Emmy-winning actress Keke Palmer recently opened up about a traumatic experience with a former manager during her childhood. In an interview with The Cut, the 31-year-old star revealed that at the age of 12, her manager criticized her mother’s weight, suggesting that her mother would die if she didn’t lose weight. This comment deeply affected Palmer, causing her significant stress and anxiety about her mother’s health and potential medical expenses. “That really, really traumatized me and stressed me out,” Palmer shared. “It got me thinking she was going to die, thinking about things like medical bills. It was just too much.”
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This incident was just one of many challenging experiences Palmer faced as a child actor. She also discussed the immense pressure she felt to secure acting roles to support her family financially. This responsibility weighed heavily on her, leading to resentment towards her parents. “I hated my parents for a long time,” she admitted. “There was so much pressure to rise to the occasion for my community, for my parents, for my siblings, for their sacrifices. They weren’t saying it, but that was the reality.”
Palmer’s acting career began at the young age of 10 with her debut in the 2004 film Barbershop 2: Back in Business. The same year, she appeared in episodes of Cold Case and Strong Medicine, and starred in the television film The Wool Cap, which earned her a Screen Actors Guild nomination for outstanding performance by a female actor. This early success solidified her role as the family’s primary provider, further intensifying the pressure she experienced.
Palmer’s early career involved navigating the complexities of the entertainment industry while balancing the demands of supporting her family. This period included a challenging relationship she now recognizes as inappropriate.
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She went on to achieve significant success in the late 2000s, starring in the Disney Channel movie Jump In! and leading the Nickelodeon sitcom True Jackson, VP. In a 2024 interview with PEOPLE, Palmer revealed details about an inappropriate relationship she had while filming the Nickelodeon series. At the time, she was 15 years old and the other individual was 20. “I was 15, he was 20,” Palmer stated. “I was trying to balance between being really young, but also feeling quite mature. If I thought it was inappropriate, then I wouldn’t have done it.” Reflecting on the experience, she added, “Obviously I shouldn’t have been 15 dating no 20-year-old, but in my mind it was like ‘I got a full-time job. . . . Can’t nobody understand me but a grown man.’ But he knew there was a lot of stuff that there’s no damn way for me to understand at damn 15.” This candid reflection highlights the challenges and vulnerabilities faced by young actors navigating the complexities of adulthood within the entertainment industry. Her experience underscores the importance of protecting and supporting young performers.
