Story by Stereo Williams
Photography by DeWayne Rogers
Makeup by Autumn Moultrie
Hair by Jamika Wilson
Wardrobe by Roberta Wagner
The transition into adulthood can be slippery for teen stars, to say the least. The gossip pages are filled with stories of former adolescent pin-ups like Miley Cyrus twerking or Justin Bieber speeding, but for former teen star Keke Palmer, the transition into adulthood has been far less hectic and less controversial. The girl who rose to fame as the precocious Akeelah in the 2006 hit Akeelah & the Bee is a 20-year old young adult now, but she hasn’t been dry-humping wrecking balls or wreaking havoc with an entourage. No, Palmer hasn’t made any of those headline-grabbing missteps of young adulthood. And she doesn’t feel that she has to pull any stunt to “prove” to anyone that she’s all grown up.
“When people think of me initially, they remember me as ‘Akeelah,’ ” she shares. “Sometimes it can be frustrating to be remembered at an age that you’ve outgrown. But at the same time, it’s never frustrated me to the point where I wanted to lash out. I just take it one step at a time. I’ve been patient in letting other people adapt to me and my growth.”
