The actress opened up about an unusual ritual rooted in decades of brushing shoulders with fame.

Raven-Symone arrived at the 2026 iHeartRadio Music Festival with one unusual goal in mind, and it had nothing to do with autographs or selfies.

A Curious Confession on the Blue Carpet

Speaking with Becky Mits on the blue carpet Friday night, September 18, the former That’s So Raven star opened up about wanting a close encounter with BTS — specifically, the chance to catch a whiff of the K-pop group in person. The admission, delivered with her trademark candor, quickly became one of the buzzier moments of the night, standing out amid a sea of standard red-carpet soundbites about setlists and outfits.

It’s the kind of offbeat, human moment that tends to travel fast online — not because it’s dramatic, but because it’s disarmingly honest. Celebrities are rarely this candid about the small, strange habits that come with a lifetime spent around fame.

Where the Habit Comes From

Raven-Symone explained that the impulse traces back to her childhood in the entertainment industry, where being hugged by famous figures left a lasting sensory imprint. She recalled that early exposure to celebrities shaped an unusual habit: associating people she’s met with their scent, a memory that has stuck with her ever since. Among the names she referenced were rapper LL Cool J and the late singer Whitney Houston, both of whom left distinct impressions from encounters years ago.

It’s a small detail, but a telling one — a reminder that Raven-Symone has been embedded in the industry since childhood, long enough to have personal, sensory memories of icons most fans only know through screens and speakers.

Why BTS Has Her Curious

The seven-member act — RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V and Jungkook — has become one of the most scrutinized groups in global pop culture, and Raven-Symone‘s comments added a lighthearted, humanizing angle to the frenzy surrounding their festival appearance. She expressed genuine excitement about watching the group perform live, suggesting the desire to meet them went beyond a passing joke and reflected real anticipation for the show.

Inside BTS’s Festival Set

BTS delivered a high-energy set at T-Mobile Arena, opening with SWIM, the lead single from their newest album, ARIRANG. The group kept the momentum going with a string of fan favorites, including:

• 2.0
• Mic Drop
• FYA, which closed out the performance

The setlist balanced newer material with catalog staples, giving the arena crowd a mix of nostalgia and fresh energy — and giving Raven-Symone, presumably somewhere in the audience, a close-up view of the group she’d been curious about all night.

A Festival Built for Global Reach

This year’s iHeartRadio Music Festival extended well beyond Las Vegas. The event aired live each night across more than 150 markets through iHeartMedia radio stations nationwide, while Disney+ and Hulu served as the festival’s official streaming partners, offering subscribers exclusive access to livestreamed performances. That scale is part of why even a passing red-carpet quip can ripple across entertainment coverage nationwide.

No Word on Whether the Sniff Test Happened

Despite catching BTS‘s performance in person, it remains unclear whether Raven-Symone actually got the up-close moment she was hoping for. Whether the actress and podcast host managed to test her theory on the septet is still unconfirmed, leaving her curious ritual — for now — unresolved, and giving fans one more reason to keep an eye on her next public appearance.

Source: The Breakfast Club