Keke Palmer Says She Has ‘Genuine Chemistry’ with Sean Evans: ‘Couldn’t Force That If I Tried’
Keke Palmer is setting the record straight on her relationship with “Hot Ones” host and co-creator Sean Evans.
The pair’s chemistry has sparked headlines for years. Evans was a guest on her “Baby, This is Keke Palmer” podcast in May, re-igniting conversation about their connection on social media. A few weeks later, they were spotted having dinner together.
“Our chemistry is genuine … I couldn’t force that if I tried,” Palmer said July 27 on TODAY with Jenna & Sheinelle. “We always felt that chemistry.”
Things reached a fever pitch when the photo of them having dinner together made the rounds.
“It’s life. Essentially, we met at work. We had chemistry. Work husband, work wife. You just have that chemistry with people,” Palmer said of the dinner. “Then, we hang out.”
Palmer said the response to the photo, and to their perceived connection, has stunned her.
“I was gagged that everybody was ready to marry me off,” she said. “Guys, let it cook! They married your girl off in two seconds!”
In her words, fans “write the story quicker than you can live it.”
Palmer said there’s been no way to avoid the interest from the public.
“I see somebody at the airport. I’m going through TSA. They’re like, ‘So, girl, what’s going on?’” she said. “I’m like, ‘Well, girl, you gotta let time pass. This just happened yesterday.’ So it’s like this thing where, it’s so interesting. It’s so parasocial, the world we live in now.”
The “Nope” actor is not averse to avoiding the dialogue that may exist around her online.
“I do look sometimes, especially because, first of all, I love pop culture, and I like to know what’s going on,” she said. “For me, sometimes the internet can be similar to, that’s like when I’m waking up and I’m watching y’all on the news. It’s like sometimes you need to know, just so you can stay abreast.
“I don’t let it define the way that I think. If anything, I’m always trying to contextualize things. A lot times I feel like people get that about me. You can’t just take everything at face value. You have to be critically thinking about everything you see.”
Talk that Palmer and Evans were romantically involved began in November 2023 after he named Palmer when asked on Amelia Dimoldenberg’s “Chicken Shop Date” if he ever had a crush on a guest. At that point, Palmer had appeared on “Hot Ones” in 2017 and 2021.
Rumors swirled more after Palmer returned to his show in September 2025 and the two kissed.
Last month, Palmer spoke about the relationship while on the panel for Spotify’s Conversations That Channel Culture talk at Cannes Lions.
Podcast host Jay Shetty asked the actor if she was “serious about Sean Evans,” according to People.
“First of all, I love Sean Evans — I love Sean, hey Sean. That’s my guy … You never know what can arise from there. We just take it day by day. One wing at a time, so to speak,” she added.
