Will Smith’s Shocking Function In Keke Palmer’s Household Struggles

The 31-year-old actress, finest recognized for her breakout position in “Akeelah and the Bee,” mirrored on how navigating her sudden rise to fame created struggles for each her and her household. At one level, she thought of pursuing emancipation from her dad and mom and sought recommendation from her lawyer, who inspired her to discover remedy instead.

Then, sooner or later, after she returned to work and checked her cellphone, she observed an unread voicemail from the identical quantity — from none apart from Will Smith.

On a current episode of “The Toast” podcast, Keke Palmer delved right into a shocking voicemail she acquired from Will Smith that profoundly impacted her throughout a troublesome time. The episode is a part of the press tour for her guide, “Grasp of Me: The Secret to Controlling Your Narrative.”

Through the interview, the “Nope” star mirrored on the challenges of navigating fame at a younger age. “Couple of weeks go by and I am on the set of ‘True Jackson, VP,’ and I get a name from this like actually, actually obscure quantity,” she recalled. “And I am like what? Like that is bizarre, I am not answering this.”

After returning to work, Palmer checked her cellphone and observed a voicemail from the identical unfamiliar quantity. To her astonishment, it was from Will Smith.

“Hey, Keke. It is Will. We’re over right here doing ‘Karate Child’ with Jaden and I simply need to let you already know that I talked to [her lawyer],” Smith stated within the voicemail, per Palmer. “He let me know every thing you are going by, and I would like you to know generally it is arduous being the primary, however you may get by.”

“Simply maintain staying centered, love on your loved ones, and y’all gonna be good,” Smith added.

Finally, Palmer selected to not pursue emancipation from her dad and mom, crediting Will Smith’s cellphone name as a major consider her choice.

“It is one thing that occurs whenever you’re stepping out, and you would be a toddler entertainer, or you would be the primary individual in your loved ones to go to school, or the primary individual in your loved ones to get married,” the actress stated on the podcast. “There’s so many firsts that may occur because the generations of your loved ones proceed to develop and evolve.”

“And this was a troublesome factor for me that I felt meant that I needed to throw my household away,” she continues. “I’ve all the time had, I feel lots of people — whether or not they’re notable names or they’re my lawyer — that I had an excellent group, that additionally my dad and mom made certain I used to be round, that will encourage group and never like dissension and us breaking up.”

On the podcast, she additionally spoke out about her rising fame as a toddler star, one thing she has beforehand opened up about, particularly after “Quiet On Set: The Darkish Aspect Of Youngsters TV” premiered.

Throughout her time starring in Nickelodeon’s “True Jackson VP,” Keke Palmer skilled her past love in what she now describes as an “inappropriate” relationship with an older man. “I had a good time doing ‘True Jackson VP,’ but it surely was additionally a really aggravating, troublesome, depressive time,” she revealed in PEOPLE‘s cowl story final month, explaining how the emotional toll of that relationship sophisticated her early profession.

“I used to be attempting to stability between being actually younger, but additionally feeling fairly mature,” she stated, although she didn’t identify the person. “If I believed it was inappropriate, then I would not have finished it. Clearly, I shouldn’t have been 15 relationship no 20-year-old, however in my thoughts it was like ‘I received a full-time job. Can’t no one perceive me however a grown man.’”

Palmer later added, “However he knew there was loads of stuff that there is no rattling manner for me to grasp at rattling 15.”

Palmer’s reflections come amid a surge of allegations in opposition to Nickelodeon, with a number of former forged and crew members accusing the community of misconduct. These accusations embody severe claims in opposition to creator Dan Schneider and producer Brian Peck, who’ve been accused of fostering a poisonous work atmosphere and interesting in inappropriate habits.

Schneider, particularly, has been criticized for alleged verbal abuse, favoritism, and making a hostile environment on set. Including to the dialog, Palmer’s mom described the Schneider period as “cultish.”