Keke Palmer Responds To Zendaya Colorism Comments
Actress Keke Palmer isn’t taking colorism comments lightly after social media sparked a comparison between her and Zendaya.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, a tweet on Twitter ignited a viral conversation that started a thread claiming that Palmer’s Nope project, directed by Jordan Peele, was her breakout role.
I’d like someone to do a deep-drive on the similarities and differences between Keke Palmer and Zendaya’s careers. This may be one of the clearest examples of how colorism plays out in Hollywood. They were both child-stars, but their mainstream popularity is very different.
Keke Palmer, who started her career in Hollywood as a young child star, responded to the tweet to say, “A great example of colorism is to believe I can be compared to anyone. I’m the youngest talk show host ever. The first Black woman to star in her own show on Nickelodeon, & the youngest & first Black Cinderella on Broadway. I’m an incomparable talent. Baby, THIS is Keke Palmer.”
She continued, “I’ve been a leading lady since I was 11 years old. I have over 100+ credits, and am currently starring in an original screenplay that’s the number one film at the box office #NOPE. I’ve had a blessed career thus far, I couldn’t ask for more but God continues to surprise me.”
Palmer’s extensive resume dates back to 2004, according to IMDb. She has starred in her own show True Jackson, VP on Nickelodeon in 2008, which ran for three seasons. Other notable credits include Akeelah and the Bee, Hustlers, and Scream Queens. She recently voiced a role in this year’s Pixar film Lightyear and served as the co-host of Good Morning America’s segment, Strahan, Sara & Keke.
Nope debuted on the big screen on Friday (July 22) and snagged the top spot at the weekend’s box office with an estimated $44 million. Palmer stars opposite Daniel Kaluuya in the sci-fi horror film.