
Keke Palmer is easily one of our favorite tell-it-like-it-is celebrities. From her up close and personal revelation of her battle with adult acne to doing it for the culture at the MET Gala to admitting she's "sorry to this man," Keke is known to give it to you straight, no chaser. And it's that commitment to being unapologetic in telling her truth that draws others to her like the light that she is.
But just because Keke has gotten to a place where she is celebratory of her truths (the good and the bad), doesn't mean the booked and busy hustler didn't at one time struggle. By the age of 15, Keke had experienced runaway success after her breakthrough role in the film Akeelah and the Bee, subsequent film and television roles, and a debut album, So Uncool.
And by 2008, Keke was one of the highest paid child stars on TV, earning a cool $20,000 per episode of her hit Nickelodeon show, True Jackson, VP. However, her accomplishments didn't stop her from experiencing trauma, in fact, it exacerbated it. In a conversation with Chromebook for their The Adulthood series, the Virgo Tendencies songstress revealed:
"When I was about 17, things started to get really, really crazy success-wise and it really just switched the dynamics of my family. They didn't really understand the trauma I was going through when it came to being famous. I was thinking about getting emancipated. And I had a conversation with my attorney and he said, 'You know, you don't have to do this. Many people have experienced what you're going through. You just have to set boundaries.'"
Boundaries became a game-changer for the young star who seemed to learn early on what it takes many of us years to understand. Setting boundaries is an act of self-love that serves as a reminder to yourself and those around you that your wants and needs also matter. A lack of boundaries was costing the actress her peace of mind.
"Boundaries are the stepping stone of self-respect and thus teaching other people how to respect and love us. When we don't know our own boundaries, it kind of becomes difficult to blame other people for what they may say or do. When I was a kid, girl, I would just stop talking to people forever. A lot of those people didn't even know what they did. I was actually cutting off a lot of good people do love me and would want to know how to best be there for me."
The 28-year-old also credited self-care practices as a cornerstone to allowing her to arrive in spaces as her best self and being more in tune with who she is on her best day instead of her worst. Through mindfulness, meditation, and stillness, negative self-talk is just one of the things her self-care game has helped her overcome.
"I can say from my experience as a Black American woman, there's a lot of stuff that you have to choose to block out. And that's not you being passive, that's you paying attention to the goal. It's important to add practices in your life to help refuel you. Mindfulness, meditation -- it allows the space for you to be objective to your own thoughts..."
"When I'm active in my practices, I'm able to catch myself much more quickly when I start to do bad self-talk. And when we're sometimes dealing with so many things in the world, we don't even realize all we need is a bit of stillness to help balance us back out."
Watch Keke Palmer talk about boundaries and the importance of self-care below:
Featured image by Taylor Hill/WireImage
Adrian Marcel On Purpose, Sacrifice, And The 'Signs Of Life'
In this week's episode of xoMAN, host Kiara Walker talked with R&B artist Adrian Marcel, who opened up, full of heart and authenticity, about his personal evolution. He discussed his days transitioning from a young Bay Area singer on the come-up to becoming a grounded husband and father of four.
With honesty and introspection, Marcel reflected on how life, love, and loss have shaped the man he is today.
On ‘Life’s Subtle Signals’
Much of the conversation centered around purpose, sacrifice, and listening to life’s subtle signals. “I think that you really have to pay attention to the signs of life,” Marcel said. “Because as much as we need to make money, we are not necessarily on this Earth for that sole purpose, you know what I mean?” While he acknowledged his ambitions, adding, “that is not me saying at all I’m not trying to ball out,” he emphasized that fulfillment goes deeper.
“We are here to be happy. We are here [to] fulfill a purpose that we are put on here for.”
On Passion vs. Survival
Adrian spoke candidly about the tension between passion and survival, describing how hardship can sometimes point us away from misaligned paths. “If you find it’s constantly hurting you… that’s telling you something. That’s telling you that you’re going outside of your purpose.”
Marcel’s path hasn’t been without detours. A promising athlete in his youth, he recalled, “Early on in my career, I was still doing sports… I was good… I had a scholarship.” An injury changed everything. “My femur broke. Hence why I always say, you know, I’m gonna keep you hip like a femur.” After the injury, he pivoted to explore other careers, including teaching and corporate jobs.
“It just did not get me—even with any success that happened in anything—those times, back then, I was so unhappy. And you know, to a different degree. Like not just like, ‘I really want to be a singer so that’s why I’m unhappy.’ Nah, it was like, it was not fulfilling me in any form or fashion.”
On Connection Between Pursuing Music & Fatherhood
He recalled performing old-school songs at age 12 to impress girls, then his father challenged him: “You can lie to these girls all you want, but you're really just lying to yourself. You ain't growing.” That push led him to the piano—and eventually, to his truth. “Music is my love,” Marcel affirmed. “I wouldn’t be a happy husband if I was here trying to do anything else just to appease her [his wife].”
Want more real talk from xoMAN? Catch the full audio episodes every Tuesday on Spotify and Apple Podcasts, and don’t miss the full video drops every Wednesday on YouTube. Hit follow, subscribe, and stay tapped in.
Featured image by xoNecole/YouTube
Ashley Versher is known for her work in the Tyler Perry's Beauty In Black series and more recently, she starred alongside Taraji P. Henson in the Netflix film Straw. But she is more than just her acting credits and stunning looks (her hair alone is everything). In an xoNecole exclusive, Ashley dishes on her first celebrity crush, how she spends her downtime, and her go-to haircare products because we need the deets.
Get to know Ashley below.
xoNecole: Where are you from?
Ashley Versher: San Francisco - BAY AREAAAAAA!!!!
xoN: What was your first major acting role?
AV: A 49ers Super Bowl commercial - I think I was 3.

Ashley Versher
Johnny Marlow
xoN: Have you ever had an embarrassing or funny audition story? If so, what happened?
AV: Yes! I was doing a self-tape once and I forgot to take off my bonnet. But the tape was so good I sent it in anyway.
xoN: Your hair is gorgeous. What has it been like navigating Hollywood with natural hair?
AV: Thank you so much! Navigating Hollywood with natural hair has definitely been a journey of self-discovery. Early on, I had to make a conscious decision about how I wanted to show up—not just in this industry, but for myself. Once I fully embraced my natural hair and committed to the journey, everything else began to align. It’s been nothing short of empowering.
Navigating Hollywood with natural hair has definitely been a journey of self-discovery. Early on, I had to make a conscious decision about how I wanted to show up—not just in this industry, but for myself.
xoN: What are your favorite go-to hair products?
AV: Ooooooo, right now I’m loving Camille Rose’s Jai Twisting Butter—it’s super moisturizing and gives me a fun, bouncy twist-out! I’ve also recently gotten into oils, and I’m especially loving sweet almond oil.
xoN: We know you as an actress, but what is another special talent you have that most people don't know about?
AV: I trained as a classical violinist for 13/14years.
xoN: Who is your hero?
AV: My mom. She’s incredible - full stop.

Ashley Versher
Johnny Marlow
xoN: How do you like to spend your down time?
AV: Ha! What’s that!? Jk jk, I love to travel, that’s honestly my favorite thing.
xoN: Who was your first celebrity crush?
AV: Prince.
xoN: What is your dream role?
AV: One day I will play a witch with Harry Potter-like powers!
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Feature image by Johnny Marlow









