Keke Palmer was ‘misunderstood’ as a child star and now stands in her own power

Keke Palmer was ‘misunderstood’ as a child star and now stands in her own power: ‘I choose to live in that fearless and confident space’


She rose to fame for her starring role in Akeelah and the Bee.

And despite her success as a child star, Keke Palmer admitted she was ‘misunderstood’ as she sat down with InStyle magazine to chat about her career. 

The 27-year-old actress had to bottle up her emotions for just the right time and place, but learned that she could be fearless and confident in any space.  

Bold: Despite her success as a child star, Keke Palmer admitted she was ‘misunderstood’ as she sat down with InStyle magazine to chat about her career

‘At a young age, as a child [in the] entertainer world, your emotions are always the last thing that people care about,’ she told editor-in-chief Laura Brown on this week’s episode of Ladies First with Laura Brown.

‘I think you get really quickly into being a people-pleaser and trying to be everything that everybody wants you to be. And so I think in a lot of that, you end up being misunderstood.’ 

Palmer’s first film role was in 2004 with Ice Cube, Eve and Queen Latifah in Barbershop 2: Back in Business. 

Standing strong: The 27-year-old actress had to bottle up her emotions for just the right time and place, but learned that she could be fearless and confident in any space

Standing strong: The 27-year-old actress had to bottle up her emotions for just the right time and place, but learned that she could be fearless and confident in any space

She then launched a singing career after signing a record deal through Atlantic Records and rose to fame as a Disney Channel and Nickelodeon kid in 2008, a title she’s fought back against.   

‘I’ve fought a lot of that most of my adult life, and I’m still new into my adult life,’ she said. ‘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 is adamant about fully embracing who she is now that she’s comfortable with herself and standing strong in her power. 

'At a young age, as a child [in the] entertainer world, your emotions are always the last thing that people care about,' she told editor-in-chief Laura Brown on this week's episode of Ladies First with Laura Brown.

‘At a young age, as a child [in the] entertainer world, your emotions are always the last thing that people care about,’ she told editor-in-chief Laura Brown on this week’s episode of Ladies First with Laura Brown.

‘Sometimes it’s much easier because I don’t have to please anybody but myself,’ she said. ‘I find so much ease with being alone because I actually like me. That’s what’s so crazy, is because people assume if you want to always please people or be nice, it’s because you have an issue or esteem problem with yourself. 

‘But actually, no. It’s y’all not knowing what y’all want and projecting that on me that’s giving me the stress. Me, on my own, in my own room, I’m happy as hell.’ 

Her best advice when it comes to finding the strength from within: ‘People still ain’t going to understand you, but it’s not really those people’s faults for not understanding you, it’s your fault for caring.’