Keke Palmer Pulled Jonathan Majors Podcast Episode Because ‘People Felt It Was Insensitive'; Defends Interviewing Him: ‘I Don't Judge Nobody'
Keke Palmer recently appeared on 'The Breakfast Club' (via Entertainment Weekly) and explained why her podcast interview with Jonathan Majors was pulled before its online release. Majors was set to appear on an April episode of 'Baby, This Is Keke Palmer' during his press tour for 'Magazine Dreams.' The episode never dropped and Palmer put out an interview with rapper Kash Doll in its place, resulting in a lot of questions from fans.
'Obviously, Meagan is my girl,' Palmer said about Meagan Good, who married Majors this year. 'I've grown up loving her. She's honestly a mentor to me and a representation for all of us young Black women. I mean, I was happy for her to get married. I was excited to have the conversation.'
More from Variety
'One of Them Days' Sequel With Keke Palmer and SZA in the Works at TriStar (EXCLUSIVE)
Jonathan Majors on the Letter He Sent Marvel After Being Fired, the Conviction That Derailed His Career and Playing a Toxic Man in 'Magazine Dreams'
Keke Palmer Peacock Comedy 'The 'Burbs' Adds Haley Joel Osment, RJ Cyler, Justin Kirk and More (EXCLUSIVE)
'I'm here to be unbiased,' Palmer continued. 'You don't agree with everything they did, you don't love everything, but you got to have the conversation. You have to set the stage for them to speak and for people to watch and take what they want to take from it, so that's why I was open and excited to do the interview.'
Majors was convicted of assault and harassment in a 2023 domestic violence case involving ex-girlfriend Grace Jabbari. He was sentenced to probation and an intervention program. The release of 'Magazine Dreams' in late March marked an acting comeback.
Palmer said the team behind her podcast pulled the Majors episode 'based off of the reaction' of having Majors on as a guest, adding: 'People felt it was insensitive. I always want to be respectful and understand where everybody's coming from. If they're not going to feel like they're going to receive anything good from the interview, then okay, cool. But I sat down with the brother for us to talk and let him be heard. I mean, people sit down with serial killers.' 'I'm not comparing him to a serial killer,' Palmer continued. 'At the end of the day, I felt as a journalist, I'm supposed to talk and let the public decide how they want to feel. But that didn't get a chance to happen. I wish them all the best. I really want to say that because I don't judge nobody because I don't want to be judged. So at the end of the day, I'm happy for Meagan. I'm happy for them. Maybe one day, we get a chance to put [the podcast interview] out. I'm not sure.'
Majors was found guilty in December 2023, derailing an acting career that reached new heights earlier that year with major villain roles in 'Creed III' and 'Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.' Majors was all set up to be the new Thanos-like villain of the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Kang the Conquerer. Marvel parted ways with him after the verdict.
Best of Variety
New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week
'Harry Potter' TV Show Cast Guide: Who's Who in Hogwarts?
25 Hollywood Legends Who Deserve an Honorary Oscar
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
24 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Famous birthdays for June 29: Sharon Lawrence, Nicole Scherzinger
June 29 (UPI) -- Those born on this date are under the sign of Cancer. They include: -- Physician William Mayo in 1861 -- Astronomer George Ellery Hale in 1868 -- Writer Antoine de Saint-Exupery in 1900 -- Actor Slim Pickens in 1919 -- Filmmaker Ray Harryhausen in 1920 -- Civil rights leader Stokely Carmichael in 1941 -- Actor Gary Busey in 1944 (age 81) -- Comedian Richard Lewis in 1947 -- Actor/former U.S. Rep. Fred Grandy in 1948 (age 77) -- Musician Ian Paice (Deep Purple) in 1948 (age 77) -- Musician Colin Hay (Men at Work) in 1953 (age 72) -- Actor Sharon Lawrence in 1961 (age 64) -- Actor Kathleen Wilhoite in 1964 (age 61) -- Actor Melora Hardin in 1967 (age 58) -- Actor Lance Barber in 1973 (age 52) -- Musician/actor Bret McKenzie (Flight of the Conchords) in 1976 (age 49) -- Musician/actor Nicole Scherzinger (Pussycat Dolls) in 1978 (age 47) -- Musician Sam Farrar (Maroon 5) in 1978 (age 47) -- Actor Luke Kirby in 1978 (age 47) -- Radio/TV personality Charlamagne Tha God in 1978 (age 47) -- Comedian/actor Colin Jost in 1982 (age 43) -- Actor Lily Rabe in 1982 (age 43) -- Musician Aundrea Fimbres (Danity Kane) in 1983 (age 42) -- NBA player Kawhi Leonard in 1991 (age 34) -- Actor Camila Mendes in 1994 (age 31) -- Soccer player Jude Bellingham in 2003 (age 22)
Yahoo
27 minutes ago
- Yahoo
New York City Pride parade 2025: Route, date, time and where to watch
As Pride Month draws to a close, cities across the U.S. are preparing for the final celebrations that punctuate the annual month of LGBTQ+ celebration. This weekend, June will go out with a bang with multiple highly anticipated parades that draw marchers and spectators to communities big and small. Pride Month commemorates the 1969 Stonewall Uprising in New York City, where subsequent protests are credited with a shift in LGBTQ+ activism in the U.S. Being the birthplace of Pride as we know it, New York City has one of the biggest and most iconic celebrations and marches each year. This year's theme is "Rise up: Pride in Protest," according to organizers. "As the LGBTQIA+ community faces increasing hostility and legislative attacks, this year's theme is a reflection of the Pride movement's origins in protest—and is a powerful call to action for our communities and allies to rally and march in defiant celebration, advocacy and solidarity," said Heritage of Pride. The NYC Pride March is scheduled to begin Sunday, June 29, at 11 a.m. ET. This year's parade route begins on 5th Avenue between 25th Street and 8th Street, according to the New York City Department of Transportation. Marchers will proceed south on 5th Avenue and walk west on 8th Street. After crossing over 6th Avenue, the March will continue on Christopher Street, passing the Stonewall National Monument. It will then turn north on 7th Avenue, passing the New York City AIDS Memorial, before dispersing in Chelsea at 16th Street and 7th Avenue. In-person viewing of the 2024 March will be available along the route streets listed above. Experienced Pride-goers suggest nabbing a spot along the main stretches early, as crowds can get thick. The yearly broadcast of the event is set to air on ABC7, ABC News Live and and on the ABC7 YouTube channel and will begin at noon. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: New York City Pride parade 2025: Route, time, how to watch
