Keke Palmer and Skyler Samuels are opening up about their time on Scream Queens, with Palmer revealing racially charged incidents in her upcoming memoir. Samuels has since praised her co-star for bravely speaking out and standing against on-set bullying.
Skyler Samuels Shows Support for Keke Palmer
Skyler Samuels has expressed deep admiration for her former Scream Queens co-star, Keke Palmer, following Palmer’s decision to speak out about a racially charged incident on set.
In a heartfelt Instagram post, Samuels — who appeared in the first season of Ryan Murphy’s hit series — commended Palmer for her bravery.
“I am so proud of Keke for speaking up about her experiences on Scream Queens,” Samuels, 30, wrote. “That’s what Keke does — she speaks out and stands up for herself and others.”
Samuels, who portrayed Grace Gardner, also opened up about her own difficulties while working on the show.
“Scream Queens was a very challenging show for me,” she admitted. “Keke was one of the few people who stood up for me.”
The actress went on to share her gratitude for Palmer’s unwavering support during that time.
“She was brave enough to have my back even though she knew it could make her a target of the bullies on set,” Samuels continued. “I am so grateful for the professionalism and kindness Keke showed me. She is a top woman in this industry, someone who understands the power of her platform and uses it to do better.”
Palmer, who played Zayday Williams, responded warmly to Samuels’ praise in the comments section, writing, “Love you, baby ❤️.”
This show of solidarity comes just days after the Los Angeles Times published an excerpt from Keke Palmer’s forthcoming memoir, Master of Me: The Secret to Controlling Your Narrative.
In the book, Palmer recounts a disturbing incident on the Scream Queens set, involving a co-star she refers to as “Brenda.” Brenda allegedly made a racially insensitive comment after an on-set conflict.
The Incident: “Who Do You Think You Are?”
Palmer recalls attempting to de-escalate the situation by encouraging her colleagues to “have fun and respect each other.” However, Brenda reportedly shot back, “Keke, literally, don’t do that. Who do you think you are? Martin F–king Luther King?”
Neither Palmer nor Samuels have revealed Brenda’s identity. The two starred alongside Emma Roberts, Abigail Breslin, Lea Michele, and Billie Lourd in the series, which ran from 2015 to 2016.
In another chapter of her memoir, Palmer recounts a separate conflict with Scream Queens co-creator Ryan Murphy. She claims Murphy berated her for missing a filming session to attend a prior work commitment — despite being told she had the day off.
Keke Palmer’s memoir, Master of Me: The Secret to Controlling Your Narrative, will be released on November 19th.
