UK R&B artist kwn has apologised to Keke Palmer after facing criticism online over comments she made about previously naming the actress as her celebrity crush.

During an earlier interview with Angie Martinez, kwn named Palmer as her celebrity crush and described her as funny, sweet and pretty. However, when the subject resurfaced during a recent Complex News interview, the singer said her original answer had been “kind of a joke” and explained that her team had suggested Palmer as a “safe answer”. She later named Euphoria actress Alexa Demie as her actual celebrity crush.

The comments prompted mixed reactions online, with some social media users questioning the wording used when Palmer was described as a “safe answer” and the subsequent characterisation of the original response as a “joke”. Others discussed the exchange within wider conversations about how Black women are spoken about and represented.

kwn has since addressed the backlash and said she privately apologised to Palmer. She acknowledged that describing the original answer as a “joke” was the wrong choice of words and took responsibility for how it came across.

The singer further explained that at the time of the original interview, the person she actually wanted to name was someone she wished to keep private. She stressed that Palmer herself was never intended to be the subject of the joke and reiterated that she considers the actress a beautiful woman.

Palmer has not publicly addressed kwn’s apology.

YEEEAAH! Network Team
Latest posts by YEEEAAH! Network Team (see all)