Yahoo
27 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Funeral Director and Former Mortician Reveals the 5 Things She'd Never Do After Years of Dealing with the Dead (Exclusive)
Annie Owen is a funeral director and former mortician She talks with PEOPLE about what inspired her to share her mortician series on TikTok Owen says it's an "honor to learn the stories of the dead"Annie Owen has a morbid job - literally. When Owen was in high school, she was interested in pursuing a career in funeral service. Her dad initially told her that it wasn't a job for women, but that didn't deter her. After studying to get her bachelor's degree in funeral science, she took a job as an apprentice in her hometown, later becoming a mortician and funeral director. "It was difficult because a lot of the cases or the families that I worked with, I knew since it's such a small town," she tells PEOPLE exclusively. "You don't know what to expect when you get a call. I focused on the thought of helping families and people, but you have to be prepared to see a lot of things that you're not prepared to see." "One night, my best friend's father had a heart attack in front of me, and he died," she continues. "I was on call, and that was one of the first times ever I realized how difficult this job was, but it turned out to be a good lesson for me. I was glad that I could be there for my best friend, and I was able to walk through that journey with her." Being there for others in their time of need is fulfilling, but can also be emotionally draining. Owen shares that you "learn very quickly how to suppress your emotions so you can take care of other people." "It's not about us, it's about their feelings," Owen shares. "Whatever we can do for the family to make things easier for them. But, over time, it got to be a lot for me. The older I get as a funeral director, I feel like I take it home a lot more than I did in the beginning." While working in funeral service, Owen has "braced herself for solemn moments," and there have admittedly "been a lot" of them. Still, she is always amazed by how much "joy there is in celebrating someone's life." "I had so many families over the years that have wonderful stories. I get to hear the stories of the person's life. I have so many funny stories that people have told me," Owen says. "When the families come together, they're able to do that in a way that's not as depressing as you think it would be." Owen hopes to quell some misconceptions about those working in the death industry, including the belief that they are "shady" and "unhappy." "There are some bad apples. But most of us have such integrity. We strive to have integrity in this business," she shares. "There's a misconception that if one director does something illegal, we all do it behind the scenes." "The majority of funeral directors strive to follow the law, and morally, you want to lay your head down at night and know that you did a good job for the family and respectfully for the deceased," she adds. Owen shares that the HBO show Six Feet Under is the "most realistic behind-the-scenes show that you will ever see." She says the movie My Girl, for the most part, also represents funeral directors "in a good light." Some of these misconceptions, along with her desire to share stories about the people she has encountered, inspired her to start her series, "5 Things I Won't Do Because I've Been A Mortician," on TikTok. Owen shares lists of things that she refuses to do because of what she's seen — such as swimming in lakes, joyriding in the back of pickup trucks, taking other people's medication, riding motorcycles without protection and cutting people off in traffic. "I believe we can learn a lot from the dead, that they have a story to tell, whether [or not] that's a cautionary story," she says. "That was when I started my TikTok, I thought, 'What are some stories that I can tell that people will learn from?' When I started the series, those are real events that have happened, that I have seen, and I've seen the devastation." Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Owen shares other stories, including personal accounts of people who have passed away, to remember them and raise awareness about their deaths. "When I retell the stories, I sit down and think about the families I've met over the years. I miss many of the families I met. I had a close relationship with many people when I worked with families," she shares. "This process has allowed me to sit down and go over all the memories that I've had, and a lot of them are heartwarming and wonderful because I have met so many wonderful families, and that's what keeps us going." While the topic of death can be uncomfortable for many, Owen encourages people to find the beauty in honoring those who came before us. "People who don't think they can do this job miss such a beautiful part of life, even though it's death. Celebrating someone's life is a truly wonderful experience, and it's an honor to be there alongside the family," Owen shares. "It's an honor all these years to get to know these families and learn the stories of the dead, of the people that we've buried." Read the original article on People