Keke Palmer Is Facing Criticism For Having Jonathan Majors On Her Podcast

Warning: Discussion of domestic violence.

Keke Palmer is facing criticism for interviewing Jonathan Majors on her podcast Baby, This Is Keke Palmer.

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In 2023, Jonathan was found guilty of one count of assault and one count of harassment against his ex-girlfriend Grace Jabbari. The ex-Marvel actor pled not guilty and subsequently said in an interview that he was responsible for “none of her injuries.”

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He has been back in the public eye in recent weeks amid the release of his movie Magazine Dreams, even appearing on the cover of the Hollywood Reporter. In the accompanying interview, he said of his time during and after the trial, “It’s a heartbreak like I’ve never experienced and it just compounded and compounded.” Matthew McConaughey, Michael B. Jordan, and Whoopi Goldberg all further voiced their support.

Shortly after the cover dropped, audio leaked that allegedly revealed Jonathan admitting to strangling Grace. “I can’t speak to it, but obviously, because you’re talking about it, there are vibrations, reverberations, same as everything before,” Jonathan said in response. “I’m living life. I’m surrounded by loved ones and family.”

And now, Jonathan will add Keke to his list of new interviewers. The episode, which is available now to Wondery+ users and will be released to the public on April 8, is titled, “No Easy Answers: Accountability and Moving Forward with Jonathan Majors.”

The episode description reads, “Accountability. It’s a loaded word, right? We’re living in a time where we want real accountability—especially for things men have gotten away with for far too long. At the same time, finding forgiveness feels harder than ever, and we’re still figuring out what true accountability even looks like.”

“Today, we’re sitting down with Jonathan Majors to talk about what life has looked like after being convicted of harassment and assault. This conversation isn’t here to give you all the answers—it’s complicated, it’s messy—but hopefully, it brings us a little closer to understanding the complex emotional landscape of the time we’re living through,” it concludes.

Some expressed disappointment at Keke for platforming the actor, given his prior conviction:

But some did suggest that Keke might use the opportunity to thoroughly question Jonathan:

A clip further resurfaced of her talking about R. Kelly in 2016, where she said, “Stop with the grooming. I don’t know this side of Kells. The side of Kells I know is a musical genius.” The singer has since been convicted of child sex crimes.

Keke herself has said that she experienced domestic violence during her relationship with the father of her son, Darius Jackson (he has denied the allegations). She was previously granted a temporary restraining order against him.

We’ll keep you posted on whether Keke addresses the controversy.

If you or someone you know is in immediate danger as a result of domestic violence, call 911. For anonymous, confidential help, you can call the 24/7 National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 (SAFE) or chat with an advocate via the website.