Keke Palmer Felt "Misunderstood" As A Child Star Because People Don't Care About Feelings

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Keke Palmer, Child Actor, OnStyle
She reflected on being a kid star and admitted that it turned her into a "people-pleaser."

She's spent nearly two decades in the spotlight so Keke Palmer knows the ins and outs of being a child star-turned-adult. At 27-years-old, Keke has accomplished more in her career than veterans twice her age, and with each new project, she sets a new standard for not only herself but those who will follow in her footsteps. We've all bore witness to the pitfalls of child stardom and somehow, Palmer has been able to avoid scandal. In her recent cover feature with InStyle, the actress details her experience with growing up under the pressures of Hollywood as a kid.

"At a young age, as a child [in the] entertainer world, your emotions are always the last thhttps://www.hotnewhiphop.com/keke-palmer-defends-admiration-of-tyler-perry-blasts-social-media-critics-news.118692.htmling that people care about. I think you get really quickly into being a people-pleaser and trying to be everything that everybody wants you to be," said Palmer. "I think in a lot of that, you end up being misunderstood."

"I've fought a lot of that most of my adult life, and I'm still new into my adult life," she added. "And I think that's something that I work towards every day is to not worry about people not understanding me, because I understand myself." Keke said she prefers being alone because "I actually like me" and just because she's nice doesn't mean she has some sort of issue with herself.

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"Actually, no. It's y'all not knowing what y'all want and projecting that on me that's giving me the stress," said Palmer. "Me, on my own, in my own room, I'm happy as hell... I had to really come to that understanding that success is what you make it and what you design it to be. Everybody is not Beyoncé, and that's alright. That doesn't mean that you're not amazing because if you're not Beyoncé, maybe you are Norah Jones."

Listen to Keke chat with Laura Brown for InStyle below and check out a few shots from her cover feature.


About The Author
Since 2019, Erika Marie has worked as a journalist for HotNewHipHop, covering music, film, television, art, fashion, politics, and all things regarding entertainment. With 20 years in the industry under her belt, Erika Marie moved from a writer on the graveyard shift at HNHH to becoming a Features Editor, highlighting long-form content and interviews with some of Hip Hop’s biggest stars. She has had the pleasure of sitting down with artists and personalities like DJ Jazzy Jeff, Salt ’N Pepa, Nick Cannon, Rah Digga, Rakim, Rapsody, Ari Lennox, Jacquees, Roxanne Shante, Yo-Yo, Sean Paul, Raven Symoné, Queen Naija, Ryan Destiny, DreamDoll, DaniLeigh, Sean Kingston, Reginae Carter, Jason Lee, Kamaiyah, Rome Flynn, Zonnique, Fantasia, and Just Blaze—just to name a few. In addition to one-on-one chats with influential public figures, Erika Marie also covers content connected to the culture. She’s attended and covered the BET Awards as well as private listening parties, the Rolling Loud festival, and other events that emphasize established and rising talents. Detroit-born and Long Beach (CA)-raised, Erika Marie has eclectic music taste that often helps direct the interests she focuses on here at HNHH. She finds it necessary to report on cultural conversations with respect and honor those on the mic and the hardworking teams that help get them there. Moreover, as an advocate for women, Erika Marie pays particular attention to the impact of femcees. She sits down with rising rappers for HNHH—like Big Jade, Kali, Rubi Rose, Armani Caesar, Amy Luciani, and Omerettà—to gain their perspectives on a fast-paced industry.