Keke Palmer is ready for the #MeToo Movement to unveil perpetrators of sexual harassment and more in the music industry.
“It hasn’t happened in music, and it should. Bad s**t happens in all industries, obviously, but specifically entertainment,” she recently told People. The social movement was founded by Tarana Burke in 2006 but grew to prominence around 2017 when Hollywood executive Harvey Weinstein faced mounting claims of sexual misconduct that spanned back to the 1990s.
“We know bad things happen in all of them, but it’s almost like the acting world represents a union, and the music industry represents nonunion,” said Palmer. “It’s happening in the actor world, but eventually, it’s going to come to a d**n halt. Somebody’s going to get called out. Something’s going to happen. At some point, we’re going to come to some kind of understanding. With music, it’s like everybody is being paid, and everybody’s a crooked cop. So, it seems like nothing will ever really come to a head.”
The actress has had more than her fair share of worrisome moments with her male industry peers, some of which she addressed publicly in past interviews. And now, in her directorial debut, Big Boss, a 40-minute film that accompanies her new album of the same name, she shares yet another undesirable encounter.
In the visuals, she shows a scene where a fictional artist explains that he only collaborates with female artists who are willing to exchange sexual favors. Palmer, 29, recently told the publication that the cinematic moment was based on a real-life experience she had. “As far as being in an uncomfortable situation as a woman, where I’m either being sexually harassed, intimidated, or just being made uncomfortable in a space that’s dominated mostly by men, those are very real people, and that’s a very real, accurate situation. And there are countless others,” she explained.
The KeyTV founder has been making music and films since she was a kid, and by trial and error, she admitted that she has learned the hard way not to trust very many people. In a way, she said that Big Boss is her testimony, showing how she has managed to survive and build a thriving career despite misogyny and other obstacles.
“Being a woman is like, ‘D**n, the biggest mistake you can make is trusting somebody.’ … I wish that there was more that we could do, but it seems like we can’t even really expect for people to respect our boundaries. Now, my best way of coping is to just not go places alone, not really let my hair down, not really get too comfortable,” explained the multifaceted talent.
She noted that she now goes through various preventative measures to ensure her safety and comfort. “The sad thing is that you learn these things from being in bad situations,” added the actress. Big Boss, the album, is available on all streaming platforms. The film can be viewed on KeyTV and on YouTube.