Raven Symoné surprised fans when she recently revealed that people have been pronouncing her last name wrong for years.
The Cheetah Girls star took to TikTok on Friday 20 January and shared with fans the correct way to pronounce her last name, Symoné. In the video, the text overlay read: “Yo, that’s Raven Symoné.”
“It’s pronounced See-mon-ye,” she said in the video, while a voiceover said, “No, it’s not” and she mouthed back, “Yes, it is.”
The 37-year-old actor wrote in the caption, “Those who know...KNOW,” and added in the comments section: “See-mon-ye like yay”.
The video instantly went viral with more than one million views. Additionally, the revelation shocked many fans who have been pronouncing the child actor’s last name as “Suh-mone” since she first starred in the Disney Channel show, That’s So Raven.
“So you tellin me my wholeeee life is a lie?” commented one fan.
“RAVEN!! Why you let them tell you how to say yo own name!???” another user replied.
Fans were even more surprised considering Raven often mispronounced her own last name when acting in Disney Channel commercials and promos, with one user commenting: “Well you were the one saying ‘My name’s Raven Suh-Moan and you’re watching Disney Channel.’”
The TV host took to TikTok once more to clarify why she never corrected people who pronounced her name wrong and even joked that some people have been “real mad” ever since she dropped the bombshell.
“I didn’t do that because at a very young age I was told to tell people my name was Raven-Symoné and it just never left my body,” she explained in the follow-up video. “Except when I go to French-speaking countries. I’m like, ‘Yeah, it is spelled that way and that’s how it should be pronounced.’ But coming here, to where I’m living, Raven-Symoné is just fine.”
“So, yes. I don’t trip over it,” she continued. “I don’t correct people, but the correct spelling of my name is pronounced Raven-Symoné, but you can call me Raven-Symoné. I’m not tripping over it.”
Raven Symoné isn’t the only celebrity who surprised fans by revealing the correct pronunciation of her name. In February 2022, fellow child actor Lindsay Lohan celebrated joining TikTok by filming a video welcoming users to her TikTok page.
“Hey everyone, it’s Lindsay Lohan and guess what? Now I’m on Tiktok,” she said in the video.
Fans were immediately confused by the way the Mean Girls star said her last name, as some revealed that they have been pronouncing it “Lo-HAN,” despite the actor emphasising“Lo-WEN”.
“Lindsay…Lowen?” one TikToker commented.
“Have I been pronouncing your name wrong my entire life?” another person asked. “I thought it was LoHAAAN.”
Another TikToker pointed out that Twilight star Taylor Lautner referred to himself as Taylor Lowt-ner, as opposed to Lot-ner, that same month. Meanwhile, singer Ariana Grande has also revealed that her last name is actually pronounced Grand-ee.
“LOWEN? LOUTNER? GRANDEE?” a TikTok user commented on Lohan’s video. “Okay they gotta be messing with us at this point”.
