When sitting down with The Hollywood Reporter, the 29-year-old actress/producer recalls the moment she fainted during a week-long cruise in 2009 because she was tired of signing autographs.
- November 18, 2022
AceShowbiz - Being famous is not always fun, at least for Keke Palmer. When reflecting on her rise to stardom thanks to her role on "True Jackson, VP", the actress likened Nickelodeon fame to "walking around in a SpongeBob suit" because she felt like she was trapped.
The 29-year-old shared her story when speaking to The Hollywood Reporter. In the interview, she recalled the moment she was on a week-long cruise in 2009 with her family. The former child star said Nickelodeon paid for the trip under the condition that she spent a few hours signing autographs.
"I felt like I was walking around in a SpongeBob suit that I couldn't take off. I was trapped," she told the publication. "I couldn't leave my room without someone coming up to me calling me 'True Jackson.' "
"What you are, to everyone, is just a character…just part of their experience," Keke dissed. She went on to note that she eventually fainted from anxiety during the vacation.
It took Keke a huge effort to build a public persona to withstand the effects of fame following the show. "I'm just saying that I'm not like that all the time," she elaborated. "I've taken those flamboyant and interesting aspects of myself and learned how to use them in a space that has become a career for me. I'm Walt Disney. That's Mickey Mouse."
The "Alice" leading lady further emphasized that there's more to her than just her public personality. "I'm a quirky artist, but I'm an artist, and it's important for people to understand that Keke is just a part of who I am," she stated. "It's been a winding road of trying to figure out how to do what I love but also exist outside of this caricature."
