Keke Palmer talks motherhood, ‘Big Boss,’ best advice she’s ever received and more

Written by ABC Audio. All rights reserved. on May 22, 2023

There are many words to describe Keke Palmer, but since becoming a mother, she’d say she’s strong. Speaking to WSJ. Magazine‘s My Monday Morning, she says, “I can figure out anything … the kind of skills you learn to have being a mother—ain’t nothing that big of a deal.”

Keke welcomed her first child, son Leodis Andrellton Jackon, with boyfriend Darius Jackson in February. Her new schedule starts with breastfeeding her son at 4 or 5 a.m. and proceeds with pumping, checking emails and looking over her schedule to see how she’ll manage the day and her many projects, which include her Big Boss short film and documentary.

“Putting it all together was very therapeutic,” she says of working on Big Boss. “I was able to look at myself a little bit more objectively — what I went through and own all those things are a part of what I had to experience in order to grow and learn.”

Other forms of therapy or self-care on Keke’s regimen include watching old scripted and reality television shows, getting a message, doing yoga, meditating or taking a bath.

With a number of projects now under belt, Keke’s worked with a slew of celebrities, including Queen Latifah, Kevin Hart and Tyler Perry, whom she has the privilege of calling her mentors. She says the best advice she’s received thus far is to “just to keep going.”

“I’ve heard it from Samuel Jackson, from Ralph Farquhar, from a lot of different people throughout my career,” she says. “With this industry, it’s a marathon not a race. You’re not always going to be the most trending, popular person, but keep going and keep working and learning and acquiring new skills. That’s the win—to be able to make this a lasting career.”