Keke Palmer is challenging a long-standing double standard that continues to follow successful women in relationships. In a recent interview on Sirius XM with Bevy Smith, the multi-hyphenate star called out the societal pressure placed on powerful women to date men who earn as much — or more — than they do.
“Nobody cares when a man finds his woman under a bridge,” Palmer said to Smith, amid their conversation about dating and tax brackets. “I frankly don’t care. If that’s who you love, that’s who you love. Why do we (women) have to deal with that?”
Palmer — who last dated fitness trainer and father of her son, Darius Jackson — then used the example of Oprah Winfrey and Stedman Graham to illustrate how public perception often changes when the woman in a relationship is more successful or financially dominant.
“That’s the weird thing about powerful women, what we’re left with. So I’m supposed to find love, but he’s gotta have a certain amount of money ….” she added. “Let me tell you something that Keke don’t need… Money… from nobody.”
The 31-year-old’s wise perspective is apparently rooted in her upbringing, as she shared that one of the most important lessons she learned from her father is that “a man needs to treat you right, he needs to handle you and service you in whatever way you need service.”
That idea for Palmer goes beyond money, as a relationship should be about love, support, and partnership.
Last year, Palmer appeared on Club Shay Shay with Shannon Sharpe where she revealed what sharing finances meant to her growing up. “My parents at best made $40,000 a year when I was growing up. I was making that [per] show,” she explained. “How I feel about it — what’s mine is theirs and what’s theirs is mine. Somebody could say, ‘that was your money,’ but we a family. And everybody sacrificed.”
Take a look at Keke Palmer giving her take on women dating below their tax bracket above.
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