Keke Palmer is responding to rumors that Strahan, Sara & Keke—her daytime talk show on ABC alongside Michael Strahan and Sara Haines—was canceled due to the 26-year-old’s growing visibility in the activism space. Palmer took a screengrab of a meme about the situation and commented on it via Instagram.
“Ain’t it weird how Keke Palmer was seen protesting and preaching to the police about racism in our country, then ABC decides to cancel her show?” it said.
In the caption of her post, which was sent out on Sunday, Palmer wrote that society holds a belief that if a Black person speaks up about injustices, they are punished for it. However, that’s not the case in her situation. According to Page Six, Strahan, Sara & Keke’s last episode was filmed at Good Morning America’s Times Square location in March. It was initially replaced by “Pandemic: What You Need to Know,” a “daily coronavirus report” that has since evolved into “GMA 3: What You Need to Know.”
Palmer made headlines in June for speaking with a national guardsman at a Los Angeles protest, urging him to walk side-by-side with her and the other peaceful protesters in an act of solidarity. Judging by this timeline, the rumors of the show’s cancellation coinciding with Palmer’s viral activism do not match up.
She explains that by speaking out about the issues our country faces, she “showed the corporations [she] works with how important [her] voice is.” She also explained that the relationship she has with Disney/ABC News is not entirely dismantled just because her show was canceled.
“[Cancellation] does not mean the relationship I have with them dies, that means it evolves,” she wrote. “I want to speak out so that no one ever feels or thinks that speaking out will cost them their job...I’m sure it can and has before, but let’s also recognize when it has not.”
Palmer notes that she doesn’t like to discuss the business side of things because “it can seem a bit weird and gets quite technical,” but she acknowledges that she wasn’t signed to the show as a “series regular,” but as a brand working with a larger company. Nevertheless, her activism has not jeopardized her opportunities in the industry, and she will continue to use her voice to speak out.
“Trust me, walking in my truth has always made my blessings OVERFLOW and connect to those that are like-minded and not with those that are not,” Palmer continued in her post. “Do not believe this lie. Stay courageous and stay true because GOD HAS YOU ALWAYS.”