After more than two decades in the entertainment industry, Keke Palmer is getting real about her experience.
While talking with People magazine, in an interview published online Friday, about her new album Big Boss and its self-written accompanying film, which follows her journey within the music industry, the Nope actress said the #MeToo Movement “hasn’t happened in music, and it should.”
“Bad shit happens in all industries, obviously, but specifically entertainment,” Palmer, who has been in Hollywood for more than two decades, added. “We know bad things happen in all of them, but it’s almost like the acting world represents a union and the music industry represents non-union.”
The #MeToo movement, which brings awareness to sexual harassment and abuse in the workplace, grew to prominence in 2017 following multiple allegations of sexual harassment and abuse against former movie mogul Harvey Weinstein. He was later convicted in a New York and Los Angeles trial.
“It’s happening in the actor world but eventually, it’s going to come to a damn halt,” the singer said. “Somebody’s going to get called out. Something’s going to happen. At some point, we’re going to come to some kind of understanding. With music, it’s like everybody is being paid, and everybody’s a crooked cop. So, it seems like nothing will ever really come to a head.”
When discussing her personal experiences in the industry, Palmer said she has learned to stand up for herself over time, but that the “sad thing is that you learn these things from being in bad situations. It almost feels like it’s a coming-of-age story for a woman.”
“Being a woman is like, ‘Damn, the biggest mistake you can make is trusting somebody.’ Damn, I just shouldn’t have trusted someone?” she told the outlet. “I wish that there was more that we could do, but it seems like we can’t even really expect for people to respect our boundaries.”
When asked if she’s ever considered moving away from the music industry, given all the setbacks, she said, “Yeah, all the time. All the time I’ve thought about stepping away and somehow would find myself back again.”
