Keke Palmer Is the Internets Sweetheart

Keke Palmer grips the false lashes on her eyelids with two fingers and slowly peels them off her skin. Shes had a long day, and its nearly 7 p.m.

The sun in the window behind her is blaring over a palm tree without any sign of eventually making its descent somewhere behind the horizon. And yet, Palmer has endured multiple flight delays from Las Vegas to Los Angeles, had a glamorous hours-long photo shoot, found herself at the center of Twitter discourse about her relationship, and still made it home in time to feed her new baby his early-dinner bottle. Yup, hes asleep, she says, looking over playfully at her 4-month-old son, Leo.

About that discourse: Palmers motherhood recently became an uninvited topic of conversation online. Last Wednesday, while she was photographed and interviewed for this cover, a video circulated of Palmer, clad in a sheer black dress with a bodysuit underneath, getting serenaded by Usher at one of his Las Vegas residency concerts. Darius Daulton Jackson, the father of her child, saw the video and tweeted his criticisms of Palmer for her outfit choice, later doubling down on his stance when her fans swarmed his replies. While on set and by the time we spoke, Palmer hadnt yet engaged, but internet bystanders rallied around her, forming a sort of virtual shield attempting to protect her and, in turn, shunning him.

Ill be honest, I think before I even had the baby, I was really actually quite self-conscious, she tells me when I ask how her headspace feels. After having my baby, Ive gotten so much more powerful. Were going to lean into this new body, and I think that is the whole aura of whats happening with me in this big boss era as I come into my 30s, and I have my baby boy, and Im just continuing to spread my wings as a young woman.

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Photo: Micaiah Carter

Even though the 29-year-old actor and producer finds herself in an entirely different life stage from me, its impossible to shake the feeling that we grew up together or that we have some sort of shared history. Not in a traditional sense, of course, considering shes been a movie star since the tender age of 10, but by way of having a front-row seat to her organic matriculation through life, from project to project. She starred as a strong-willed spelling-bee champ in Akeelah and the Bee, a double-Dutch savant on the Disney Channel movie Jump In!, and a teen fashion executive on True Jackson, VP, and many of us who were once precocious little girls watched a young Palmer on the screen with awe as she evolved into the powerhouse we know her as today. By the time she was getting Oscar buzz for roles in more grown-up fare, like Lorene Scafarias Hustlers (based on a true story originally reported in this magazine) and Jordan Peeles Nope (a New York Times critics pick that won her widespread acclaim and an invitation to the Academy this summer), we became acquainted with Palmer in her role as a serious, well-adjusted, fully fledged actor. And, of course, along the way was her music career, which shes still working on, anchored by her song Bottoms Up, a pivotal moment in the Zeitgeist for teenage girls everywhere. (She released a sequel of sorts to the track last year.)

In the same way weve come to know her, she feels as though shes come to know us: I do feel like Americas little sister, little cousin. I feel very much so related to everybody, she tells me. Im like that second cousin that you see every two years at the family reunion.

Now, as she branches off into newer, more experimental ventures with KeyTV, an avenue for Palmer to support other young creatives of color, and her podcast, Baby, This Is Keke Palmer, on which she has interviewed guests like Vice-President Kamala Harris (Palmer asked her to clarify both if she does have a silk press and what policies should be developed to deal with the maternal mortality crisis), John Stamos, and fellow child stars Aly and AJ Michalka, Palmer is entering her big boss era, as shes dubbed it.

Online, Palmer is generally unafraid to discuss potentially taboo topics, like acne and breast milk, while also finding ways to inject humor into whatever shes speaking about. From Sorry to this man to You know its your girlllll, she has kept the culture quenched with a steady stream of delightful sound bites, which inevitably become endearing memes. Admittedly, as a self-described citizen of the internet, she loves this too: When people see themselves in me enough to repost a meme or use a GIF, it really humanizes me in a way that I think sometimes feels lost in my life, she says. So I really do feel appreciative of being a meme.

