The Real Reason Raven-Symone Left The View
Raven-Symoné, famously of Disney Channel's That's So Raven, had a somewhat turbulent year on The View from spring 2015 to fall 2016. The former Disney star replaced Rosie O'Donnell on the ABC talk show after guest-hosting in March and April 2015.
During her time on The View, Raven incited ire from viewers with some of her offhand comments, according to The Wrap. The Wrap reported that one of the complaints toward her included "remarking that she wouldn't hire someone with a 'ghetto name,' which led to an online petition for her removal." The Los Angeles Times also noted in 2016 that some viewers were unhappy with Raven saying, "she vowed to move to Canada if a Republican was 'nominated' for president."
However, Raven leaving The View actually came down to her heading back to the Disney Channel for a new Raven spinoff. According to Deadline, when Raven shared the news on The View in October 2016, she said, "I'm excited and sad, but I have an announcement to make. No, I'm not pregnant... We're doing a That's So Raven II — there's no title yet... I'm very excited. I'm going to be leaving before the year's up." Raven left The View shortly after to get to work on what would soon be called Raven's Home, a fitting title for her return to Disney.
Raven-Symoné wanted to return to her Disney Channel roots
Raven-Symoné may be most well-known for her role on The Cosby Show, but she made Disney Channel her home years later. After appearing in Hangin' With Mr. Cooper and Dr. Doolittle, Raven headed to Disney to play one-fourth of the Cheetah Girls in the DCOM franchise and Raven Baxter on That's So Raven. She also voiced the character of Monique in Kim Possible and played Nebula in the Zenon films, among others.
Disney also helped Raven's music career truly blossom. She had songs on a few different soundtracks, including The Haunted Mansion, and of course, the Cheetah Girls. She eventually stepped back from the Disney Channel for a bit to take on other roles, which is how she got to The View in 2015.
Disney feels a bit like home to Raven and it's a network she can trust, which she told the Los Angeles Times about in 2018 while working on Raven's Home. She not only stars in the series, but executive produces it as well. "When you learn to get on a tight rope, you're not just going to jump up on the tallest building," she said. "You're going to start a little bit low to the ground so you have a net to catch you. I'm continuously having to make choices [as executive producer] that I didn't have to make before, in a place where I know that if I fall, there's someone to catch me."