Raven-Symoné is opening up about some of the effects of growing up in the public eye, including going under the knife to enhance her appearance at the age of 18.
The That’s So Raven star spoke candidly about the pressure she felt about her weight as a teenager and the drastic lengths she went to conform to society’s standards. When she turned 18 in 2004, Raven-Symoné
decided to undergo two breast reductions and liposuction at the encouragement of her father.“There was paperwork involved. My dad suggested strongly that I should get my breasts reduced,” she revealed on The Best Podcast Ever With Raven and Miranda.
“He was like, ‘So you don’t feel bad, is there anything that you want?’ I was like, ‘Yeah, if I get lipo, will people stop calling me fat?’”
She continued: “So I got a twofer. It was just a mess, just being that young and the pain of it all.”
The former Cosby Show actress even recalled having a seizure after her first breast reduction surgery.
“I remember waking up and seeing everything…and then I just started to have this dry mouth and couldn’t breathe and went back under,” she said.
She recalled disassociating
from reality after the seizure and not knowing what caused it “freak[ed] her out a bit.” Yet, she moved forward with a second breast reduction to prevent her “t**ties reaching her ankles.”“I don’t know if I regret it because they grew back not to that big of a size,” Raven said.
She has credited her wife, Miranda Pearman-Maday, for helping her “kick sugar” and gain new inspiration to maintain a healthier lifestyle.
“I want to be here for her as long as I can,” she said on The View
per The Independent. “I found out some numbers at the doctor that were not pleasant for someone in my age bracket–or any age bracket, to be honest with you…”“She doesn’t want to take me to an early grave, and I want to make sure I am there for her in the best health possible.”
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