Relatability and authenticity seem to bolster nearly every sentence Palmer speaks, giving a feeling that her words are unrehearsed, direct lines from her heart. This is perhaps why the public feels so protective over her. Its what keeps her audience engaged, the comments section of her Instagram dynamic, and her podcasts guests eager to bare it all. Its what makes her though shed never title herself as such the internets sweetheart.

There are a lot of moms hyping you up online right now, defending your integrity. Whats something you would say to them?

Do you, new moms. Do you. Girl, if theres one person on this earth that loves you for sure, its that baby. Be happy, because theres no love like it. Somebody loving you like that, hell, who cares?

You just had a baby, you host a podcast, and you also started a production company called KeyTV. Tell me what thats about.

I came from a very traditional space in entertainment, and it was very hard for me to create my own narrative and help get the work that I ended up getting as Ive continued to evolve as a creator. Because of the internet, I was able to produce and create my own content and make a financial career that invests back into itself. It helps to keep the creativity going, especially when you think about brands and sponsorships. Not a lot of Black creatives get those same opportunities. KeyTV is an opportunity; its a way to bridge the gap and feed more eyes back to the work of BIPOC creators, and using my brand as a launchpad. It is inspired a lot by AwesomenessTV.

Lets talk about Baby, This Is Keke Palmer, your podcast. What made you want to flip the table and start a podcast? Why did you want to be on the other side of an interview?

I started hosting stuff when I was about 17 or 18. It came from me being a curious person. This was when Twitter started really kind of becoming a thing and you only had so many characters. I wanted a forum where we could discuss the things were talking about online with one another. That made me want to have my own talk show that I did shortly on BET for a season. From that moment on, I was always looking for an opportunity. I wanted to bridge the gap between millennial and Gen-Z audiences. Thats always fun for me.

What excites you about talking to somebody youve never met before?

That everything is going to be a surprise! I genuinely am so jazzed about life at all times. On regular daytime talk television, you have only a few minutes to really talk about a few things. On a podcast, you can go from talking about aliens to talking about all types of weird stuff. Just from the simple fact that a podcast has no limit.

Which guest has surprised you the most?

When we think about the Black Eyed Peas, we think inspired, fun, wholesome but cool, worldly music that makes people feel good. When I was interviewing Will.i.am., it was just so incredible because thats in every aspect of what he does, whether its in technology or music, because he wants to transfer his mentality.

Who is your dream podcast guest?

I absolutely would love to talk to Taylor Swift. And Nicki Minaj. Both for similar reasons. I would totally do it at the same time because it would be a big boss conversation, Ms. Lady. I think theyre both Sagittariuses and Im a Sag moon. Theyre not afraid to talk about the business, the music industry, and the things that people dont understand. Nicki Minaj has spoken to the things that shes trying to overcome and how theyre able to get in certain rooms or awards or conversations, etc. Shes very much so wanting to gun for some old ways of things being done.

And its the same thing with Taylor Swift when it was coming to owning her masters and just Ive also talked a lot about my experience in the music industry, but I just think its really cool when you can sit down with your peers and you can discuss the real deal that goes on behind the scenes with the industry.

To hear from us three women would be great. Obviously, I can name a whole list of people that have done similar things. We could talk about Master P., we could talk about Tyler Perry, we could talk about Beyonc, the list goes on. But those are just two that most recently had spoken about these things. We could have a really good deep conversation and unpacking lyrics because Nicki writes down, and so does Ms. Swift. Its giving astral projection, its giving lucid dreaming.

So when youre being interviewed now, do you, ahem, judge the interviewers questions from a different lens?

I dont want to say judge, but I definitely try to figure out where we can go. Im always willing to go somewhere. When Im talking to people, Im obviously giving them the respect of knowing whatever their boundaries are. But when theyre answering, Im thinking, Well, where else would they want this to lead to? Another thing Ive learned is that pre-conversations are really awesome because you can talk to that person about where their headspace is, what kind of things are most important to them right now.

Well, then let me backtrack a little bit, because we didnt get to have much of a pre-conversation. Whats your mental headspace and whats important to you today?

