take for example her newest interview with Oprah Winfrey for her OWN segment Where Are They Now?, which tracks down and keeps up to date with the lives of stars who go off the radar for a while, no matter the reason.
A teaser for the new episode, which promises to be very, very interesting, is embedded below, at the end of the article.
Shading former child stars whose lives and careers went off the rails
Raven Symone is one of the few stars to actually be able to say they had a smooth transition from child star to grown up entertainer. Her name was never in the tabloids or, if it was, it wasn’t because of something she did and the media found out about. She never stumbled drunk out of clubs or embarrassed herself in front of friends, fans, or the press.
There was never any report in the press about Raven missing work or arriving late, holding up production, being nasty and rude to staff or her colleagues, or being a diva.
In short, except for that one time when the tabloids went crazy with speculation that she might be a lesbian, Raven Symone managed to conduct all affairs of her personal life with decency and grace, something that is not that common with former child stars.
She is the best person to speak to these, and at the same time, this puts her in a position in which she can throw perfect shade. Which is exactly what happens in the video below, but in the most elegant manner ever.
“Stay in the house,” don’t court unwanted attention, be smart
Asked by Oprah which her advice to former child stars would be, Raven is quick to respond.
“My parents taught me to keep my private life private,” she says. “They showed me all the role models out there that I could turn in to, and what I want for myself in the future. And seeing all the… child stars going off the edge, what I've learned? It's unnecessary to go to the most popular restaurant in the world when you have a scandal on your head, and then get mad that someone's going to take a picture of you.”
She adds: “That's your fault, boo-boo. Stay in the house.”
These are words to live by, and they certainly helped her a lot when it came to navigating her own fame come at a very young age. Unfortunately, not all child stars have parents as well-meaning as hers: most of these parents are also managers to their young charges, which means that they often sacrifice their child’s wellbeing for profit.
Lindsay Lohan, Amanda Bynes could use someone like Raven in their life
Raven Symone calls it like it is. She might come across as harsh to a certain extent, but she’s speaking the truth – and the most recent examples of Lindsay Lohan and Amanda Bynes come to mind.
Lohan is now in London trying to make a comeback in theater, but she’s still out partying every night and reports claim that she’s back on drugs and booze because she keeps the worst company in the world. Ironically, she too was on Oprah not long ago, promising she’d turned her life around with her most recent stint in rehab, and that she wanted to put that behind her.
Amanda, on the other hand, is out of her parents’ control and (allegedly) back on drugs, acting erratically and most likely endangering herself and others. She was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and schizophrenia after a very public meltdown and was, until last month, under her parents’ conservatorship. The day it wasn’t extended, she moved out of the house and went back on drugs – and is now en route to complete disaster.
