KeKe Palmer continues to put the pervasive pervs in entertainment on blast, saying the music industry is overdue for its #MeToo Movement.
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The super talent sat down with People Magazine on Friday to discuss her new album “Big Boss,” the film based on her life in the entertainment industry. She also advocated for a #MeToo Movement in the music industry, declaring it “hasn’t happened in music, and it should.”
Keke Palmer Reflects On Corruption In The Music Industry Covering Up Rampant Abuse: “It’s Like… Everybody’s A Crooked Cop”
#MeToo highlights sexual harassment and abuse that millions of victims often suffer in silence. The movement made headlines for calling out the most powerful people in Hollywood for sexual misconduct with colleagues and employees.
Keke joined #MeToo the same year it grew to prominence following Trey Songz’s alleged sexual intimidation against her at a house party. Unfortunately, it was one of many sexually aggressive incidents she’s experienced in the music industry.
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“Bad sh*t happens in all industries, obviously, but specifically entertainment,” the 29-year-old said, who began acting when she was a child. The singer added, “We know bad things happen in all of them, but it’s almost like the acting world represents a union and the music industry represents non-union.”
“It’s happening in the actor world but eventually, it’s going to come to a damn halt,” the Chicago native predicts. “Somebody’s going to get called out. Something’s going to happen. At some point, we’re going to come to some kind of understanding. With music, it’s like everybody is being paid, and everybody’s a crooked cop. So, it seems like nothing will ever really come to a head.”
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The tv host said she learned to advocate for herself over time because of these encounters.
“Sad thing is that you learn these things from being in bad situations. It almost feels like it’s a coming-of-age story for a woman,” the new mom said.
“Being a woman is like, ‘Damn, the biggest mistake you can make is trusting somebody.’ Damn, I just shouldn’t have trusted someone?” she told the publication. “I wish that there was more that we could do, but it seems like we can’t even really expect for people to respect our boundaries.”
Between Pervasive Predators And Victim-Blaming, Keke Palmer Considers Leaving Entertainment “All The Time
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When Keke went public with the harassment she experienced with Songz, naysayers questioned her actions, “When all that stuff went down, people kept saying, ‘Oh, well why did she do this?’” she said. “Well, because I thought I could trust this person, and that’s the unfortunate thing.
Cousin Keke says she considers leaving the industry to avoid the harassment “…all the time. All the time I’ve thought about stepping away and somehow would find myself back again.”
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She protects herself now by navigating social situations differently. Unfortunately, that means not being as free as she once was.
“Now, my best way of coping is to just not go places alone, not really let my hair down, not really get too comfortable,” she said.
“I mean, I’ve had to do so much preventative s— because I can’t trust people to behave. It’s like, ‘Damn. I didn’t know I couldn’t do this until this happened. Damn, now I’ve got to be more careful. Wow.’ It’s this very heavy weight.”
The #MeToo Movement jumped off after multiple women alleged former film producer Harvey Weinstein sexually harassed or assaulted them. He was subsequently convicted and sentenced to a total of 39 years behind bars for his sex crimes.
Keke using her voice to call out sexual misconduct is game-changing bravery. Hopefully, it will inspire other women to sing their truth about predators in the music industry.
