Keke Palmer recently appeared on Club Shay Shay for a heartfelt interview, where she opened up about the emotional weight felt as her family’s breadwinner, from a young age.
Palmer, who has been in the entertainment industry since childhood, got visibly emotional in front of Shannon Sharpe as she reflected on the challenges of supporting her loved ones while navigating her early career.
“My parents at best made $40,000 a year when I was growing up. I was making that [per] show,” the 31-year-old admitted. Palmer then shared that her parents had access to her money and would “ration her out an allowance,” as well as her sister. “Somebody could say, ‘that was your money,’ but we a family,” she added. “And everybody sacrificed.”
Palmer proudly shared how her father gave up his pension after working a job for 15 years and how her mother sacrificed her own dreams to travel with Keke. “How I feel about it—what’s mine is theirs and what’s theirs is mine,” she said. “And I would give up and sacrifice 20 more years of my life working in this industry so I could provide and we could have the business we have today.”
The Nope star then became emotional as Sharpe reminded her that it “isn’t normal” for a child to provide for their family. However, she admitted that she understood the weight on her shoulders at such a young age, but yet, she “wore it like armor.”
“Life is a lonely place,” she continued. “And when you have your family … if you’re the one then you’re the one. That’s it. That’s the way it was. And now my sister can go to FAMU. For all of us, we get to do things that we were never able to do.” Palmer also admitted that while she wasn’t the only one who sacrificed, “a lot of it” was on her. “I could be sad, but why? Look what I gained,” she went on. “I gained so much more than what I sacrificed.”
In admiration for Palmer’s resilience, fans flooded social media with messages of support, praising her vulnerability and strength to take on the role of breadwinner as a child.
“Keke Palmer is the definition of grace under pressure. Thank you for sharing your truth and inspiring us all,” one person commented on Instagram as another said, “This was such a wholesome reflection. She said that she didn’t mind providing for her family bc they sacrificed parts of their life to support hers. Love and community is key.”
Take a look at Keke Palmer’s full interview with Shannon Sharpe below.
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