Keke Palmer starts UCLA residency and interviews Kamala Harris on her podcast
Archived — this story has rotated out of today’s deck. It is kept here in full.
The gist
Entertainer Keke Palmer, 33, began a yearlong UCLA artist-in-residence stint tied to her KeyTV Network.
Her podcast interview with Kamala Harris, undecided on 2028, drew wider notice.
Background
Keke Palmer is a 33-year-old multihyphenate entertainer — actor, host of the "Baby, This Is Keke Palmer" podcast, two-time Emmy winner and bestselling memoirist — whom UCLA calls "Professor Palmer." Her residency at the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television is part of a broader five-year partnership between the university and KeyTV Network, her media company. The same week, she interviewed former Vice President Kamala Harris on her podcast, where Harris was asked about a possible 2028 presidential run.
How it unfolded
- Oct 1, 2026Palmer held the first of three UCLA sessions, collectively titled "Know Yourself, Own Yourself, Free Yourself to Build New Frameworks for Change."
- Oct 13, 2026On the Friends Keep Secrets podcast, Palmer told hosts Benny Blanco, Lil Dicky and Kristin Batalucco that an unnamed man once bit her in a teasing manner at an event.
- Oct 13, 2026Former Vice President Kamala Harris appeared on Palmer's podcast and was asked about her presidential ambitions.
- Oct 14, 2026Palmer and New York Knicks captain Jalen Brunson were reported as headliners of Ebony's 2026 Power 100, with Palmer in the Entertainment Powerhouses category.
- Oct 15, 2026Harris told Palmer she has not yet decided on a 2028 run, saying her focus is on November's midterms; she also said the President is terrified of what the American people might find out, citing a "fragile ego."
- Oct 19, 2026Backstage reported Palmer had kicked off the yearlong UCLA stint, part of the five-year UCLA–KeyTV partnership.
Who’s saying what
- Official
- UCLA dean Celine Parreñas Shimizu, who moderated the sessions, said that when Palmer talks about owning your story it isn't only self-interest but about what you're building for other people.
- Palmer
- Palmer said she wants to offer people things that can actually help their lives and serve their growth, which is where she is trying to move with the residency.
- Analysts
- The Hill reported Harris leads early polling among potential 2028 Democratic candidates, and a Focaldata/Financial Times poll of 2,553 U.S. adults found 30% picked Harris as their preferred nominee, ahead of California Gov. Gavin Newsom at 15%.
Still unverified
The identity of the man Palmer said bit her at an event was not specified; Palmer described him as a "handsome guy" and said not to judge him because everybody was drinking. Whether Harris will run for president in 2028 remains undecided, per her own statement.