Keke Palmer reveals how Will Smith’s voicemail shaped her Hollywood journey

Keke Palmer appeared on an episode of The Toast podcast on November 19, 2024, to promote her latest book titled Master of Me: The Secret to Controlling Your Narrative. During the episode, she revealed how Will Smith's encouraging words helped her during a critical point in her early career.

While speaking to Jackie Oshry and Claudia Oshry, Palmer said that the Oscar-winning actor left her an encouraging voicemail after hearing from her lawyer that she was considering getting emancipated from her parents at age 17.

Describing the incident, the Nickelodeon star said she was shooting for the sitcom True Jackson, VP, when she received a call from an unknown number (belonging to Will). When she did not answer, Smith left her a voicemail, saying:

“'Hey, Keke. It's Will. We're over here doing Karate Kid with [my son] Jaden..... 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.'”

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Keke Palmer considered emancipation as a teenager

Keke Palmer, who began her career as a child actor at age 10, struggled to deal with the pressures of fame as a teenager. At age 17, she felt isolated from her family as she thought they did not understand what she "was going through" as a young Hollywood star. She discussed the topic of emancipation with her lawyer, who recommended she try therapy with her family instead.

Will Smith's words helped her gain a fresh perspective on the situation. She eventually decided against seeking emancipation. Reflecting back on the time, the 90210 star said:

"This was a difficult thing for me that I felt meant that I had to throw my family away. 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, that also my parents made sure I was around, that would encourage community and not like dissension and us breaking apart."

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Keke Palmer released her memoir in November 2024

Keke Palmer rose to prominence by playing Akeelah Anderson in the 2006 drama film, Akeelah and the Bee. She went on to work in films like Madea's Family Reunion, Jump In!, Shrink, The Longshots, etc. as a child actor.

She transitioned into mature roles with films such as 2 Minutes of Fame, Jordan Peele's Nope, and Hustlers starring Jennifer Lopez, among others. Furthermore, her television roles included Scream Queens, Scream: Resurrection, Berlin Station, Human Resources, and the animated series The Second Best Hospital in the Galaxy, to name a few.

In February 2023, the Imperial Dreams star welcomed her first son, Leodis Andrellton, with her ex-partner, the fitness instructor Darius Jackson. However, Keke split up with Jackson in October 2023, claiming that she was subjected to domestic abuse by Jackson.

After turning 30 in August 2023, Keke Palmer began reflecting on her biggest life lessons from the past decade. She wrote the memoir Master of Me: The Secret to Controlling Your Narrative to share her personal journey towards discovering her self-worth.

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