Keke Palmer tackled the double standards of motherhood and career pressure in a recent Parents interview, where she dismissed guilt as a burden working parents shouldn’t carry.
“Don’t feel guilt,” Palmer told the magazine. “Your child is your child because you were meant to be their parent. And as a working parent, it could be really, really hard because you’re wondering like, ‘Damn, is this good for me and my child?’”
The 31-year-old actress and singer, known for roles in Hustlers and The Pickup, shares her 2-year-old son Leo with ex-partner and former football player Darius Jackson.
She pointed to the financial strain many families face today as a reason to drop the shame around needing help or choosing to work.
“The reality is, if you got to work, you got to work,” she said. “Just don’t feel guilt where it pertains to receiving help with your child, because it takes a village. I think that’s important, and especially in this economy where everybody’s got to go to work.”
Palmer also explained how motherhood helped her define her personal limits, especially in an unpredictable industry like entertainment.
“I think a lot of times you can feel like you got to do this, or you got to do that, or you feel like that you can’t make a choice, especially in this kind of industry where it’s up and down,” she said. “But when you have a child that needs you, it’s easier for you to prioritise what is best for your sense of self.”
Palmer’s comments arrive as more working parents speak out about the mental load of balancing careers and caregiving.