Actress Gabourey Sidibe directly addressed years of perceived tension with former co-star Raven-Symoné during the Thursday, November 5, 2026 episode of the podcast Tea Time w/ Raven and Miranda. Joining Symoné and her wife and co-host, Miranda Maday, Sidibe revealed she had long believed the former Disney Channel star disliked her—stemming from a chilly encounter at a Chicago restaurant while working on the series Empire in 2015 and secondhand claims that Symoné once asked mutual acquaintances not to befriend her.

What began as a broad industry discussion during the show's "Hex or Hug" segment quickly turned into a candid personal exchange. According to TheGrio, the conversation shifted after the hosts and their guest began discussing the difficulties plus-size actresses face when trying to secure high-end fashion designers for public appearances.

Fashion Industry Jealousy and Early Career Pressures

Before the past awkwardness on the Empire set was brought to the table, Symoné, 40, made an unprompted admission regarding how she viewed Sidibe's rapid rise in Hollywood.

Following Sidibe's breakout performance in Lee Daniels' 2009 drama Precious, which earned the 43-year-old actress an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress, Sidibe worked closely with prominent stylists and fashion houses.

According to Yahoo Entertainment, Symoné confessed that watching Sidibe receive industry support sparked feelings of envy based on her own upbringing in the entertainment business.

"Because when I was growing up in the industry, no one dressed me. I wasn't able to do fashion icons, really, like you, I had to go buy my stuff," Symoné recounted during the episode. She added that when Sidibe arrived on the Hollywood scene and was warmly embraced by the public and fashion circles alike, she felt a mix of gratitude and frustration. "[I thought], 'Congratulations, thank you for knocking down doors,' and I'm also, like, angry," Symoné admitted.

Sidibe pushed back slightly on the comparison, pointing out the differences in how their body types were perceived by the public and stylists.

"Can we get into this? Because you've never been fat, and that is what bugs me," Sidibe responded, noting that Symoné's experience fluctuating between dress sizes 10 and 16 was treated differently than being a visibly plus-size actress. Despite those nuances, both women agreed that the lack of size inclusivity in Hollywood during that era represented "the darkest of times" for actresses navigating red-carpet expectations.

Unpacking the 2015 'Empire' Dinner and Friendship Rumors

Symoné's candor about her past jealousy opened the door for Sidibe to voice a lingering grievance of her own. "Girl, I didn't think you liked me," Sidibe told the host with a laugh. When Symoné asked what gave her that impression, Sidibe answered plainly: "Because you treated me like you didn't like me."

Prompted by Maday, 39, to hash out the root of the misunderstanding, the actresses looked back to 2015, when Symoné guest-starred on Fox's musical drama Empire, where Sidibe was a regular cast member.

Sidibe recalled a cast outing at a restaurant in Chicago where she felt Symoné was noticeably dismissive and "put off" by her presence. "I was actually here like, 'What's up? I'm going to be on whatever time [you're] on,'" Sidibe explained regarding her mindset during the dinner.

Beyond the chilly restaurant atmosphere, Sidibe brought up a much more specific allegation from their time in the same professional orbit. "I was told that you made some people promise to not be friends with me," Sidibe said, repeating the statement for emphasis. As reported by LADbible, when the podcast hosts asked who had passed along that claim, Sidibe listed specific names—though the production team edited out the identities using sound effects and a graphic of a teacup superimposed over the speaker's mouth.

The discussion had an added layer of irony for social media users.

In May 2026, Sidibe had posted a hypothetical idea on Threads writing, "If I had a podcast I would want to interview people I have beef with so we could figure out exactly where they got me ****ed up at." Five months later, the scenario played out in reverse, with Sidibe addressing the tension as a guest on Symoné's platform.

Differing Accounts and an Invitation to Move Forward

Symoné pushed back against the idea that her behavior in Chicago was driven by personal animosity, replying simply, "No, I didn't know you." According to reporting from Entertainment Weekly and People, Symoné connected Sidibe's concerns to their overlap on Empire and apologized during the exchange by offering a "my bad."

However, accounts of the exact nature of the alleged friendship ban remain unverified due to the censored audio and differing recollections.

While Sidibe relayed what she had been told by third parties, secondary coverage from Wealth of Geeks noted that Symoné did not confirm making such a pact, suggesting instead that any comment she might have made would have been about not wanting people brought around her space rather than dictating others' friendships.

Maday also stepped in to contextualize her wife's demeanor around unfamiliar colleagues. "She can be shady. She can be petty. She can be an a-hole," Maday acknowledged candidly on the mic. Yet she insisted that Symoné "is not the type of person who would ever go behind someone's back and be like 'don't be friends with her.'" Maday explained that when Symoné does not know someone personally, she often comes across as "very cold and very distant" out of unfamiliarity rather than active dislike.

What Exactly Happened at the Chicago Restaurant, and When Did It Take Place?

While the actresses linked the dinner to their overlap on Empire—which Symoné guest-starred on in 2015 while the series filmed in Chicago—neither the podcast episode nor subsequent media coverage pinpointed the exact filming date, episode, or name of the restaurant where the cast outing occurred.

Who Were the People Sidibe Said Were Asked Not to Befriend Her?

Because the editors of Tea Time w/ Raven and Miranda bleeped the audio and covered the speakers' mouths when the names were recited, the identities of the individuals who spoke to Sidibe—as well as the underlying allegation itself—cannot be independently verified from the public broadcast.

Did the Conversation Fully Settle the Past Tension?

Entertainment outlets varied slightly in how they framed the resolution. While TheGrio highlighted the warm conclusion of the broadcast—which ended with Maday inviting Sidibe to hang out, build a genuine friendship, and attend a Pilates class together—other reports, including Entertainment Weekly, noted that the finer behind-the-scenes details of who stirred the pot were left to be sorted out in a private conversation off-mic.

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