The View: The Raven-Symoné Controversy & The Real Reason She Had To Leave The View
Talk shows might discuss the issues of the world, but they're not immune from their own controversies; from the temporary firing of Joy Behar on "The View" to the Sharon Osbourne debacle on "The Talk" over her support of Piers Morgan, the list goes on.
In 2015, Raven-Symoné joined the lineup of controversial talk show hosts during a "The View" segment on the racial bias surrounding Black-sounding names. Symoné said that if she was a hiring manager, she would discriminate against job applicants with names like Watermelondrea: "I'm not about to hire you if your name is Watermelondrea. It's just not gonna happen. I'm not gonna hire you." Shortly after the episode aired, thousands signed an online petition to have Symoné removed from "The View."
Additionally, in 2015 Symoné came under fire for not denouncing former Univision host Rodner Figueroa's claim that Michelle Obama resembles the cast from "Planet of the Apes." Symoné said on the show, "I don't think he was saying it racist." She added, "Not Michelle Obama. Michelle, don't fire me from this right now, but some people do look like animals. Is that rude?"
Raven-Symoné's experience on The View wasn't what she expected
Raven Symoné announced her departure live on "The View" in a late 2016 episode. At the time, her reasoning was that she'd be busy executive producing and starring in Disney Channel's "Raven's Home," which chronicles her psychic character Raven Baxter in adulthood. While this was true, there was more to Symoné's exit than just a busy schedule.
During an interview on "The View: Behind the Table," Symoné explained how her experience on "The View" wasn't what she thought it would be. She said, "I feel like I just got catfished. I thought I was going on a show ... where it was pop culture and fun and exciting, and I got catfished, and I learned a good lesson." In a separate interview with "them," Symoné elaborated on her catfishing claim. Despite being told the revamped version of "The View" wouldn't be politically focused, she felt that it was.
Symoné also admitted on "The View: Behind the Table" that she felt considerable pressure serving as the sole LGBTQ host, especially as someone who shies away from labels. Still, she praises former co-host Whoopi Goldberg and the show's producers for being there for her behind the scenes.