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Keke Palmer Surprises ‘SNL’ Audience With Pregnancy Announcement

The Nickelodeon alum hosted the live show on Dec. 3 with SZA as the musical guest.

Ananya Panchal

Keke Palmer.

Keke Palmer.

Keke Palmer shared big news over the weekend. While the 29-year-old was once the vice president of a fictional fashion empire on Nickelodeon’s True Jackson, VP, she’s now getting ready to take on a new role: mom.

Palmer broke the news during her opening monologue as the host of the Dec. 3 Saturday Night Live episode starring musical guest SZA.

“I’m especially glad to be here, though, because there [have been] some rumors 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 said, opening her brown trench coat to reveal her baby bump. “I am.”

The audience erupted in cheers.

"I gotta say, though, it is bad when people spread rumors on the internet about you, but it’s even worse when they’re correct,” she continued.

Palmer explained that she tried to keep the news on the "down low" for a while because of some brand deals, including an upcoming liquor sponsorship.

“Once the check clears we can get to the damn baby shower,” she joked.

It was a big week for Palmer, who on Friday, Dec. 2, was named Best Supporting Actress by the New York Film Critics Circle for her role in Jordan Peele’s Nope. This puts her front and center for consideration for the upcoming awards slate. (The Golden Globes nominations will be released on Dec. 12 while the Academy Awards noms will be announced on Jan. 24.)

“This has been the biggest blessing... I’m going to be a mom,” she added. “Y’all know I‘m the same person I’ve always been and I’m proud of that.”

Palmer admitted that some people feel weird about her having a baby because she was a child actor—but that’s not her problem.

“When I first got into comedy and I dreamed of standing on this stage, I asked myself, ‘Keke, who will you be? Will you be like a Maya Rudolph, Eddie Murphy, a Kristen Wiig type?’” she said. “And now that I’m here, I can tell you exactly who I am. Baby, I’m Keke Palmer.”

Palmer is expecting the baby with her boyfriend, fitness trainer and actor Darius Jackson. The two met in May 2021 and began publicly dating this past March.

“This is the happiest I’ve ever felt with someone,” she told Bustle about starting to share her relationship online. “So why would I go out of my way to hide this person? That’s a lot more work than just living in my life and being in my life.”

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