Raven-Symoné Says Leaving Entertainment Helped With Her Sexuality

Last month, actress and child star Raven-Symone revealed to the world that she married girlfriend Miranda Pearman-Maday.

"I got married to a woman who understands me from trigger to joy, from breakfast to midnight snack, from stage to home," she shared on Instagram. "I love you Mrs. Pearman-Maday! Let's tear this world a new a-hole."

Notoriously private, Symone's wedding was a pleasant surprise to fans everywhere. In a new interview, the 34-year-old actress revealed why she decided to talk about her wedding publicly.

"Despite being someone who has kept my personal life private, I decided to share this moment because it's one of the biggest and happiest of my life," Raven-Symone told People. "Miranda makes me feel confident and empowered in an entirely new way. We planned our ceremony together and it was a true reflection of our love and partnership."

"I get to make new plans with a brilliant woman, and we get to create an empire for ourselves," she added. "We get to map out our future in ways that we want."

Symone then opened up about her time in the industry and revealed why she stayed in the closet for so long. "My whole life is kind of based on what the industry wants," she explained. "Other people controlled my hair, my eyebrows, my clothing, my words, everything."

When she opened up about her sexuality in 2016, Symone said she thought she would never come out. She says she spent much of her life just following what she thought she was supposed to do.

"I just remember an older person in my life saying, 'Oh my gosh, that guy's so cute. Look at him. That's the kind of person you should be with. I'm like, 'Yeah, he's so cute, right?' I was playing the role."

She's still figuring out how to stay true to herself even today. "I push myself aside so much to make sure that my career is on point that I don't always take care of my mental health. I'm still growing into who I am and still figuring it out."

A break from the industry in 2013 let her explore who she is and what she wants. "What it did was help me with my sexuality," Symone explained. "I actually had time to think for myself and no one to tell me differently. It helped me realize that I'm kind of addicted to the industry because of the fact I had been in it for so long. I had to transform that addiction into something that is positive for me because I was getting very toxic to myself and others."

On her upcoming album, The Reintroduction, Symone is ready to show the many different layers to her. "It's a weight off my shoulders," she reflected. "If you really dive into the songs and read between the lines and all the things inside, I'm releasing anger, pain and grudges towards the entertainment industry, myself and others."

And Symone had some encouraging words for anyone struggling with their sexuality or identity. "It gets better. Just stick with it. Hang in there, bro, you'll be fine."

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