As a rising star in Hollywood, Keke Palmer has made a name for herself with standout roles in films like “Hustlers” and the recent blockbuster “Nope.” But the journey hasn’t always been smooth, as Palmer reveals in her new memoir, “Master of Me: The Secret to Controlling Your Narrative.”
In the book, Palmer opens up about some racially charged and tense moments she experienced while filming the Fox horror-comedy series “Scream Queens” alongside co-creator Ryan Murphy.
During her time on the show, Palmer recalls a disturbing incident with one of her white co-stars, whom she refers to as “Brenda” in the book. Palmer says that while she was trying to help resolve a conflict on set, Brenda made a shocking remark, telling her, “Keke, literally, just don’t. Who do you think you are? Martin f—ing Luther King?”
“It was such a weighted thing that she said, but I didn’t allow that weight to be projected on me, because I know who I am,” Palmer told the Los Angeles Times. “I’m no victim. That’s not my storyline, sweetie. I don’t care what she said. If I allow her words to cripple me, then she will do the same.
Rather than let the offensive comment bring her down, Palmer chose to rise above it. In her memoir, Palmer writes, “I’m still not sure Ryan cared, or got it, but that’s okay because he was just centering his business, which isn’t a problem to me.”
But the tensions with Murphy himself were even more palpable. Palmer describes an incident where she had arranged another business obligation for one of her days off from filming “Scream Queens.” However, when that day came, production called her in to work, and she decided to honor her prior commitment.
This decision led to an explosive phone call with Murphy, who, according to Palmer, “ripped” into her and accused her of being unprofessional. “It was kind of like I was in the dean’s office,” Palmer told the LA Times. “He was like, ‘I’ve never seen you behave like this. I can’t believe that you, out of all people, would do something like this.'”
Palmer apologized for the scheduling conflict, thinking that would be the end of it. But a few days later, a co-star informed her that Murphy was still visibly upset about the incident.
“I said, ‘Ryan talked to me, and I guess he’s cool, it’s fine,’ and she was like, ‘It’s bad,’ trying to make me scared or something, which was a little irritating,” Palmer recalled. Palmer wondered if the experience had damaged her relationship with Murphy, who frequently collaborates with the same group of actors.
“I’m still not sure Ryan cared, or got it, and that’s okay because he was just centering his business, which isn’t a problem to me,” Palmer writes. “But what I do know is that even if he didn’t care, and even if I never work with him again, he knows that I, too, see myself as a business.”
Despite the challenges, Palmer has emerged from her “Scream Queens” experience with a deeper understanding of her worth and the importance of standing up for herself. Her memoir serves as a testament to her resilience and determination to control her own narrative in an industry that doesn’t always make that easy. As Palmer puts it, “Even if I never work with Ryan Murphy again, he knows that I, too, see myself as a business.”