Keke Palmer opens up about her new look, working with NeNe Leakes & her campaign to empower young girls.

• Share on Facebook
• Share on Twitter
• Share via Email
• Copy Link

  Link Copied

Keke Palmer is all grown up and making no apologies about it.

Last week, theGrio caught up with the actress in New York, as she hosted a fitness event sponsored by Playtex Sport.

In recent months, the Brotherly Love star who was initially introduced to audiences in Akeelah and the Bee has gotten some flack for her sexy new look, with some fans saying they miss “the old Keke.”

“People like to hold on to whatever they initially know you as. They aren’t accepting to change,” the young Hollywood starlet shared. “It’s something I have to take in stride. I can’t force anybody to accept me. But the honest truth is — I’m not a kid anymore. I had to grow up at some point.”

“I’ve chosen roles that have allowed me to grow up on camera,” she asserts. One of those roles was as Cinderella on Broadway, along with controversial reality star NeNe Leakes.

“Nene is actually very down to earth. She has that extra sass in the way she carries herself that makes you want to come out of your shell too. To me that’s what makes her NeNe. With reality shows people have to know that at the end of the day — you don’t really know what’s going on behind the scenes.”

When asked if she would ever consider doing a reality show, she simply said, “No.” That’s not the direction she’s taking her career in.

One project she is really excited about, though, is her new partnership with Playtex Sport.

“Playtex Sport did a lot of research on young girls and learned that when they get to their teens years (13-16), they start to back out of sports. Maybe it’s because they’re self conscious. But the funny thing is being active and being involved in sports are some of the major things that can actually help you with your self confidence.

So that’s what Playtex Sport’s Fit to Play program is all about — encouraging girls and reminding them how good being active can be for their self esteem.

“Not just because of how you look on the outside, but because of how good it makes you feel on the inside. Fitness to me has always been about feeling good.”

As Keke continues to come into her own, she’s made one thing very clear: she’s a woman now, and anyone who has a problem with that will simply have to deal.