Raven-Symoné seems to be glad “The View” is in her rear view.
The former co-host, 36, appeared on the ABC gabfest from June 2015 to October 2016, sitting alongside Whoopi Goldberg, Joy Behar, Candace Cameron Bure, Michelle Collins and Paula Faris.
In an interview with Them last week, Raven discussed the difficulties of doing live television, claiming she was “catfished” by producers and would not sign on to co-host again.
“First of all, they told me this wasn’t going to be politically oriented when they revamped it,” she declared. “So, [I was] catfished for one.”
Not always comfortable expressing her political opinion, the “That’s So Raven” actress says she also refrained from frankly discussing her sexuality on the chat show. The star came out in 2013, but had resisted giving herself a definitive label.
“When I started [on the show], I pretended like I didn’t even say anything. Like it wasn’t a part of my identity,” she told Them, referring to her coming out. “I went right back to that other person. I’m used to hiding. I’m used to hiding myself. So it was easy to hide in plain view.”
Raven said she was inspired to do the show because she wanted to show the public that she was an adult with a “brain” after years spent pigeonholed as a Disney child star.
She added that moderator Whoopi Goldberg was also a huge reason she signed onto the top-rated program.
But the star quickly made headlines for some of her controversial on-air comments, with 138,000 people eventually signing a petition to have her fired.
“I apologized multiple times for the things that came out of my mouth, and I still am learning from them, but I did grow up,” she conceded.
Raven eventually left the show on her own terms, and while she doesn’t regret the gig and learned “new skills,” she says she won’t be returning.
“Would I do it again? No, I wouldn’t do it again,” she defiantly concluded.