Keke Palmer’s past resurfaces amid backlash over Jonathan Majors podcast interview

By Fatou Ferraro Mboup

Published Apr 3, 2025 at 02:59 PM

Reading time: 2 minutes

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In 2023 Jonathan Majors, once at the peak of his career having played ‘Kang the Conqueror’ in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, was found guilty of assaulting and harassing his ex-partner, Grace Jabbari. Majors had maintained his innocence throughout, stating that he was “not responsible for any of her injuries.” Now, two years on, Keke Palmer is facing criticism for interviewing him on her podcast, Baby, This Is Keke Palmer, where the pair dive into the complicated themes of accountability and forgiveness.

Recently, Majors has been back in the public eye, especially with the release of his recent film Magazine Dreams. The actor even appeared on the cover of Hollywood Reporter, where he spoke about the “heartbreak” he’s experienced since the trial.

However, shortly after this, an audio recording leaked in which Majors seemingly admitted to strangling Jabbari. In response to this revelation, the actor said, “I’m living life. I’m surrounded by loved ones and family.”

Given this context, it came as a surprise to many when Palmer chose to interview Majors on her podcast. The interview, already available to Wondery+ subscribers and set for public release on 8 April 2025, promises to explore the emotional complexities of Majors’ situation. However, some are questioning whether Palmer will hold him accountable, or if the conversation will sidestep the more difficult issues surrounding his past actions.

Netizens couldn’t stop thinking about Palmer’s own troubling past with domestic violence, especially given her history as a survivor of abuse.

So much so, that a video from Palmer defending R. Kelly back in 2016 resurfaced, sparking even more debate about the actress’ credibility and stance on accountability.

A resurfaced clip of Keke Palmer defending R-Kelly on The Breakfast Club in 2016
byu/somegirlontheinter inpopculturechat

The episode description reads: “Accountability. It’s a loaded word, right? We’re living in a time where we want real accountability—especially for things men have gotten away with for far too long. At the same time, finding forgiveness feels harder than ever, and we’re still figuring out what true accountability even looks like.”

It is an ominous description that does not clarify whether Palmer will press Majors on the accusations against him, or reflect on her controversies.

So, what do you think? Will the interview be a legitimate moment of real acknowledgement of one’s mistakes or just another soft pass?

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