Former child star Raven-Symon? recently opened up with Oprah Winfrey on OWN’s ‘Where Are They Now’.
Oprah began her ‘no holds barred’ interview by referencing a tweet Raven sent out last year that had the net buzzing about her sexuality.
[FLASHBACK: In the Tweets: aven Symone Confirms She’s Gay… Now What?]
Oprah asked the talented actress if that was her way of coming out, to which she responded:
That was my way of saying I?m proud of the country. But, I will say that I?m in an amazing, happy relationship with my partner. A woman.
Symone, 28, also set the record straight about why she keeps her personal life private and how she doesn’t label her sexuality or her race, stating:
I?m an American. I?m not an African-American.
Check out video of Raven’s interview below and share your thoughts…
Symone responds:
People in my family, they?ve taught me to keep my personal life to myself as much as possible. So, I try my best to hold the fence where I can,? she said.
?But I am proud to be who I am and what I am.?
The 28-year-old gave an honest, candid answer while simultaneously throwing serious shade at troubled child stars like Lindsay Lohan and Amanda Bynes, to name a few.
“There’s a few answers?My parents taught me to keep my private life private to the best of my ability,” she explained.
“They showed me out there all the role models that I could turn into and what I want from myself in the future and seeing all of the statistics [with] child stars going off the edge.”
She continued, “And what I’ve learned? It’s unnecessary to go to the world’s most popular restaurant when you have a scandal on your head and then get mad when someone is going to take a picture of you. That’s your fault, boo boo. Stay in the house.”
?I was looking at everything.? That being said, Raven declared, ?I don?t want to be labeled ?gay.? I want to be labeled ?a human who loves humans.’?
Raven then spoke about her disdain for ‘labels’. She tells Oprah: “I?m tired of being labeled. I?m an American. I?m not an African-American; I?m an American.? To which Oprah offers her a chance to take her statement back before it sparks a social media outrage.
Raven continues:
?I mean, I don?t know where my roots go to. I don?t know how far back they go?I don?t know what country in Africa I?m from, but I do know that my roots are in Louisiana,? she said.
?I?m an American. And that?s a colorless person.?
Oprah: “You?re going to get a lot of flak for saying you?re not African-American. You know that, right??
Raven: ? ?I don?t label myself. I have darker skin. I have a nice, interesting grade of hair. I connect with Caucasian. I connect with Asian. I connect with Black. I connect with Indian. I connect with each culture.
As for ‘what’s next?’ for the former child star, Raven reveals she’s currently enrolled in college:
VIDEO – Raven Symone on Going to College & Battling Self Doubt