Keke Palmer speaks out after Twitter user suggests colorism impacted her career

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Keke Palmer addressed a tweet over the weekend that compared her to fellow actress Zendaya, and ignited a discussion over her career and popularity.

On Saturday, Aiyana N. Ishmael, an editorial assistant at Teen Vogue, tweeted her confusion over remarks about Palmer’s “breakout” success in Nope, Jordan Peele‘s latest directorial venture.

“It’s so interesting seeing the conversation around Keke Palmer having her breakout or superstar moment and it’s wild we live in different worlds because in my household Keke been a star for forever,” Ishmael wrote. “Akeelah & The Bee was my dad’s favorite movie it went triple platinum in my home.”

Another Twitter user then quoted Ishmael’s tweet, writing, “I’d like someone to do a deep-drive [sic] on the similarities and differences between Keke Palmer and Zendaya’s careers. This may be one of the clearest examples of how colorism plays out in Hollywood. They were both child-stars, but their mainstream popularity is very different.”

On Sunday, Palmer addressed the latter tweet on Twitter.

Without mentioning Euphoria and Spider-Man star Zendaya, Palmer gave a brief summary of her own numerous film credits and career achievements, adding that she had “been a leading lady” since childhood.

“A great example of colorism is to believe I can be compared to anyone,” she wrote. “I’m the youngest talk show host ever. The first Black woman to star in her own show on Nickelodeon, & the youngest & first Black Cinderella on broadway. I’m an incomparable talent. Baby, THIS, is Keke Palmer.”

“I’ve been a leading lady since I was 11 years old,” she continued. “I have 100+ credits, and currently starring in an original screenplay that’s the number one film at the box office #NOPE. I’ve had a blessed career thus far, I couldn’t ask for more but God continues to surprise me.”

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