Keke Palmer recalls crucial advice Will Smith gave her as a child star: ‘It’s hard being the first’
Keke Palmer says Will Smith's words of wisdom helped her decide against emancipating from her parents.
Like many youngsters, actress Keke Palmer went through a phase where she bumped heads with her parents. Recently, in an appearance on “The Toast” podcast, Palmer revealed that fellow actor Will Smith helped her navigate that situation with her family.
As a child star who appeared on Nickelodeon and in Disney productions, the “Akeelah and the Bee” actress explained how juggling fame impacted her and her family’s relationship — so much so that she admits she was once considering emancipation from her parents.
While her lawyer tried to direct her toward therapy, Palmer said it was Smith’s words that ultimately changed her mind.
“A couple of weeks go by, and I’m on the set of ‘True Jackson, VP,’ and I get a call from this really, really obscure number. And I’m like, ‘What? Like this is weird, I’m not answering this,’” she said, recalling that she simply returned to work. Later retrieving her phone, Palmer had received a voicemail from the “Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” star.
“Hey, Keke. It’s Will. We’re over here doing ‘Karate Kid’ with [my son] Jaden, and I just want to let you know that I talked [to your lawyer],” Palmer continued, impersonating Smith’s voice. “He let me know everything you’re going through, and I want you to know sometimes it’s hard being the first, but you’ll get through. Just keep staying focused, love on your family, and y’all gonna be good.”
At the time, Palmer remembered struggling with the attention and notoriety that came with climbing the ranks in the entertainment industry as a child. As she tried to adjust to the demands of her burgeoning career, the actress recalls feeling like fame meant she had to “throw [her] family away.”
“It’s something that happens when you’re stepping out, and you could be a child entertainer, or you could be the first person in your family to go to college, or the first person in your family to get married,” Palmer said, explaining her feelings at the time. “There’s so many firsts that can happen as the generations of your family continue to grow and evolve.”
Ultimately deciding not to go through the emancipation process, Palmer stressed the importance of having a healthy community while navigating the entertainment industry.
“I’ve always had, I think, a lot of people — whether they’re notable names or they’re my attorney — that I had a good community,” she added. “Also, my parents made sure I was around [people] that would encourage community and not like dissension and us breaking apart.”
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