After having my baby, Ive just gotten so much more powerful. Im just so strengthened in a crazy way. Strutting my stuff, enjoying. Ill be honest, I think before I even had the baby, I was really actually quite self-conscious. In a way that you would expect, considering the kind of work that I do as a public figure. Always trying to be on point with my body and always trying to make sure Im taking care of this and that. Theres a lot of physical attention. Being slim and being fit in a particular way was always something that I was gunning for. After having the baby, my body got so much bigger and I started getting fluff in areas I never had before.

I was trying to work with my trainer, Corey Calliet, and he was just like, Well, we are never going to try and get your body back to how it was before a baby because you birthed a child. Its like, thats not something to hide, thats something to embrace. Were going to lean into this new body. That is the whole aura of whats happening with me in this big boss era as I come into my 30s and I have my baby boy. Im just continuing to spread my wings as a young woman. My headspace is just to continue to inspire and encourage myself and anybody else who wants to go down that road with me. Because were growing and we are changing. Its all about loving who I am and loving what I experienced and what Ive gone through thats gotten me here. A lot of gratitude for me.

Obviously I dont know you like that, but when I see you from the outside, you have always seemed like a woman and a girl whos always stood in her own power. Sometimes women are expected to shrink, and I feel like when I see you, I dont see a woman who shrinks.

I think its important to say that both things can be true, which Im sure you know. Im ready to talk to you, you are also very confident, but both things can be true. I speak to my insecurities and it actually makes me feel more confident. Because Im not trying to hide. When I really talked about my skin issues and stuff like that, it was really for me.

As I confront my issues head-on and Im like, Well, I feel terrible about this, or, This aint work for me, I turn it into a joke, but I dont ignore it. I try not to hide it. Confident people, its not that theyre not insecure, its that they just accept the fact that theyre going to have some insecurities, work on them when they can, and love themselves. Because at the end of the day, what else are you going to do? Hate yourself for who youre not?

This is a weird question, but what would you say your brain looks like, sounds like, and smells like?

Not Jeffrey Dahmer, girl! The inside of my brain smells like vanilla or something warm and cuddly. It smells like something safe. Its like, Hey, we are here for you. What does it look like? Colorful, shit is like synapses are going, you know what I mean? There are some gray spots. There are definitely some gray spots, but most of all, its neons, sparkling, its electric. Almost like when you have a PC gaming computer and all the colors that are going on in there. Thats how my brain is. What does it sound like? Shit, Jordin Sparks, One step at a time, theres no need to rush. Im always in some type of coming-of-age comedy.

I want to walk inside your brain, that sounds nice. On the flip side, youve got a lot going on in your life. Youre acting, youre singing, you have a podcast, youre a new mom, youre keeping the culture consistently quenched with delightful sound bites and memes. How do you stay grounded and at peace?

My family, my friends, my loved ones. Keke Palmers who I am, but its almost like Spider-Man. Im Peter Parker at the end of the day, and at some point, I have to take the suit off. Its still me, Im still there. Its still Keke and theres no Lauren without Keke. Theres no Keke without Lauren. But its just one aspect of who I am. We all have cultural aspects of ourselves that we sometimes bring out more or less than others.

When it comes to being able to get balance in my life, its taking off that suit, taking off the Keke Palmer side of myself and putting her to rest. Giving her an opportunity to recharge and relax and also know that the other side of me that maybe isnt that jazzed up all the time, has a place, is needed, is valued, and able to just breathe. Its really awesome.

Do you ever wish that you could just be Lauren or Keke part two, Keke without the visibility?

Sure, sure. Yeah, absolutely. Sometimes I feel like I would love a little bit of more anonymity, or at least a version that wasnt so chaotic. We live in a particular generation where the fame thing is a little bit too much. The way that celebrities are idolized. Popularity to some degree is fine. Its normal. It could be expected, especially if youre a public servant or someone thats a public figure. But now its the desire and the goal as opposed to being the aftereffect of being good at something or being known for something. Its just being known to be known.

Fame used to be a little bit more mayorlike, and now its almost gone to some type of godlike vibe. That can be quite dangerous and a lot of pressure. I dont think any human should be that adored. Im happy when people say that Im their role model or I inspire them or whatever. I think the basis of anything Im trying to do is to lead you to you, toward you. You can rock with me. You can buy into my stuff, you can support me. Obviously, thats my career. But never do I ever want somebody to think they need to be like me. If they want to be like me in any regard, hopefully its to be authentically themselves. Hopefully that is the biggest message that theyre receiving.

