Keke Palmer Addresses Comparison To Zendaya & Colorism: 'An Incomparable Talent'

Keke Palmer is setting the record straight about her career. The actress has been in the news lately with the premiere of her most recent project, Jordan Peele's "Nope."

Palmer is one of the main stars on cast and she has even been projected to be worthy of an Emmy nod for her impressive performance in the horror film.

However, with her face all over the news from interviews and promotional appearances, some fans kickstarted a conversation on Twitter, comparing her to Zendaya, a fellow Africa-American actress and child star.

Many suggested that Palmer was just getting her big break, even though she and Zendaya were both child stars with similar early careers.

The root of the conversation can be traced back to editor Aiyana Ishmael who took to Twitter to share her thoughts on the ongoing conversation.

Ishmael opened up about how she felt about people framing the "True Jackson VP" star' as though her was in the backseat all these years and she was just getting recognized for her talent.

"It’s so interesting seeing the conversation around Keke Palmer having her breakout or superstar moment and it’s wild we live in different worlds because in my household Keke been a star for forever Akeelah & The Bee was my dad’s favorite movie it went triple platinum in my home," Aiyana wrote.

In subsequent tweets, she mentioned movies like Nickelodeon's "Rags" and "Joyful Noise" as one of the Illinois native's critically acclaimed projects.

Many Twitter netizens seemed to agree with Ishmael, noting that Palmer has been "booked and busy" since her younger days and continues to do exploits with her talent.

However, one user with the handle @NBAgladiator brought up the topic of comparing Zendaya's mainstream appeal to that of Palmer.

The user wrote, "I'd like someone to do a deep-drive on the similarities and differences between Keke Palmer and Zendaya's careers. This may be one of the clearest examples of how colorism plays out in Hollywood."

The fan continued, "They were both child-stars, but their mainstream popularity is very different." The user explained that both Zendaya and Palmer are strong Virgo queens with Emmys to their names, albeit in different categories.

The "Akeelah and the Bee" star has won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Actress in a Short Form Comedy or Drama Serie for her show, "Keke Palmer's Turnt Up with the Taylors." Palmer also has a Daytime Emmy nomination to her name for Outstanding Entertainment Talk Show Host for the talk show "GMA3: Strahan, Sara and Keke."

On the other hand, Zendaya has one Emmy to her name for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama for her role in Euphoria. For the recently released 2022 Emmy nominations, the "Dune" actress earned threw nominations.

The Twitter user @NBAgladiator wondered about the difference in their careers, writing, "Keke Palmer has done sooo much throughout her career, yet ppl are saying #NopeMovie. is her breakout role? #Euphoria is what is considered Zendaya's breakout role, but that makes sense."

It is also worthy to note that Palmer has a net worth of $7.5 to $8 million while Zendaya's is between $15 million to $20 million.

Amid the heated online discussion, Palmer wasted no time in clearing the air about the comparison via a series of tweets. She made sure to list her impressive achievements while not putting Zendaya down.

"A great example of colorism is to believe I can be compared to anyone. I’m the youngest talk show host ever," she began. "The first Black woman to star in her own show on Nickelodeon, & the youngest & first Black Cinderella on broadway. I’m an incomparable talent. Baby, THIS, is Keke Palmer."

The 28-year-old powerfully tooted her horn, writing, "I’ve been a leading lady since I was 11 years old. I have over 100+ credits, and currently starring in an original screenplay that’s the number one film at the box office #NOPE. I’ve had a blessed career thus far, I couldn’t ask for more but God continues to surprise me.🥳 ❤️ 🙏🏾."

Palmer has indeed shared her thoughts on the topic, sending a strong message to those who would even think of comparing her.