Usually we hear about celeb/fan encounters from the fan. There are a few types of celeb photo stories. There’s the “I asked them for a photo and they said yes because they were so nice” story. There’s the “I didn’t want to bother them because they were with their family but I did anyway and I asked for a photo and they said no but they were really nice” story. And there’s the “I asked them for a photo and they said no and they were a total dick about it” story. Most fan photo request stories are variations on those three, but very rarely does the fan ever describe their own behavior, only the celebrity’s. Well Keke Palmer is talking about a fan’s bad behavior when she was asked for a photo.
Keke was out at a bar recently and another patron asked her for a photo three times. Each of the three times, Keke politely declined, but the woman then filmed Keke against her will. Keke felt she couldn’t react because that would become the story — “star loses it on innocent fan who just wants a photo of her idol!” — so she just laughed it off. But later, Keke took to social media to tell the story and talk about her feelings on the topic.
Keke Palmer is opening up about an invasive encounter with a fan.
The actress and singer, 28, penned a set of statements on Twitter Saturday, detailing a recent interaction. Palmer said that a woman refused to accept that she did not want to take a picture with her numerous times.
“No means no, even when it doesn’t pertain to sex,” Palmer began her first tweet. “I was at the bar the other day and this girl asked me three times for a picture and I told her three times nicely that I did not want [to] take one with her.”
Palmer said that the woman then “still preceded to film me against my will,” as she noted in a follow-up message that she did not react to her, explaining, “If I went off on her I would’ve been wrong, so I just nervously laughed while my privacy was invaded upon.”
Palmer continued to write about the fan encounter in an Instagram post on Saturday, where she shared her two Twitter messages and added in the caption of that post that she was “still upset” about the moment.
“I hated that I smiled, but that is my defense mechanism to laugh or joke in an uncomfortable situation and it misleads people every time,” the Scream Queens star said.
“Literally I could be wanting to scream, and on the outside I’m still preforming [sic]. The fact that I tell people no at all is therapeutic progress for me [o]bvs,” Palmer continued.
The Emmy-winning star then said that “boundaries can sometimes be so difficult but when you people please or always try to avoid conflict, you let yourself down every time…”
“Goodluck to all those who also struggle with this from time to time. ♥️,” she added, before concluding her message with a plea for fans.
“If you ever want a picture with me and I say no, let’s just let that rock,” Palmer wrote.
In the comments section, Palmer was met with an outpouring of love and support from friends and fans alike.
“You handled that like the Queen you are!!” one user wrote as another said, “People are really out of order! Ughhh.”
Another added: “Yessss set your boundaries queen!!! 👏 it’s hard but soooo rewarding when you prioritize yourself over others.”
That “fan” is honestly so obnoxious. Imagine being told no once and then asking the same question two more times. That’s honestly embarrassing and thirsty. Was she really drunk and forgot she asked? Even so, that woman should not have filmed Keke against her will. Keke doesn’t give a reason for saying no, and honestly, she doesn’t have to. Sometimes you just don’t feel like taking a photo and want to fly under the radar. Despite all her success, I think Keke does still occupy that liminal space of fame where she’s recognizable, but most often in that “hm, where do I know her from” way and taking a bunch of photos with a random would blow up her spot. Or maybe she just wanted to have drinks in peace. This probably wasn’t a problem for her, but sometimes I don’t even like to take photos at the bar with my actual friends because I think I look like a total uggo and don’t want to immortalize that. Unfortunately, Keke was right not to react in the moment; that would have given the fan a “better story,” which was clearly what she wanted.
Having your boundaries violated like that completely sucks. I know, she’s a celebrity, etc, etc, but her whole life isn’t a performance. Keke is just as entitled to her personal space and downtime as the rest of us are. But unfortunately people feel ownership over celebrities and women in general. I still very clearly remember a time when I went shopping in the city with my friends when I was 15 and some creepy grown ass man with a video camera spotted and followed us for blocks, shamelessly recording me up and down with his video camera. (One of my friends told a patrol cop and he literally shrugged, thanks NYPD). He never even got that close to me or spoke to me, but even thinking about it now brings up those icky feelings of violation and lack of control over your own image. And that was just one time 17 years ago. Imagine having that happen to you, in varying degrees, all the time. I feel bad for Keke that she had to deal with that fan and I’m glad she called it out.
