Keke Palmer is one of those entertainers who entered adulthood right before our eyes. After her big breakthrough with the 2006 film Akeelah and the Bee, Keke Palmer consolidated her place in the entertainment industry and proved her versatility with successful careers in music, film, and television. Today, she is the host of her own television show Just Keke, which airs on BET on weekdays. In order to give something back to society, Keke Palmer is involved in many non-profit organizations that work to improve children’s learning.
Keke Palmer Biography
Keke was born Lauren Keyana Palmer on July 26, 1993, in Harvey, Illinois, and grew up as a Christian in Robbins, Illinois, with her parents Sharon and Larry Palmer. Palmer took a liking to music and acting from an early age, following in the footsteps of her parents who, before settling into 9-5 jobs, were professional actors and met themselves in acting school. Her father now works in a plastics factory while her mother teaches autistic children in high school.
Palmer began singing in her local church at the age of 5 and soon moved on to larger stages, including a popular tourist destination in Chicago. Within a few years, Keke Palmer received her first film role in the 2004 film Barbershop 2: Back in Business. Her parents were so impressed with her performance that they decided to move the family to Los Angeles, where their daughter would have a better chance of an entertainment career.
Once in Los Angeles, Palmer pursued both music and acting career. She earned small roles in television shows and movies and then caught the attention of Atlantic Records executives who signed her in 2005. She also signed a contract with Disney and recorded songs that were used as soundtracks.
2006 became Palmer’s big year when she made her big breakthrough with the title role in Akeelah and the Bee. One of her songs was also performed as part of the film soundtrack. Keke Palmer’s career opened up further the following year when she performed several gigs in addition to the release of her debut album So Uncool.
ALSO READ: Ian Kinsler Wife, Age, Height, Biography, Other Facts
Keke Palmer only climbed higher in her career and had more success on the small screen than in the movies. She has had acclaimed roles in shows like True Jackson, VP, Masters of Sex, Scream Queens, Star, Berlin Station, and many others. In 2014, Keke Palmer was the first African American to play the role of Cinderella on Broadway.
Keke Palmer Net Worth
Keke Palmer was extremely successful as an entertainer of the double threat. Since her time with True Jackson, VP, for which she earned $20,000 per episode, she has made a lot of money, making her the highest-paid child actor on television at the time. Her net worth was estimated at about $8 million.
Twin Sister
Although Keke Palmer was not born a twin, she does have two younger siblings who are twins. They are her sister Lawrencia and her brother Lawrence Palmer, both born on March 3, 2001.
Unlike Keke, neither of her siblings has an active career in the entertainment industry. Lawrencia, who is affectionately known as Rennie by her family, however, attracted media attention when Keke went to her Instagram page to post photos of the two kissings, which many considered too physically close for a sibling relationship.
Many publications described the photo as strange and asked questions about Keke’s sexuality. The siblings had posted the photo to celebrate the harvest festival.
Is She a Lesbian or Gay?
Keke Palmer prefers not to label her sexuality. However, in the past, she has loudly advocated being open to romance with any gender as long as she is in love with the person.
It is safe to say that the actress and singer-songwriter are bisexual, but still, the word does not quite fit the description of her sexuality, which she stated in People Magazine that it “should not be labeled”.
ALSO READ: Charles Bronson (Actor) Biography, His Wife, Children and Net Worth
Her word to People came in October 2016 after she released the music video for her single “I Don’t Belong to You”, which featured bisexuality. Many speculated that the video was Palmer’s way of coming out, but the singer described the video differently, saying it simply represented “the young woman of today” who was not restricted by tradition.
She concluded the interview with People with the words: “I don’t feel the need to define anything to anyone because I am constantly changing”. She added: “Why say I am this or that when I might not be tomorrow?
Palmer’s first lesbian film role came in the 2018 Lee Daniels film, Pimp, in which she portrayed a lesbian pimp. According to her Instagram post promoting the video, Palmer revealed that she first became interested in the project when she was 18 years old.