You know “yo’ girrrrrrl” Keke Palmer keeps it real, and now she’s setting the record straight on a comment she made about being “asexual that fans may have taken her a littleeee too seriously.
Earlier this year, Palmer said she was “100% sure” she was “asexual” after sharing a candid Valentine’s Day recap. But during an Aug. 27 appearance on Tea Time, the podcast hosted by Raven-Symoné and her wife, Miranda Pearman-Maday, Palmer explained that her comment wasn’t meant to be taken literally.
Keke Palmer clarifies she’s not “asexual” but not as sexual as she would like to be.
What was she really trying to say? She simply doesn’t feel as sexual as she thinks the world expects her to be.
At the 13:16 mark, Palmer cleared up the confusion surrounding her previous “asexual” remark.
“When I said that I was totally joking. No shade to asexuals out there. What I was ultimately saying was that I don’t feel as sexual as the world is saying is normal. And maybe that is asexual, I don’t know, it’s like, I’m not that sexual.”
The Nope actress went on to get candid about how she reacts to “sexual stuff” online, admitting that it can leave her wondering why she doesn’t feel the same spark.
“What’s wrong with me? Has that never been triggered?” she recalled thinking.
Hit the flip to find out what really gets Keke Palmer fired up sexually.
Keke Palmer says mental stimulation is what really does it for her.
For Palmer, it appears the quickest route to attraction isn’t necessarily through looks; it’s through conversation. She explained to the Tea Time hosts that when something sensual does catch her attention, it’s usually connected to mental stimulation.
Naturally, Raven-Symoné wanted to know exactly what tickles Palmer’s fancy. Is it a conversation, “a sick a** body,” or “a certain kind of person”?
“It’s the convo,” Palmer blushed.
Palmer explained that a good mental connection can slowly unlock a more sensual side of her.
“I could talk to somebody when I feel that we have a vibe, then I feel that side of me that can be sensual start to say, ‘Maybe I could, maybe this could happen here,’” she explained. “But I’m naturally kind of like awkward in that scenario, like, because sex can be so performative… I don’t want that. To find your sexual personality or vibe, it seems especially as I’ve gotten older, such a task.”
In other words, Palmer isn’t exactly looking for a random spark — she wants the conversation to spark first.
Calling her attraction “all mental,” Palmer said that once the intellectual connection disappears, her sexual interest goes with it.
“Once the relationship is mentally not stimulating and things become crashing down, I don’t feel sexual. I see you as an inanimate object. Like, I’m not connected.”
And while she can understand the appeal of “casual sex,” Palmer said she personally has a hard time wrapping her head around being intimate with someone who doesn’t mentally “stimulate” her in some way.
“Sometimes people don’t care and they just can get their rocks off. I live for that for them,” she added.
Miranda then asked what Palmer would need from a partner to break through that barrier. The former child star explained that vulnerability itself isn’t necessarily her problem — intimacy is a different story.
“There is a version of me that’s very, very vulnerable, but when it comes to maybe these other interpersonal things, I think there could maybe be some difficulty there because I haven’t had a lot of work with it,” she said. “You know, I grew up in front of the camera, so my vulnerability was on the scale of the masses. It was public vulnerability. I’m really easy for me to put myself on the line in front of a bunch of people because I have that relationship that I’ve worked with for years.”
Palmer also got surprisingly vulnerable about how difficult it can be to form meaningful relationships, romantic or otherwise.
“I don’t wanna make this sound sad, but I get just hopeless in terms of like how to make genuine connections,” she admitted. “Whether they’re romantic or platonic, you know, how to not feel that it’s safer just being alone.”
Keke Palmer and Hot Ones host Sean Evans sparked romance rumors earlier this year.
Of course, Palmer’s comments about attraction come amid plenty of speculation about her own dating life.
Back in February, the actress said she had “no interest” in dating “anyone.” But then came Sean Evans, their epic kiss on Hot Ones and, naturally, a whole lot of internet detective work.
Palmer and Evans sparked romance rumors after she kissed the Hot Ones host during her record-breaking third appearance on the digital series in September.
The pair had already been on fans’ radar. In 2023, Evans admitted he had a crush on Palmer during an appearance on Chicken Shop Date, calling her a “very charming woman.”
Then, on June 12, Palmer and Evans were spotted grabbing dinner together, sending the rumor mill into overdrive once again.
Palmer eventually addressed the speculation on June 23 while appearing at Cannes Lions. During Spotify’s Conversations That Channel Culture panel, host Jay Shetty asked her if she was “serious about Sean Evans,” according to Page Six.
When Shetty brought up the viral photos of the pair dining together in Brooklyn, Palmer confirmed they’ve been spending time together — but made it clear there’s no need to put a label on anything just yet.
“We’re hanging out,” she said, adding that they “never know what could arise.” “[We’re] just tak[ing] it day by day, one wing at a time, so to speak,” Keke clarified.
What do you think about Keke Palmer’s comments? Thoughts?
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