No means no, even when it doesn’t pertain to sex. I was at the bar the other day and this girl asked me three times for a picture and I told her three times nicely that I did not want take one with her. She still preceded to film me against my will..
— Keke Palmer (@KekePalmer) April 23, 2022
Photos credit: Avalon.red, Instar and via Instagram
I love her
I would love to be rich but I would HATE to be famous. I wouldn’t be able to bear the loss of privacy. I can see where Keke is coming from. Tbh I could even see where Mike Tyson was coming from on that airplane.
First of all, that green suit? Is EVERYTHING! Love, love, love!
I know they are celebrities, but they are also human beings. They do their work, and they should be allowed to have the private side of their lives too. They are not zoo animals. The feeling that fans are “owed” something just because they see them in public is not cool. I wish people would just chill out – celebrities don’t owe you a thing.
“No” is a complete sentence.
I do recognize her and cannot place her from anything So I think thats A fair assessment.
It is unfair to have your space and privacy invades. She seems sweet and not outrageously seeking attention so she should be able to enjoy her private life as she wishes.
i have never subscribed to the notion that just because someone is famous they owe you a pic or an autograph because you ‘made’ them. If they are movie stars or musicians, they laboriously made their films and albums and you paid for them to enjoy. Thank you very much, thats the exchange,anything extra is up to them.
Yeah I agree, if you paid for the movie, book, or album that is the end of your transaction. Your enjoyment is supposed to come from there, not the actor or writer/musician becoming part of ownership. I’ve run into quite a few celebrities filming movies or eating after concerts in Chicago and I’ve nodded to acknowledge that I knew who they were and kept it moving.
The IG account Deux Moi basically encourages people to take creep shots of celebrities and post where they have been but is also used by some celebrities for promotion. Which is similar to paparazzi photos- some are planned so brands can have their clothes tagged. No means no and the person who took the video was willfully violating a completely reasonable boundary, and it just sucks that taking photos of celebrities who don’t participate/aren’t participating in “candid” shots for promotion get hassled.
The article says she was met with an ‘outpouring of love’ in the comments but I read the thread on Twitter pretty soon after she posted and there were so many people being awful to her. Basically saying that if you become famous, that’s what you’ve signed up for – that you don’t have the right to want privacy at times. It was horrible to read.
I never believe “fans” when they say someone was rude when they said no for a photo. I’m sure plenty of celebrities are rude about it but I personally believe it’s rude to ask for the photo in the first place if it’s not at a premiere or work event for them. And especially when they are with their family. Too many people feel entitled to the people they are fans of. This whole “we are your fans, we made you” spiel is awful. You may be there fan but your aren’t entitled to anything other than their work.
And what even is that idea? If you saw a movie, listened to a song etc then what your are paying for is that experience, that’s it! No celebrity owes you anything beyond that. And some people will hassle anyone so they have content for their social media, it’s not like it’s actual “fans” approaching them half the time, it’s just a person who recognizes them.
Yes, fan entitlement is gross, whatever form it takes. Person asked, she say no, that should have been the end of it.
This fan was no better than the autograph hounds or paparazzi who target celebs and sling verbal abuse if the celeb doesn’t fulfill whatever demands they’re bellowing out. Just trying use a human being as an object for their own crass purposes.
And the thing is, every time something like this happens, it makes it less likely that the celeb will be at ease with fan interactions, casual chit chat in public.
AKA this is why we can’t have nice things
Intrusion on private lives is really getting out of hand. I feel for her. Everyone with a camera phone thinks they should be able to record people against their will (I understand cops but not in a situation where it’s just seeing a movie star in a restaurant).
I do the same thing giggling or laughing sometimes when I’m upset or embarrassed. It’s a way women are socialized not to offend I guess?
I agree with her. Fans should remember that celebrities are regular folks as well outside of their work. Her story made me feel anxious, picturing someone who deliberately films you after you say no. Some people need to learn about boundaries.