Keke Palmer is setting the record straight on her relationship with โHot Onesโ host and co-creator Sean Evans.
The pairโs chemistry has sparked headlines for years. Evans was a guest on her โBaby, This is Keke Palmerโ podcast in May, re-igniting conversation about their connection on social media. A few weeks later, they were spotted having dinner together.
โOur chemistry is genuine … I couldnโt force that if I tried,โ Palmer said July 27 on TODAY with Jenna & Sheinelle. โWe always felt that chemistry.โ
Things reached a fever pitch when the photo of them having dinner together made the rounds.
โItโs life. Essentially, we met at work. We had chemistry. Work husband, work wife. You just have that chemistry with people,โ Palmer said of the dinner. โThen, we hang out.โ
Palmer said the response to the photo, and to their perceived connection, has stunned her.
โI was gagged that everybody was ready to marry me off,โ she said. โGuys, let it cook! They married your girl off in two seconds!โ
In her words, fans โwrite the story quicker than you can live it.โ
Palmer said thereโs been no way to avoid the interest from the public.
โI see somebody at the airport. Iโm going through TSA. Theyโre like, โSo, girl, whatโs going on?โโ she said. โIโm like, โWell, girl, you gotta let time pass. This just happened yesterday.โ So itโs like this thing where, itโs so interesting. Itโs so parasocial, the world we live in now.โ
The โNopeโ actor is not averse to avoiding the dialogue that may exist around her online.
โI do look sometimes, especially because, first of all, I love pop culture, and I like to know whatโs going on,โ she said. โFor me, sometimes the internet can be similar to, thatโs like when Iโm waking up and Iโm watching yโall on the news. Itโs like sometimes you need to know, just so you can stay abreast.
โI donโt let it define the way that I think. If anything, Iโm always trying to contextualize things. A lot times I feel like people get that about me. You canโt just take everything at face value. You have to be critically thinking about everything you see.โ
Talk that Palmer and Evans were romantically involved began in November 2023 after he named Palmer when asked on Amelia Dimoldenbergโs โChicken Shop Dateโ if he ever had a crush on a guest. At that point, Palmer had appeared on โHot Onesโ in 2017 and 2021.
Rumors swirled more after Palmer returned to his show in September 2025 and the two kissed.
Last month, Palmer spoke about the relationship while on the panel for Spotifyโs Conversations That Channel Culture talk at Cannes Lions.
Podcast host Jay Shetty asked the actor if she was โserious about Sean Evans,โ according to People.
โFirst of all, I love Sean Evans โ I love Sean, hey Sean. Thatโs my guy … You never know what can arise from there. We just take it day by day. One wing at a time, so to speak,โ she added.