Will Smith’s Surprising Role In Keke Palmer’s Family Struggles

Keke Palmer received unexpected support from Will Smith during a challenging time with her parents.

The 31-year-old actress, best known for her breakout role in "Akeelah and the Bee," reflected on how navigating her sudden rise to fame created struggles for both her and her family. At one point, she considered pursuing emancipation from her parents and sought advice from her lawyer, who encouraged her to explore therapy as an alternative.

Then, one day, after she returned to work and checked her phone, she noticed an unread voicemail from the same number -- from none other than Will Smith.

On a recent episode of "The Toast" podcast, Keke Palmer delved into a surprising voicemail she received from Will Smith that profoundly impacted her during a difficult time. The episode is part of the press tour for her book, "Master of Me: The Secret to Controlling Your Narrative."

During the interview, the "Nope" star reflected on the challenges of navigating fame at a young age. "Couple of weeks go by and I'm on the set of 'True Jackson, VP,' and I get a call from this like really, really obscure number," she recalled. "And I'm like what? Like this is weird, I'm not answering this."

After returning to work, Palmer checked her phone and noticed a voicemail from the same unfamiliar number. To her astonishment, it was from Will Smith.

"Hey, Keke. It's Will. We're over here doing 'Karate Kid' with Jaden and I just want to let you know that I talked to [her lawyer]," Smith said in the voicemail, per Palmer. "He let me know everything you're going through, and I want you to know sometimes it's hard being the first, but you'll get through."

"Just keep staying focused, love on your family, and y'all gonna be good," Smith added.

Ultimately, Palmer chose not to pursue emancipation from her parents, crediting Will Smith’s phone call as a significant factor in her decision.

"It's something that happens when you're stepping out, and you could be a child entertainer, or you could be the first person in your family to go to college, or the first person in your family to get married," the actress said on the podcast. "There's so many firsts that can happen as the generations of your family continue to grow and evolve."

"And this was a difficult thing for me that I felt meant that I had to throw my family away," she continues. "I've always had, I think a lot of people — whether they're notable names or they're my attorney — that I had a good community, that also my parents made sure I was around, that would encourage community and not like dissension and us breaking apart."

On the podcast, she also spoke out about her rising fame as a child star, something she has previously opened up about, specifically after "Quiet On Set: The Dark Side Of Kids TV" premiered.

During her time starring in Nickelodeon’s "True Jackson VP," Keke Palmer experienced her first love in what she now describes as an “inappropriate” relationship with an older man. “I had a great time doing 'True Jackson VP,' but it was also a very stressful, difficult, depressive time,” she revealed in PEOPLE's cover story last month, explaining how the emotional toll of that relationship complicated her early career.

Palmer continued to reflect on her past relationship, revealing that she was only 15 years old when she dated someone who was 20.

"I was trying to balance between being really young, but also feeling quite mature," she said, though she did not name the man. "If I thought it was inappropriate, then I wouldn't have done it. Obviously, I shouldn’t have been 15 dating no 20-year-old, but in my mind it was like ‘I got a full-time job. Can’t nobody understand me but a grown man.’"

Palmer later added, "But he knew there was a lot of stuff that there's no damn way for me to understand at damn 15."

Palmer’s reflections come amid a surge of allegations against Nickelodeon, with several former cast and crew members accusing the network of misconduct. These accusations include serious claims against creator Dan Schneider and producer Brian Peck, who have been accused of fostering a toxic work environment and engaging in inappropriate behavior.

Schneider, in particular, has been criticized for alleged verbal abuse, favoritism, and creating a hostile atmosphere on set. Adding to the conversation, Palmer’s mother described the Schneider era as “cultish.”