Patina Miller Says Raq's Abortion inPower Book III: Raising KananFelt 'Necessary' to Show: 'A Universal Thing' (Exclusive)

Mar. 15, 2025

Warning: This post contains spoilers for the season 4 premiere ofRaising Kanan.

Patina Millerhad no qualms about depicting Raq’s abortion experience inPower Book III: Raising Kanan.Instead,she leaned into it.

“I was like, ‘Oh my God, we’re goinghere. But yes, please.’ You know what I mean? I felt it was necessary,” Miller, 40, tells PEOPLE about her character’s bombshell reveal in the season 4 premiere.

“It gives the character — and the audience — something to really think about. I mean, there’s this strong woman who is successful … but having this very real human moment that happens so much,” Miller says of the broader impact she hopes the storyline will have on fans.

Patina Miller as Raq Thomas in ‘Power Book III: Raising Kanan’ season 4.Cara Howe/Starz

Cara Howe/Starz

The new piece of Raq’s story, which happened “somewhere in season 3 between episodes 5 and 10,” Miller notes, “makes the story, for me, even more explosive, even more dynamic.”

“You really feel for the character more,” she says. “That was a very real, raw, vulnerable moment for Raquel to have. And she had this moment alone — like she does a lot of the time. And it’s an incredible moment that I think is needed and really says a lot about who she is, and accepting that that’s not the right choice for her.”

Patina Miller as Raq Thomas, Joey Badass as Unique Mathis in ‘Power Book III: Raising Kanan’ season 3.Cara Howe/Starz

“It’s interesting too, because I’m like, damn, how would Unique respond to that?” the rapper, 30, continues of his character. “Especially with him being unhinged, and him convincing himself that all these people conspired against him. How would he respond to that? I think that could be a little small detail that could have probably shifted his mind a little bit [about Raq].“Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

The season 4 premiere ofPower Book III: Raising Kananis now streaming on Starz

source: people.com