Raven-Symoné is mourning the loss of her father, Christopher B. Pearman.
On Oct. 1, the former Disney star shared a heartfelt tribute to her father on Instagram, following his recent passing. While she did not reveal the details surrounding Pearman’s death, the actress expressed her hope that her dad would be proud of all she has achieved.
“My life has been long and abundant,” Raven, 38, captioned a throwback photo of herself as a child nestled between her father and another relative. She continued, “And the path I’m on started with a dream. Hope he is watching with a smile on his face…”
Social media users react.
Fans on social media flocked to the comments section to show support for the That’s So Raven star, including one netizen who asked, “Are you saying your dad passed away???? Him and I are friends on fb and we are very close and I need to know for real???????????”
Raven sadly responded, “Yes ma’am.” Actress Holly R. Peete commented, “Ravenðð½ ððððsending love and healing hugs.”
Other users shared fond memories of Pearman, including one Instagram user who penned, “Dearest Raven- I remember your dad so fondly. He was so proud of you… even in First Grade at Park School in Ossining, NY. I am so sorry for your loss and hope that happy memories surround you and bring comfort now and always! XO- your first grade teacher.”
Raven’s former Cosby Show co-star Gary L. Gray shared, “I will always remember him on the Cosby set providing games for us to play and telling jokes to keep us busy. I’m so sorry Raven. My condolences to everyone in the family! Love you.
Pearman was supportive of his daughter.
According to TMZ, Raven’s father played a crucial role in her rise to fame, acting as her manager and directing multiple episodes of her iconic Disney Channel series, That’s So Raven. While Raven seldom spoke about her dad in public, he expressed his support for her in 2015, shortly after she joined The View as a co-host. The proud father stepped in to defend Raven after she faced backlash for a controversial comment, in which she stated that she wouldn’t consider any “ghetto” names if she were an employer hiring.
“Children grow up and become influenced by many things, situations and people. I certainly don’t agree with what she said….but she is damn near 30 years old,” he explained in a since-deleted Facebook post in 2015. “She’s a grown ass woman making grown ass mistakes. We all have been guilty of this.”
Source: Raymond Boyd / Getty
He continued, “I did my best as her father, mentor and career manager. I believe I did a Wonderful job. Aside from this inexcusable gaffe, her 29 years in the entertainment industry has been quite successful, for there have been only an Elite Few Child Stars to last this long and have little to no controversy. For this, I am Very Proud!”
The proud father added, “Raven is a really Beautiful, Sweethearted, Human Being. I should know. Her Mother and I Love her Very much and will always support her and have her back.”
Pearman’s death comes almost a year after the tragic passing of Raven’s brother, Blaize Pearman, who died following a battle with colon cancer.
RELATED CONTENT: Raven-Symoné’s ‘Bittersweet’ 38th Birthday Follows Brother’s Death From Colon Cancer
