Raven-Symone Defends Cop, Slams ‘Ghetto Names’ & Won’t Say She’s Gay: ‘The View’ Petition Wants Raven Symone Fired
Raven-Symone is earning attention on The View, but it’s not always in a good way. When ABC producers hired Raven to join the constantly changing cast, they may have hoped she’d add a different view. But Symone has become such a controversial member of the show through arguments over issues ranging from religion to her disinclination to employ someone with what she termed a “ghetto” name, that The View has become more like the Raven Show.
Symone recently ended a same-sex relationship, and has also discussed her controversial views on sexuality. But it’s the latest commentary offered up by the new co-host on The View that caused the biggest backlash and firestorm for Raven, reported USA Today.
“She was asked by multiple teachers to put her phone away or to leave the room. We don’t know if she popped off at the mouth….They called him as a last resort. He talked to her for 30 seconds and she still didn’t get up. She still didn’t put the phone away. You do not need to be manhandling a child that way but at the same time, kids, put your phones away.”
Raven did not get a warm reception for that discussion. Instead, Symone was the subject of a petition signed by almost 120,000 people. The petition to Barbara Walters, who is the famed executive producer of The View, pleaded with her to fire Raven Symone.
Among the reasons for firing her, according to the petition, are that Raven made the comment about a “ghetto name” and took the side of the policeman who assaulted a student because she would not put her phone away. For those reasons, said the petitioners, it’s time for Symone to stop offering her views.
“Raven Symone has been spouting her ignorant and self hating spiel on the view for Long enough, from stating that she wouldn’t hire somebody for having a ghetto name, to openly complaining about reverse racism, the final straw was her comment about the recent viral video of the school police officer assaulting the student, where Raven Symone said ‘get off your phone in school then’. African Americans and black people around the diaspora need a voice representative of their views and not a voice representative of what white people want us to say. We need strong black rolemodels in prominent positions on television an Raven Symone cannot provide that [stet].”
Raven-Symone recently also has received a backlash for refusing to say that she is gay, according to the New York Daily News.
(Note: Depending on the publication, the former child star’s name is variously spelled Raven-Symone as one hyphenated name or two separate names. The Inquisitr is honoring both variations accordingly.)
Growing up in the public spotlight as a child star on the Cosby Show, Raven now is 29. She was with AzMarie Livingston, known as an actress on Empire, for a long time before they split, and Symone recently was spotted in a PDA moment with Samira Wiley from Orange Is the New Black.
But even when she was dating AzMarie, with a relationship that started in 2012, Raven-Symoné would not discuss it. At one point, chatting on Oprah’s Where Are They Now? and discussing sexual preferences, Raven insisted that she defied labels.
As for the backlash over the reference to a “ghetto” name, The View co-host previously made the comment after a discussion on a study that showed people use names as a basis for making assumptions that are racist, reported The Wrap.
“I’m not about to hire you if your name is Watermelondrea,” announced Raven-Symone.
https://youtu.be/ry_EmIxS634
The View co-host emphasized that if you have a name that she views as “Africanized,” she would never hire you.
The episode of the talk show then included a video of children saying “ghetto black names” such as “Fo’Landra” and “Elephantisha.”
What do you think about the petition urging that Barbara Walters fire Raven-Symoné? Do you agree with those who signed the petition or do you feel Raven-Symoné has the right to voice her views on The View? Please share your comments below.
[Photo by Jason Kempin / Getty Images]
