Keke Palmer opens up pressure growing up: "I hated my parents for a long time"

Keke Palmer shares her past resentment toward her parents, explaining the pressure and strain growing up in spotlight.

Keke Palmer recently opened up about her challenging relationship with her parents, revealing that she "hated" them for a period of time due to the immense pressure she felt growing up in the entertainment industry. In an interview with The Cut, Palmer, 30, revealed that the pressure to succeed for her community, her parents, and her siblings took a toll on her.

"There was so much pressure to rise to the occasion for my community, for my parents, for my siblings, for their sacrifices," Palmer shared, adding that it eventually led to feelings of resentment. "I hated my parents for a long time," she admitted.

Photo: Keke Palmer/Instagram

Palmer, the second of four children of Sharon and Larry Palmer, faced immense pressure after landing her breakout role in Akeelah and the Bee in 2006. This success was followed by her starring role in True Jackson, VP on Nickelodeon, which solidified her status as a child star and the primary breadwinner for her family.

Although Palmer's family never explicitly placed the pressure on her, she recognized the reality of her situation. "Because I’m the one that we all came here for," she explained.

The actress and singer, known for her roles in Akeelah and the Bee and Nope, explained that as a child star, she often felt overwhelmed by the expectations placed on her. "There was so much pressure," Palmer admitted, describing how her parents' strict approach to her career contributed to her feelings of resentment. She recalled how the constant demands and high standards led her to harbor negative emotions toward them for a long time.

Palmer has previously discussed the difficulties she faced during her rise to fame, including her relationship while starring in True Jackson, VP. Reflecting on her time on the show, she told PEOPLE that it was both rewarding and emotionally taxing. "I had a great time doing True Jackson, VP, but it was also a very stressful, difficult, depressive time," she recalled. Palmer also shared that, at the age of 15, she dated a 20-year-old while working on the show. "I was trying to balance between being really young, but also feeling quite mature. If I thought it was inappropriate, then I wouldn't have done it." However, Palmer acknowledged that she wasn’t mentally prepared to process what made the relationship appropriate.

Photo: Charles Norfleet/Getty Images

Now, Palmer has a more balanced view of her upbringing and credits her parents for helping her achieve her career goals.