Raven-Symoné, best known for her role in “That’s So Raven,” has shared the heartbreaking news of her brother Blaize Pearman’s passing at the age of 31. The actor and former Disney star, 38, announced the devastating loss in an Instagram video, revealing that Blaize had battled colon cancer for the past two years.
Expressing the depth of her emotions, Raven-Symoné shared, “Last month, I lost my brother. The emotions that have been coming, waving in and out of my body and mind.” The sad revelation came on the heels of well-wishes from fans for Raven-Symoné’s birthday on December 10, making it a bittersweet day for the actress.
In the Instagram video, visibly emotional, she acknowledged the outpouring of love, saying, “Thank you for all the love yesterday. It was felt beyond. Hard to fully celebrate knowing that I’m here and he is not.”
Blaize, though less in the public eye compared to his famous sister, had joined her as part of her team for Steve Harvey’s Celebrity Family Feud in 2008. His social media presence had been relatively low-key, with his last post shared in June—a selfie taken in a car.
Condolences flooded in for Raven-Symoné, with one person expressing their sympathy and recalling her as “an awesome big sister who loved and adored her baby brother.” Cheetah Girls star Kiely Williams also shared her condolences, acknowledging the indescribable pain and extending prayers for peace and comfort to Raven-Symoné and her family.
Reflecting on a poignant moment, Raven-Symoné disclosed in a 2021 interview how her younger brother had inspired an episode of “Raven’s Home.” The episode addressed the racial profiling faced by Booker Carter, played by Issac Ryan Brown. Drawing from her brother’s experiences, Raven-Symoné shared, “I relate to that. I remember my mom drilling my brother when he first got his license on the things that he had to be careful of. He’s tall, he’s Black.”
Describing the precautions her family emphasized, she continued, “And don’t question anything because the color of your skin does not allow that at this time. Sadly, that’s the truth. It’s too many words. And so we did that for Booker as well.” This poignant episode served as a testament to the personal and meaningful connections Raven-Symoné wove into her work, drawing from her own experiences and those of her loved ones.
RIP.
