‘That’s So Raven’ Spinoff: ‘Raven’s Home’ First Trailer Is Finally Here, Orlando Brown Nowhere In Sight
Disney Channel just released Raven’s Home’s first trailer, and it’s seriously nostalgia inducing. Even though it’s been 10 years since we’ve seen Raven Baxter and company, not much has changed.
Raven is just as boisterous as she was in the original run, and it’s clear that she will be a focal point of the show.
There are a couple of big changes, however. No longer teenagers, Raven and her best friend, Chelsea, are now both divorced mothers who are raising their kids under the same roof. Chelsea has a son, and Raven has twins–a girl and a boy.
In fact, it’s her son, Booker (Issac from Black-ish), that narrates that trailer.
By the looks of things, he takes after his mother and has clairvoyant abilities like she does. At one point, he tries to reveal his powers to Raven, but she blows him off. It’s unclear whether that will be a running theme in the show, or if Raven will eventually be in the loop.
Noticeably absent from the trailer are Kyle Massey and Orlando Brown, who played Cory (Raven’s brother) and Eddie (Raven’s friend) for the duration of the original run and rounded off the quartet of main stars.
There has been no word on why Kyle Massey was not asked to return for Raven’s Home, but it could just be because the focus is on Raven’s family, as a mother, not her siblings.
Orlando Brown was expected to return by some fans. Eddie and Raven Baxter dated for a portion of That’s So Raven, and some fans assumed that Brown would end up being the husband that Raven used to be married too.
Guess who will be back for #RavensHome? Devon!
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That’s not the case, however. Ravens’s ex-husband is Devon Carter (another fan fave), who’s played by Jonathan McDaniel. Devon was Raven’s first crush and first love, so it makes sense that they would cast him to play her ex.
That said, since Brown played a bigger role in That’s So Raven than McDaniel and was one of the most popular characters, one can assume that he wasn’t asked to come back because of things that have occurred in his personal life.
Less than two months away!???? #RavensHome #ThatsSoRavenSpinoff
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Disney Channel has not issued any statements as to why Brown is not a part of the That’s So Raven reboot, but it’s obvious that the actor’s public scandals have played a role in it all. Since That’s So Raven went off the air in 2007, Brown has cultivated a public image of himself that is just not Disney friendly.
Orlando Brown has recently appeared in a series of videos where he’s gone on bizarre, expletive-filled rants. He’s also been accused of domestic abuse by his ex-girlfriend, though he has denied those accusations.
In addition to that, he has also publicly lashed out at Raven Symone herself, who serves as an executive producer on the show. In a video that has since gone viral, Orlando Brown described, in explicit detail, areas of Raven Symone’s body, and claimed that they used to have an intimate relationship.
Raven Symone never issued an official statement, but she did make and Instagram post that some people believe was directed at Brown. Brown’s Instagram account was deleted in early December 2016. Shortly after, Raven Symone posted the words “Bye bye,” and hashtagged the photo, “silence gets rewarded.”
Because of these things, Raven’s (new) Family will probably never meet her old friend, Eddie.
That said, Raven Symone is still really excited about the new project. The actress expressed her enthusiasm to ET, shortly after news of the spinoff was announced.
“Oh my goodness…I wanted to do it!” she said.
“I wanted to get out of bed and work and laugh, and Disney Channel has been kind to me for the last — I don’t know — how many umpteen years. We all said, ‘This would be a great idea.'”
“I’m executive producer, and what I think will work is writing is how the cast gets along and how the camaraderie behind the set works. I think that when you have that, all ages will come and enjoy the process with us,” she added. “And we have such a great time on set. It’s been spectacular, and hopefully not just Anneliese and I are laughing in our 30s, but also you will too.”
Judging by the trailer, which you can watch below, Raven might be right.
Are you excited about the premiere of Raven’s Home? Do you think that Orlando Brown should be a part of it? You can sound off in the comment section below.
[Featured Image by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images]
