HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA - JUNE 08: Miranda Maday and Raven-Symoné attend The Hollywood Museum's 10th Annual "Real To Reel: Portrayals And Perceptions Of LGBTQ+s In Hollywood" Exhibit at The Hollywood Museum on June 08, 2023 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Jerod Harris/Getty Images)
Two months into dating Miranda, Raven-Symoné faced a touchy recommendation from her mother and team. They wanted Raven to make her now-wife sign a contract–more specifically, a non-disclosure agreement (NDA).
The practice wasn’t uncommon to Raven or her dating life. In May, we learned the Disney Channel icon regularly requested that her partners, especially sexual ones, sign a contract. Oftentimes, she kept the paperwork on her nightstand, the 37-year-old said on the Howie Mandel Does Stuff podcast. Raven-Symone also claimed she’s kept every NDA ever signed, including her wife’s.
But despite obtaining Miranda’s signature, Raven-Symoné now tells PEOPLE it’s a decision she regrets.
“It changes the dynamic of a relationship from the very start,” Raven said. “But I knew something was different with Miranda. I tried–I fought it hard.”
According to her appearance on Howie Mandel Does Stuff, Raven’s mother was a cheerleader for putting Miranda under contract. Back then, Raven-Symoné and Miranda were only together for about two months.
For Raven, the request was “very difficult,” but despite fighting against her team “multiple times,” she ultimately did as they asked.
“At the time, the people in charge of my career felt it was important. They would search online and see everybody’s personal business out there—they didn’t want that for me,” Raven said. “I guess y’all didn’t know my business back then, so thank God. But you do now!”
And Raven-Symoné wasn’t the only person against the non-disclosure agreement. Miranda tells PEOPLE she also tried to avoid putting pen to paper.
“I was kind of like, ‘No, I’m not gonna sign that. That’s crazy.’ I didn’t like doing it,” Miranda said.
But their connection proved to be stronger than signing into silence. Months before the paperwork arrived, Miranda and Raven met at a Los Angeles karaoke bar, per PEOPLE. Raven approached Miranda, and two days later, they had a first date that lasted at least eight hours. They enjoyed iced tea and good conversation that saw them sitting in a car from daylight to 10 at night.
“I went to a birthday party with her after,” Miranda revealed. “It was one of those things where you didn’t want the person to ever leave.”
Raven added:
“As good lesbians do, we never did.”