When you said mayorlike, I pictured you in a little top hat.

Walking around, Mayor Keke, Hello there. You know its your girl.

Speaking of You know its your girl, which was a viral clip taken from your Met Gala red carpet interview with Megan Thee Stallion, how does it feel to consistently become a meme?

I felt like that was a hit movie. Sorry to this man, I could not have predicted the sorry to this man reaction. Its crazy, but cool and dope at the same time. Its randomized how that happens. But its a very humbling thing because sometimes as an entertainer, people do not have a safe space for you to be relatable. You probably live a drastically different life than them. But at the end of the day, outside of whatever our daily life activities could be, Im still going to work. Im still trying my best, Im still trying to make it in this workaholic country were in, we both got 24 hours and we both just trying to get it done.

And so we all are the same. When people see themselves in me enough to repost a meme or use a GIF, it humanizes me in a way that I think sometimes feels lost in my life. I really do feel appreciative of being a meme. Because what theyre saying is, Shes like me, or they relate to it. It doesnt get any better than that.

You dont try to go viral? It just comes naturally, basically?

The recipe to any virality, I would think, would have to be you being authentically you. I cant replicate it. I know that I love to make people laugh andhave fun. The sorry to this man meme is me being like, Yo, lets cut the bullshit. This is all I got. Those are all aspects of me. People who interview me are more in tune with what makes me go viral than I am, because they always try to push certain buttons.

What keeps you authentic when you are in the public eye? Especially when it could be so much easier, and so many others have gone the route of, Heres my public persona and Im going to do everything and be perfect. What is your motivation to be you?

There issuch a thing as privacy. Im not showing yall my ass at night. Im a human being. I have things that make me just a normal person. Im flawed. I definitely try to put my best foot forward. But again, because I dont like the idealism and I dont like the kind of era that we are in with fame, I definitely self-deprecate, point to my flaws, constantly say Im not perfect because I really dont want people putting me to this unbelievable standard. I dont live to be a celebrity. I live to do what I love, to share love, to give something positive to the world. Being under a magnifying glass for all of my life, it was kind of a surrender to realizing no matter what I do, its never going to be enough, so thats okay. Let me at least be me.

Are you really online? Do you consume social media? And if so, what does a late-night scrolling sesh look like for you? For me, Im doing YouTube deep dives of a couple that cosplays like they live in the 1800s.

Im always looking at weird stuff too. Im looking at TikTok. I can get crossed in a conspiracy theory. I can be looking at some new articles online and just all types of random stuff. Im definitely 100 percent like an internet person. I guess thats a personality trait. A lot of my friends that Ive met, even as kids, were online. Through chat or MySpace. Ill see somebodys page online or Ill check somebodys life out and Im like, I want that person to be my friend. I feel like online literally gives us the opportunity to see in other peoples worlds, to reach things that we otherwise didnt get to reach. I really do use it as a tool and I really respect it. Especially growing up, being in the entertainment industry, being homeschooled, not having a real school, I really was appreciative of online.

Now that you made me think of it, somebody else that I would love to talk to would be Tom from MySpace. What he created really helped my life because I didnt have any other way to be friends. I might be a celebrity,but in my mind, in my world, I felt like an outcast. I turned to the internet where I could create space for me, and build my world and have friends and feel like I was normal. It all feels very full circle, me being a meme queen. The internet is a place that Ive always loved and adored and felt like I could be myself, and in a way, that is a space that was not always given to me in real life. Thats why we all played The Sims too.

Do you think the human race is better or worse off with social media?

I think its better, but not when you dont use it right. When I was talking to Will.i.am about it, he was definitely like, Yo, I would much rather be in a world where theres AI and all this kind of stuff than in a world that its not. With the internet, the problem is that its extremely powerful and it can be used in bad ways and people have used it in bad ways, and thats what scares us. But when we use it in good ways, man, were able to really do some incredible things.

