While hosting Saturday Night Live last month, Keke Palmer announced that she was pregnant. Recent comments on her Instagram posts speculated she was expecting, so Palmer confirmed the theories during her SNL skit.
Palmer stated that she wanted to “set the record straight” as she showed her pregnant belly to the SNL audience. In the skit, she described some of her history as an actor and her feelings surrounding the pregnancy while dressed in a long brown trench coat suit. As a part of her monologue, she said, “Honestly, this has been the biggest blessing. I’m going to be a mom.”
SNL viewers were supportive of Palmer’s announcement, and her confirmation excited a lot of people as the news spread through different media platforms and news outlets. Many users on Twitter specifically highlighted their excitement for Palmer. Her announcement inspired a lot of women, as she is someone who deals with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, or PCOS. This health condition can cause infertility or, at best, make those who have it struggle to become pregnant.
Fans who also struggle with the condition were happy for Palmer and shared her joy. PCOS even became a trending topic on Twitter. Glamour Magazine created an article on the excitement as well, in which the publication showcased the different tweets of women who shared their experiences with the condition.
Surrounding the news of Palmer’s pregnancy, one Twitter user said, “Knowing that Keke Palmer was able to get pregnant with having PCOS, gives me hope in knowing that I can have a baby myself.”
Palmer first shared her story about dealing with PCOS in 2020. She described how she experienced symptoms such as bad acne and facial hair but never knew what condition she had. She went to multiple doctors, tried different products and maintained a healthy diet, but she still couldn’t figure out what was going on with her body. Even her doctors couldn’t seem to give her a proper diagnosis. After finally learning that she was dealing with PCOS, she explained to the public how she could finally help herself and start a new journey.
Palmer has always been true to who she is and very transparent about her life. For example, in 2015, the celebrity shared that she doesn’t put labels on her sexuality and she’s just doing her own thing. Her confidence aids in her popularity as both an actor and an artist, and it helps inspire others to do the same. In an interview with Refinery29, Palmer talked about how she enjoys finding new versions of herself and trying different things, such as cutting or dying her hair and making overall lifestyle changes.
Given the joy surrounding her pregnancy, it is clear that Palmer is considered a non-controversial celebrity. She doesn’t have beef with other stars and is, for the most part, known to be a friendly and positive person.
This bright attitude has aided her in her long-lasting career. Palmer initially began acting at a young age, when she was first featured in “Barbershop 2” in 2004. While she’s remained active in the industry for almost 20 years, she is most remembered for her childhood projects. Palmer’s breakout role was in the film “Akeelah and the Bee,” and she was also featured on Nickelodeon’s “True Jackson VP.”
Due to her history as a child actor, Palmer mentioned in her SNL skit that some fans may find it weird that she’s pregnant. After all, people are used to seeing her in younger roles. She explained that she is a grown adult and has a partner, Darius Daulton Jackson. The two have been together since 2021 and are expecting their first child in 2023.
This news shocked many fans, as Palmer never revealed her ongoing relationship with Jackson, let alone her pregnancy. It seems as though she plans to continue to keep her growing family on a low-profile level. Even with the pregnancy finally announced, the public has yet to find out Palmer’s due date.
Palmer seems to be following the common trend of keeping celebrity children out of the spotlight. Kylie Jenner and Beyoncé are also known to keep their youngest children’s faces out of the tabloids and media. Rebel Wilson is another example of someone who recently gave birth, but kept the news of their pregnancy out of the spotlight.
The increasingly popular trend where celebrities (and even normal citizens) keep their children’s lives private serves to combat the dangers that the age of surveillance might have on a young child. There are many benefits for parents who choose not to post their children on social media platforms, the most obvious being avoiding the risk of dangers such as identity fraud and exposure to child predators. Celebrities also keep their children out of the spotlight because their kids can receive a lot of criticism and unwarranted negative comments from the public. As we get closer to Palmer’s due date, it’ll be interesting to see if she will continue to keep her life private, or if she will share the joy of her newborn child with the rest of the world.
