SI LifeStyle

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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Ananya Panchal
ANANYA PANCHAL

Ananya Panchal is a writer on the Lifestyle and Trending News team for SI Swimsuit, where she covers fashion, beauty, pop culture and the internet’s favorite personalities and trends. She joined the brand in 2022 after roles at Bustle, the San Francisco Chronicle and the TODAY Show. Panchal loves to write about fashion in all its forms—from standout runway moments and evolving street style to the best accessories to elevate each season’s wardrobe (she rarely goes anywhere without a stack of jewelry and a coffee in hand). A self-proclaimed beauty fanatic, she’s always on the hunt for must-have products and loves breaking down viral trends. Her favorite series at the moment is spotlighting female founders and the stories behind the brands they’ve built—especially those shaping the future of fashion, wellness and tech. She is based between New York City and San Francisco and, when she’s not writing, can be found rewatching One Tree Hill, playing sudoku, trying new restaurants or ranking her favorite Disney Channel Original Movies. She holds a bachelor’s degree in communications and journalism with a minor in criminal justice from Boston University.

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