You recently interviewed Vice-President Kamala Harris and asked her about her silk press. You also used the phrase poop on a stick in the interview, which knocked me on my knees. What does podcast prep before you start the conversation look like for you?

Its different each time. I have support with my producing team. I always script out the top halves of my show. And then the other halves of them are obviously just conversation, but I have bullet points or CliffsNotes of what I want to discuss and talk to whoever Im having on with me that may not be the actual interview guest, whether its my mom or whether its Darius or whether its Max. Well kind of discuss what our POVs are. That way we all know that we have some unique perspective on the topic. When it comes to the interviewee, as much as I have questions that I want to ask them, I also listen and just try to see where their conversation would take us.

Anyone youve been nervous to record with?

I was nervous for Kamala.

Who wouldnt be?

For Madam VP, I was definitely nervous because I wanted to give respect to what shes trying to do and have a conversation about it while at the same time humanizing the conversation because theres a huge disconnect, in my opinion, with our generation in the government. Its beyond just getting people to vote. Theres a bigger flaw where we dont believe in the system. Its how to get people to believe that theres a reason to support our public servants and actually believe that theyre going to be good at their job or theyre going to be worth us listening to. Its about asking important questions, but also, are you a person in there?

We need to see that these people are real. We need to know why they wanted to get into these positions. A lot of this is starting to look like a joke and has been a joke and looks like a reality show and it just seems like a big money grab and it just doesnt seem real. But theres no way to work in any system of anything and be perfectly perfect or do something thats totally agreeable.

The point is to get to a place where we can at least feel like somebody is human and touchable and real, that they can be reached even if they are working within a system that is clearly flawed and corrupt. We need them to speak to that. I was happy when I was talking to Kamala, Madam VP, excuse me, about this topic. She was saying to me that she knows that people dont believe, and thats why shes doing it. She knows what shes working against. I wanted that interview to be something that we felt was real so we can actually be engaged. Because right now, honey, its giving, like, stale news variety show.

I listened to another episode where you talked about being a child star and you said if you werent an entertainer, you may have gone into politics. Would you ever go into politics now?

I dont know what role I would play.

President?

Well, lets think about it. What is the presidents job, really? Because he cant change no laws for real. I mean, they can, but its like they really arent the ones that are doing that work. If the presidents job is to be a figurehead, speak to the issues, encourage the people, represent them and create a positive democracy and good morale, then, yeah, I mean, I could. This is the concept of politics I love because its being a public servant. Child, sign me up. I love being a public servant. I love being serviceable.

I know a lot of people dont think about entertainment as that, but, I mean, I am still doing a service. Im literally tapping and singing and dancing for you to laugh and enjoy. Im trying to serve you, for sure. Thats something Ive already been doing all my life. So in that regard, yes, the part of politics that makes things difficult is feeling like that I believe in what Im doing and that I can actually believe that I can get something done. If I was going to ever go into politics, it would be because I really believed that I could fix some shit or figure something out. So I think thats what it would really take is for me to feel like I could actually be useful.

Would you consider yourself Americas sweetheart?

Girl, that is crazy as hell.

Come on.

If that is what the people think, Im truly gagged and gooped because, wow. I dont even know what that entails, truly, what that really means. But, by golly, if you all feel like Im Americas sweetheart, Im fucking here for that shit all day and night. I appreciate it because it feels like a term of endearment. But what do I think? If I were to declare myself, I do feel like Americas little sister, little cousin.

I feel very much so related to everybody. I dont even care what background they are, Black, white, otherwise. I feel related to all of the Americans in the Americas. I feel very much so like we grew up together. You know, we went to college together. We went to school together. It feels very familial to me. A lot of the people that I meet, even though I dont know them, they know me. It kind of ends up feeling like Im that adjacent second cousin that you see every two years at the family reunion.

Like a lot of people in their late 20s, I feel like I grew up with you, and whatever project you were involved with seemed to mirror whatever life stage I was going through at the time. What was child stardom like for you, and what was it like to have so many eyes on you at such a young age?

