‘Cosby’ Star Keshia Knight Pulliam Reflects on Her ‘Hell of a Year’

Keshia Knight Pulliam at
Hot mama! Keshia Knight Pulliam attends “The Fate of the Furious” screening in Atlanta on April 4. (Photo: Prince Williams/FilmMagic)

All’s well that ends well — not that the drama has ended just yet for Keshia Knight Pulliam. The star took to Instagram on Sunday to pay tribute to her own birthday (!) and appeared to be in a joyful, reflective mood despite the turbulence of recent months.

“I woke up this morning so grateful to celebrate another birthday!!” she gushed, beside a snapshot of herself holding her 2-and-a-half-month-old daughter, Ella Grace, in a beautiful outdoor setting. “It’s been a hell of a year but this little face makes it all worth it,” the actress, best known for playing Rudy Huxtable on The Cosby Show, added. “Thank you for all of the birthday love & well wishes!!! #HappyBirthdayToMe #EllaGraceIsTheBestPresentEver.”

It was a sweet message filled with gratitude, one that marked a nice break from the tensions in her life. ICYMI, it’s been a rocky road between Pulliam and her ex-husband, Ed Hartwell. He filed for divorce in July 2016, after only seven months of marriage, while Pulliam was pregnant with their daughter — and demanded a paternity test before he would admit to being the father (yikes!). When Pulliam gave birth, Hartwell was not present — and only learned from his attorney that his daughter had been born (double yikes!).

Earlier this year, he admitted he is Ella Grace’s father, but argued he shouldn’t have to pay child support until he and Pulliam settled on an amount. Then, just a few weeks ago, he filed for joint-custody of their daughter (though he did concede in the filing that he was ready to pay child support). That battle remains unfinished.

Despite the drama, however, the now 38-year-old star has been making the rounds in honor of her birthday. “Back at it… Hair & Make-up by me!!” she proudly wrote beside a selfie that showed her all glammed out. She added the hashtags “#FastAndFurious #EllasMommy #BeginningOfTheBirthdayTurnUp #NoBabyVomitInMyHair,” for full context.

Back at it… Hair & Make-up by me!! #FastAndFurious #EllasMommy #BeginningOfTheBirthdayTurnUp #NoBabyVomitInMyHair ????????????

A post shared by Keshia Knight Pulliam (@keshiaknightpulliam) on Apr 4, 2017 at 3:47pm PDT

Pulliam was ready to enjoy a night out out as she celebrated the premiere of the latest Fast & Furious installment. “Congrats to the fam @ludacris on another amazing movie & continuing the #FastAndFurious legacy!! #F8 #TheMovieWasAmazeballs,” she wrote.

Congrats to the fam @ludacris on another amazing movie & continuing the #FastAndFurious legacy!! #F8 #TheMovieWasAmazeballs

A post shared by Keshia Knight Pulliam (@keshiaknightpulliam) on Apr 5, 2017 at 7:30am PDT

While the storm has hardly passed, it seems Pulliam is determined to exhibit grace under pressure — at least while she’s celebrating her birthday.


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