Disney Channel star’s body was ‘edited thinner’ during body empowerment episode, book claims

A popular Disney Channel star’s body was reportedly edited to be thinner during an episode about body empowerment, a new book alleges.

Raven-Symoné’s body was allegedly edited to appear thinner during a body-empowerment episode of the smash hit children’s series, That’s So Raven.

Dava Savel, Disney Channel co-producer and writer, made the claims in author Ashley Spencer’s newly released, Disney High: The Untold Story of the Rise and Fall of Disney Channel’s Tween Empire.

Savel shared that show producers were bothered by the then-18-year-old actress’ weight and “handled it in really bad ways. But it was never to her face,” per E! News.

In a Season 2 episode titled, ‘That’s So Not Raven’, a model was chosen to walk in a fashion show over Raven-Symoné’s character, Raven Baxter, because she was thinner.

The episode shows Raven-Symoné, now 38, trying out several diets in a bid to slim down before ultimately accepting herself.

In the end, she walks the runway after realising she’s perfect the way she is, sending a message of body positivity.

The That's So Raven episode in question was about body positivity.

Several insiders in the book, however, alleged that the show network executive requested Raven-Symoné’s figure be slimmed down by using visual effects for her runway scene.

“It was shameful,” Michael Feldman shared. “I don’t know how they could look at themselves and do that. The very thing that she wanted to do a story about was literally done to her.

“It’s still a shocking thing to me that they were that tone-deaf.”

That’s So Raven became Disney Channel’s most popular show when it debuted.

Its lead star Raven-Symone is now 38. Picture: Allison Dinner/Getty Images

Adam Bonnett, Disney Channel’s former head of original programming, shared that the special effect technique was later used in other episodes.

“There was some stuff done to make Raven[’s attire] look more flattering in certain scenes,” Bonnett said, referring to an episode where the teenage psychic goes to a dance.

Disney Channel’s rise and fall is the subject of a damning new book.

Reps for Raven-Symoné and Disney weren’t immediately available to Page Six for comment.

The Cheetah Girls actress starred on the sitcom for four seasons from 2003 to 2007.

During her time on the show, Raven-Symoné admitted she underwent a breast reduction and liposuction surgery so people would stop calling her fat.

“It was just a mess, just being that young and the pain of it all,” she shared on an episode of The Best Podcast Ever with Raven and Miranda.

This story originally appeared on New York Post and was reproduced with permission

Originally published as Disney Channel star’s body was ‘edited thinner’ during body empowerment episode, book claims