Keke Palmer Recalls Ice Cube’s Advice at 14 on Navigating Hollywood: ‘Protect Yourself, Know Who You Are’ [Video]

Keke Palmer recently sat down with Shannon Sharpe on Club Shay Shay and shared an unforgettable moment with Ice Cube while filming their 2008 movie, The Long Shots.

During the interview, Keke recalled a time when she was just 14 years old and got life-changing advice from the actor/rapper that has stuck with her ever since.

“I was on the set of The Long Shots with Ice Cube. He was very cool, very chill,” Keke recalled. “He didn’t say too much – a man of few words. But very nice, and one day they were like, ‘Ice Cube wants to speak to you,’ and I’m like, ‘Okay…’ So they call me into a room and he’s like, way far distant from me and it’s some bodyguards there. And I’m [thinking], ‘What we about to talk about?’ You know?”

She continued, “And he’s like, ‘I just want to tell you, Keke. You’re a beautiful young lady, and I see how kind you are and how nice you are to everybody on the set.

“‘But I want you to know you’re growing into a young woman, and a lot of times the way that people see you – the way that these men see you on set – it’s not the way you see yourself. So protect yourself, be careful, and don’t let them take advantage of you. Know who you are and know what you have, so people can’t use it against you.’”

At the time, Keke didn’t fully grasp the weight of his words. “I didn’t understand it because I was like 14 at the time, and I said ‘Okay,’ and I walked out. But that stuck with me,” she said.

She added, “It was so important for him to say that to me. He’s a father; he’s someone who has seen a lot in this industry, especially with young entertainers. I always remember that, and I was always so grateful to him for that.”

Though she hasn’t seen Ice Cube since, Keke hopes to thank him someday.

“I would love to tell him that really stuck with me all these years and thank you for reminding me.”

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