Janet Jackson once talked about how she developed huge insecurities while working as a young actress on the set of Good Times, when she had her chest bound because she was growing breasts.
That feeling—that she wasn't good enough—stayed with her.
Earlier this week on The View, Raven-Symoné recalled something similar. She remembered how her weight was an issue when she was just 7 years old and working on the set of The Cosby Show.
"It was definitely hard," Raven-Symoné said on Tuesday. "I remember not being able to have [a] bagel or anything.
"I remember people would be like, 'You can't eat that. You're getting fat!' " she recalled. "I'm like, 'I'm 7! I'm hungry!' "
Raven-Symoné wouldn't reveal who made those comments, whether it was one of her cast mates or someone on the production staff. "I'm not going to put them on blast, but that's what I was told at that young of an age,” she said.
"Even up until I got up to 180 pounds on That's So Raven, you put nasty stuff in front of me, or you put images of these women that I'll never aspire to, of course I'm going to get depressed," she revealed.
She also described how being able to hide your insecurities is a big part of show business. She's gotten better about it over time, but that doesn't mean she doesn't still have them.
"Maybe I just know how to hide it a little better," Raven-Symoné said. "I'm like, my insecurities? Lock them in a closet until I get back home. Put on an extra pile of makeup or a girdle and let's go."
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Diana Ozemebhoya Eromosele is a staff writer at The Root and the founder and executive producer of Lectures to Beats, a Web series that features expert advice with scarily insightful people. Follow Lectures to Beats on Facebook and Twitter.