"For a Long Time, I Resented My Parents": Keke Palmer Opens Up About What It Was Like to Be the Primary Provider for Her Family at a Young Age

Keke Palmer reflects on her past experiences that shaped her into who she is today, both the highs and the lows.

At 31, the versatile star began her career as a child actor in Hollywood and has since expanded her empire to include Broadway roles, writing several books, directing and producing, creating a media network, and much more. No wonder they call her Keke "Stay with a job" Palmer!

While Keke is widely recognized for her upbeat nature, she has also encountered significant challenges throughout her journey, particularly as she navigated the complexities of the entertainment industry. In a recent interview with the Cut, she shared her experience of becoming the primary earner for her family at such a young age.

Between 2008 and 2011, Keke played the lead role in the popular Nickelodeon show True Jackson, VP, portraying a savvy, creative teen who lands her dream job as a vice president at a fashion company. Keke found parallels between her own ambition and the pressures her character faced from colleagues much older than her.

“She was taking charge of her life independently,” Keke explained. “Growing up with that character, it influenced the way I wanted to show up and face life's challenges.”

"For a long time, I resented my parents,” she shared. “The weight of living up to expectations for my community, my parents, my siblings, and their sacrifices was overwhelming. Though they didn’t say it, that was the reality. I’m the reason we all came [to LA]."

Keke's rising career quickly became the main source of income for her family, which meant she had to secure roles consistently. Even though she was still a child, she had to make adult choices and take on the role of the financial provider.

The One of Them Days star recalled being thrust into situations she wasn't ready for, like when she was 12 years old and her former manager allegedly told Keke that if her mother didn’t lose weight, she would die.

“That really, really traumatized me and caused a lot of stress,” she shared. “I started worrying that she was going to die, thinking about things like medical bills. It was just overwhelming.”

However, Keke’s concerns weren't limited to just providing for her family. Despite her success on a popular Nickelodeon show, she also felt the restrictions placed on her. She found herself excluded from conversations with peers like Victoria Justice and Miley Cyrus.

"I wasn’t really included in the same conversations as Victoria Justice, Selena Gomez, or Miley Cyrus at the time. It was more like, ‘That’s the Black show,’ or ‘That’s Keke Palmer, the Black girl on the network.’”

“There’s a loss of innocence that comes with realizing you’re treated differently, something I accepted a long time ago. I don’t compare myself to others, but I definitely don’t compare myself to any white person.”

Comparing herself to others was never something Keke found interesting, and that’s because she’s truly one of a kind. To learn more about the star, be sure to read her full interview with the Cut.

You can also check out her new memoir Master of Me, now available, along with her upcoming buddy comedy with SZA, One of Them Days, hitting theaters on Jan. 17.