Keke Palmer Responds to Controversy Over ‘Southern Fried Rice’

Source: Christopher Polk / Getty

Keke Palmer obviously didn’t expect a backlash when she supported Black creator Nakia Stephens and her show Southern Fried Rice. The series is available on YouTube via her KeyTV platform, and once the trailer dropped, it created a controversy that continues to thrive.

The show centers on a Korean-American character raised by Black parents who attends an HBCU to “find herself.” The Savannah State graduate says Southern Fried Soul was informed by seeing how non-Black students navigate predominantly Black spaces, and that she welcomed conversation about it.

But users on social media had different ideas, rejecting the concept entirely. They don’t like that there is a show based around an Asian character at an HBCU, given that it would be highly unlikely to have a Black character centered in an Asian-led drama. Some viewers of the seven-episode series also believe the characters are stereotypical.

Palmer, who executive-produced through her KeyTV channel, took to social media to answer critics of the show, its creator and her role in bringing it to the public.

“It’s my mission with @keytvnetwork to help fund and support the creators of color behind the scenes, giving them a chance to tell their own story,” Palmer said in a video posted to her social media outlets.

“The camera operators, costume designers, writers, directors, prop masters and the list goes on. There is a common complaint about there not being a lot of black people in the hair and makeup union. The lack of Black creators in high positions is a big source of this. It’s KeyTV’s mission to democratize the industry and support Black people in business positions that don’t always include us performing. There’s nothing wrong with that, but there is so much more we can do and have to offer!”

Stephens chimed in on her X and Instagram pages.

“My ultimate goal was to spark conversation around culture, around belonging and around identity. And so, that’s what I think I’ve done,” she said. Other HBCU graduates were part of her creative team, she shared. “These are people who love and protect Black culture and hold it close to their hearts, who were collaborating on this project.”

Her X account has since been deleted.

On Instagram, Stephens posted a further explanation about how the project, in the works for a decade, came about.

Still, the response on social media has been brutal. See the reactions below.

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