Honestly speaking, initially it was traumatic when I really experienced it, like after I did True Jackson, VP.And then I got used to it and I tried to kind of control it a little bit more by setting boundaries for myself and being a little bit more realistic about what I needed from the people that would be around me. Fame is a lot. People think that they want it, but its intense. It could be fun and cool in certain times if it can possibly help you get quicker dinner reservations. But a good job will do that. You know, you dont have to be famous. You just have to network.

I dont know why anybody wants it. Its a lot to have a lot of attention on you all the time. It gives you a lot of anxiety. Its nerve-racking. Youre looking over your shoulder all the time. Is somebody going to try and humiliate me or use me for clicks or likes or, you know, whatever? Not everybody can handle it. Its just a dangerous game.

Time for a few rapid-fire questions. Do you think aliens exist?

Yes.

Would you ever explore the deep sea?

No.

What would your last meal be? You can have multiple courses or just one bite of something and then move on. It can be anything. Multiple things.

A charcuterie board. I always needed a charcuterie board. I need to start off with a charcuterie board and a nice tall glass of wine. Then, Id like to take it to a big pizza. From Little Italy in New York. A particular pizza place called Little Italys in New York. Theres one right across the street from Papaya Dog. Its the sauce that they do that makes it what it is. If this is the last meal, I dont need it to be fancy, I just need it to be good. And, lastly, some snickerdoodle cookies. We got to make it feel like home again.

What do you think happens when we die?

I think we go to nothing. And, I mean that so happily, not in a sad way. I feel like, before we come to our human bodies, we already are in a utopia. The reason why its a utopia is because its like everything and nothing at the same time. Were beholden to nothing, we have no attachments, were completely and utterly free, and we know in whatever this energy space is that we are all interconnected. So theres such a freedom and such a happiness. Its not necessarily were riding roller coasters and stuff. We dont need those things. The happiness and joy is purely innately within us as a spiritual being.

And then I think we come here and we put this suit on, and the suit is actually what makes life really hard, because what comes with humanity and being a human person, as opposed to being an animal, or a rock, or something like that, is our very heightened consciousness and awareness that is sometimes competitive with our spiritual thing that doesnt actually need words, or language, or actions to just be and understand. And we confuse ourselves when were down here.

I think, when we die, we realize, Oh my gosh. It wasnt that deep. I was always going to be okay. Everything was always going to be all right. Because, this world, this experience is everything and nothing at the same time. Its so nothingness that it became everything. I think thats odd. But, I mean, I grew up Catholic. I believe in Jesus. I believe in all the shits. But at the same time, I also feel like some things are like a mixture of spirituality and metaphysical stuff. I go down on the loops. But I be in church too. Im everywhere with it.

If you could live forever, would you?
Absolutely not. No, theres nothing about that that sounds good. No, no, no, no, no, no, no.

That sounds crazy. I want to have a nice, good long life. I dont want to be that grandma thats holding on for dear life and her body falling apart. Let me go looking fine and sexy in my sleep naturally. I dont want my body to be just turned inside out and Im like, Im still here, kids. No. Unplug me if Im falling apart.

What is the most interesting thing in your bag right now?

The truth is, I only carry around one bag. And its the mommy bag. And you know what it has in there? My pump, my nipple cream, some contacts, and some prenatal vitamins, post-prenatal lactation supplements.

What is the question that keeps you up at night?

What is this about? I always ask myself, Whats the reason? What is the reason for this all?

Thats beautiful. Can you spell pulchritude?

Of course I can. P-U-L-C-H-R-I-T-U-D-E. Pulchritude?

What does the future look like? What does it look like five years from now, or even in the next few months?

Im going to continue to be killing these fashions, honey. Continue to expand. I cant really say exactly what its going to be, because I feel like Im even surprised sometimes about where I end up. But definitely more hosting, and acting, and all that stuff. A lot more stuff behind the scenes too. I really do love producing, and I love helping put stuff together and support people. With KeyTV, we made a short film with a kid from L.A. Film School, supported him with a production crew, and collaborated from different perspectives. I was grateful. To be close in age with him was awesome, too. Im in a unique vantage point to be able to communicate, and talk, and relate, but also have wisdom that is granted only through the experience that Ive had.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

She was born Lauren Keyana Palmer.