Keke Palmer reveals why pregnancy isn’t as ‘dramatic’ as she expected

Keke Palmer is speaking out about her pregnancy and why it hasn’t been as “dramatic” as she expected it to be.

The actor opened up about becoming a first-time parent during a recent interview with Vanity Fair, where she appeared on the cover of the magazine’s 2023 Hollywood Issue. Palmer first announced that she was expecting a child with boyfriend Darius Jackson in December while hosting Saturday Night Live.

Speaking to Vanity Fair, Palmer shared how “happy” she was about her child’s TV debut before describing why her pregnancy journey isn’t as scary as she expected.

“Pregnancy is a road,” the Nope star said. “I remember my doctor saying: ‘Pregnancy isn’t a disease. It’s a natural thing! You don’t have to feel like you’re walking on eggshells.’ I honestly feel like the same old me [at] six months along. I really expected something so dramatic.”

She went on to poke fun at her pregnancy, adding: “I have something that’s moving around in there every now and then. That part is creepy sometimes.”

On 3 December, Palmer started her monologue on SNL by addressing the speculation that she was expecting a child.

“There’s some rumours going around, people have been in my comments saying, ‘Keke’s having a baby, Keke’s pregnant’ and I want to set the record straight,” she began, before ripping open her jacket and declaring: “I am!”

Palmer told Vanity Fair that she chose to reveal her pregnancy on the late night show because “people were already commenting” about her being pregnant and she “knew it was going to be a thing to try and hide it”.

“I didn’t really know how to address it. It just felt like it was never the right time, and having a child is so private,” the Hustlers star added. “But I felt like I should probably let people know. You need a certain level of physicality to do SNL. It was so much fun to say it during my monologue. That’s something my kid can have forever.”

During an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon in January, Palmer seemingly revealed that she was having a boy.

“So my baby is either going to be a Pisces or an Aries,” she explained, which are the astrological signs for someone born between 19 February to 19 April. “So I just want to make sure I’m not too blunt for my baby boy.”

Two days later, she shared a video on Instagram of her fairytale-themed baby shower and confirmed her newborn’s gender; she mentioned her “baby boy” in the caption.

Elsewhere in her interview with Vanity Fair, she discussed how her partner, Jackson, has been by her side throughout the pregnancy: “Oh, man, I’ve had unbelievable support. It’s the first scenario for both of us and it’s been an incredibly fun ride.”

After praising Jackson for supporting her career, she also said how excited she is for them to become parents together.

“Ever since I met him, [he’s shown] a selflessness,” she continued. “Making sure that I’m not alone, making sure I have support. I think that’s all you can ask from anyone. And I’ve only ever really had that kind of support from my family—and it’s funny, because now we are family.”