Raven Symoné Shares How Bill Cosby Impacted The Entertainment Industry

Raven Symoné opened up like never before about one of her early mentors, Bill Cosby, during a recent episode of the “Hate to Break It to Ya” podcast. Symoné, 39, has a particularly interesting connection to Cosby, previously one of the industry’s biggest names before being convicted of felony assault, considering she starred in his series, “The Cosby Show,” at the young age of 3. Cosby’s legal woes landed him in prison in 2018, where he served just a few years before his release. While Symoné briefly shared her thoughts on the 88-year-old’s personal struggles during her most recent interview, she spent the majority of her time boasting about the change Cosby brought to the entertainment industry.

Cosby was charged with three counts of aggravated indecent assault against Andrea Constand in 2015, stemming from an incident that occurred in 2004. The actor, who many once referred to as “America’s Dad,” went to trial a few years later, which concluded in a mistrial.

In 2018, the actor was retried and found guilty on all three counts and later sentenced to three to 10 years in state prison.

In 2021, however, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court overturned Cosby’s conviction, ruling that a non-prosecution agreement he made with a previous district attorney in 2005 should’ve prevented him from being charged to begin with, eventually freeing him after three years.

Symoné acknowledged the seriousness of Cosby’s legal woes during the “Hate to Break It to Ya” podcast, admitting he’s been “accused of some horrific things.” For Symoné, though, she made clear that what occurred is “his personal life,” urging the public to “keep that there.”

On the other hand, Symoné believes that individuals should be familiar with “what he did” on the “business” side as well, explaining that Cosby was one of the first entertainers to practice hiring Black crew members behind the scenes.

While Symoné admits that she sees more people of color on different sets today due to industry mandates, she recalled how “important” it was for her to see people who looked like her “not just in front, but behind the camera as well” before crediting “Mr. Cosby [for instilling] that in all of us.”

According to Symoné, Cosby’s insistence on having Black crew members behind the scenes was so meaningful to her that she advocated for more diversity on her own shows, including the “That’s So Raven” spin-off, “Raven’s Home.” She said, “I took it to Disney and I took it to anywhere I went afterwards, even when it wasn’t the norm.”

“I was like, ‘No, I have to be able to see myself.’ Because if I don’t ask for it, who will?” she continued.

And in a 2022 interview, before season 5 of “Raven’s Home” aired on TV screens around the world, the “Cheetah Girls” star called Disney’s commitment to celebrating diversity “important” for their talent.

“It is taking what’s happening in our society right now and validating it. I am so happy and proud and humbled to be part of the channel, but I am also humbled just to be part of our show, because we, too, are bringing that diversity within the writers’ room,” she said. “It’s so important because that is our world. You cannot shut your eyes to it, and we no longer will. To be able to give that in a positive light and really show what society is right now can only further respect and kindness in the future.”

Another “Cosby Show” cast member whom Symoné opened up about in 2025 is Malcolm Jamal Warner, the fun-loving Theo Huxtable on the ’80s sitcom, who passed away suddenly in Costa Rica earlier this year. According to a previous report from The Blast, the actor, 54, died by asphyxia after drowning in July.

Symoné addressed the heartbreaking incident with a video on Instagram that showed only a black screen with the words “I love you” written on it.