Lauren Keyana "Keke" Palmer (/ˈkiːki/ KEE-kee;[1] born August 26, 1993) is an American actress, singer, and television personality.

Palmer transitioned to mainstream roles with the VH1 biographical film CrazySexyCool: The TLC Story (2013), and afterwards made her Broadway debut as Ella in Rodgers + Hammerstein's Cinderella (2014–2015).

[9][10] Her parents, Sharon and Lawrence "Larry" Palmer, who met in drama school, had both worked as professional actors before settling into full-time jobs.

That same year, producer Ralph Farquhar helped Palmer book the starring role in a Disney Channel pilot titled Keke and Jamal.

[37] Palmer then recurred during the second season of Showtime's drama series Masters of Sex, portraying Coral, a nanny.

[42] Between September 2015 and December 2016, she starred as Zayday Williams in the horror comedy series Scream Queens, created by Ryan Murphy.

[44] Rolling Stone's Brittany Spanos regarded Palmer's performance "a standout" and highlighted her "assertiveness, confidence and biting sense of humor".

[45] In June, Palmer released Waited to Exhale, an album she wrote during her time on True Jackson, VP that went unreleased due to label issues and her "anxiety-driven hesitance".

[53] In September, Palmer starred as a "lovestruck stripper" in the crime drama film Hustlers, directed by Lorene Scafaria.

[58] Palmer later received a Daytime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Entertainment Talk Show Host alongside Haines and Strahan.

[59] That same year, Palmer began starring in a web television comedy series titled Turnt Up with the Taylors, in which she portrays all of the characters.

[64] The following year, Palmer won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Actress in a Short Form Comedy or Drama Series for her performance in Turnt Up with the Taylors.

[65] Later in the same year, Palmer briefly hosted a reboot of the classic 90's MTV dating show Singled Out with Joel Kim Booster as her co-host for the short-lived online streaming service network Quibi.

In 2022, Palmer starred in Alice, directed by Krystin Ver Linden, which had its world premiere at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival.

[66] She served as narrator on Not So Pretty, a documentary investigating the beauty industry directed by Kirby Dick and Amy Ziering for HBO Max.

[69] In August 2022, Palmer debuted as host of an NBC reboot of the game show Password, with Jimmy Fallon as executive producer/permanent celebrity guest.

[71] On February 9, 2023, it was announced that Palmer was set to star alongside Sacha Baron Cohen in the David O. Russell film Super Toys.

[75][76] On June 1, 2024 Keke Palmer started a new singing girl group by the name of DivaGurl, similar to The Pussycat Dolls where Nicole Scherzinger is the lead singer.

[81][82] Palmer works with the Boys' and Girls' Clubs of the American charity Cool To Be Smart program, speaking to children about the importance of learning.

[87] Palmer was included in Time's 100 Next list in November 2019,[88] which "spotlights 100 rising stars who are shaping the future of business, entertainment, sports, politics, science, health and more.

"[89] Palmer's first studio album, So Uncool, was heavily influenced by contemporary R&B, being described as "bright, bouncy, and melodic enough to appeal to teens and pre-teens.

[91][failed verification] Among her urban influences, Palmer also cites pop artists Gwen Stefani and Avril Lavigne.

[99] In an interview with People magazine in 2024, Palmer disclosed that she was molested as a child and did not realize it until she read a book about sexual abuse.

[100] Palmer spoke publicly about her turbulent relationship with singer Trey Songz after he allegedly tricked her into being in a music video while at a party in 2017.

Palmer accused the singer of "sexual intimidation," disclosing that she hid in a closet to avoid being filmed and berated by Songz, only to later realize that he and his friends had recorded her without prior knowledge or consent.