EXCLUSIVE: Raven-Symone Says Suppressing Her Sexuality 'Ate at Her Soul' in 'It Got Better' Docuseries

EXCLUSIVE: Raven-Symone Says Stifling Her Sexuality 'Ate At Her …

Tamar Braxton Celebrates Her Birthday With New Fiancé Jeremy 'JR…

'The Mandalorian': Dave Filoni Explains Grogu's Force Abilities …

Jenna Bush Hager Shares Emotional Note She Gave Hoda Kotb Upon R…

Hoda Kotb Opens Up About Daughter Hope's Scary Hospitalization

Nick Cannon Addresses Claims He Gives His Children's Mothers a '…

Kelly Rowland Dances to 'CUFF IT' and Opens up About Her Gym Day…

Brooklyn Beckham Debuts Massive Tattoo of Wife Nicola Peltz's Fa…

Jonathan Majors Arrest: What's Next for MCU Star as He Faces Pot…

Paris Hilton Shares What She Loves Most About Motherhood and Rea…

VH1's 'The X-Life' Star Denise Russo Dead at 44

Oscars 2023: Brendan Fraser | Best Actor, Full Backstage Intervi…

‘Scream VI’: Behind the Scenes With Hayden Panettiere and Jenna …

How Riley Keough Is Handling ‘Daisy Jones’ Success and Impending…

'Wild Things' Turns 25: Denise Richards and Neve Campbell Joke A…

‘Seeking Brother Husband’: Kenya on Meet-Cute With Tiger While M…

'Teen Mom 2' Star Jenelle Evans Tears Up After Regaining Custody…

Judd Apatow Praises Daughter Maude's Breakout Success (Exclusive)

90s Con: Stacey Dash and Elisa Donovan Dish on Possibility of 'C…
Raven-Symone wasn't sure she would ever come out.
The View co-host opens up about her sexuality in the third season of It Got Better -- the It Gets Better project-inspired series of revealing testimonials -- which launches tomorrow on L/Studio, Lexus' digital content channel.
"Being on television sets from age three to age 30, I'm more comfortable there," the former child actress shares. "You create a family with these people that's sometimes are closer to you than your own family."
EXCLUSIVE: Raven-Symone Talks 'Black-Ish' Coming Out, 'Empire' Season 2 & More!
But she goes on to caution, "It's not very healthy later in life."
"My likeness... however you see it at that time, had 15 people dictating what I should and should not look like," Raven-Symone adds. "If I did whatever I want, it's not gonna sell. It doesn't go with the brand. I was branded at such a young age."
And while Raven-Symone says she was aware of her sexuality by age 12, she nevertheless felt compelled to hide that from the world.
"I kinda pushed myself to look for boys," she reveals."I look back now like, 'Woah, you like girls.'"
EXCLUSIVE: Portia de Rossi Opens Up About Early Struggles with Bulimia in 'It Got Better' Docuseries
"I didn't wanna tell my parents," Raven-Symone continues. "I had the number one show on Disney. I had multiple albums, I'd been on tour with *NSYNC... I didn't wanna deal with that."
"I never thought I would come out because my personal life didn't matter," she tells. "It was only what was supposed to be sold as the Raven-Symone brand."
While concealing her sexuality is something she felt she had to do in her career, Raven-Symone admits, over time, "that eats at your soul."
PHOTOS: 7 Times Portia de Rossi and Wife Ellen DeGeneres Made Us Believe in Love
So when she stepped away from the industry and went to college, Raven-Symone came out. And fell in love.
"I didn't have to have a 'beard.' I didn't have to have a man standing by me," she says. "I felt lighter, I felt like I could go out and not have to put on 17 different hats to be myself."
In addition to Raven-Symone, the third season of It Got Better also features testimonials from Sir Ian McKellen, Candis Cayne, Adam Lambert, EJ Johnson, and Wanda Sykes.
WATCH: Demi Lovato Supports Transgender Community During Billboard Music Awards Performance
"Each season, I feel like I learn so much about people I've admired for a long time, like Ian McKellen,” said It Gets Better Project co-founder Dan Savage, who is an executive producer on the series along with actors Dan Bucatinsky and Lisa Kudrow. “But I, and our whole It Got Better team, also learn about people we hardly knew anything about, which is a credit to the diversity of subjects we've been fortunate to be able to deliver year after year."
You can catch up on the first two seasons here.
EXCLUSIVE: In Defense of Kim Kardashian, With Raven-Symoné: ‘She Understands What Her Worth Is’