Keke Palmer Talks Pregnancy, Future In Directing As She Gears Up For Pepsi Starry Campaign
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Keke Palmer is glowing.
It’s not just her skin, gorgeously radiant from her growing womb, but her illuminating career as an actress, CEO, singer and TV personality. Besides her newest partnership with Pepsi for their inaugural “Starry” lemon-lime line of sodas, the most important role that the 29-year-old will take on is that of mother once she gives birth to her baby boy.
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Wearing a snug beige sweater-dress covered by a brown and white fur, leather-trimmed jacket, the beaming mommy-to-be opens up about her Pepsi “Starry Struck” commercial exclusively to VIBE, while on set. The hilarious clip shows Keke courtside at her commercial boo Tyrese Maxey’s game, where she meets BFFs Lem & Lime and they offer her a can of the new drink.
Anxious to crack open the can, a mystical Starry Soda Man appears, wooing Palmer with a romantic fizzling kiss. As Maxey sees the kiss from the Jumbotron, he’s left in shock, as the soda man is nowhere to be found. The comedic commercial is set to air during the NBA All-Star’s STARRY 3-Point Contest, taking place on Saturday night (Feb. 18). See below.
Excited for the world to see her star in the starry commercial, the Nope actress expressed, “The commercial is so cool. First of all, it premieres during NBA All-Star Weekend, which I’m so pumped about. And it’s the official soft drink for the NBA.”
Speaking to the new cartoon mascots Lem and Lime for the soda brand, Keke said, “These are two new characters that I think people are really going to have a fun time getting into. But it’s just a burst of energy and the drink y’all is crisp, clear, and refreshing. So get ready to get into it.”
“It’s a legacy brand, but then when you think about Starry, I also get the opportunity to introduce a new drink to the world,” the actress excitedly said about helping to launch the next wave in the Pepsi line. “And so in that way, I feel very excited to be the first to introduce a new brand like Starry. So I’m excited for people to get into this drink.”
As Palmer helps Pepsi embark on their new journey, she’s also getting ready to explore a new path for herself. Motherhood. Back in December, the KeyTV creator surprisingly announced her pregnancy with boyfriend Darius Jackson while hosting Saturday Night Live. Happily, Palmer spoke about how she plans to balance work life and mommy-hood.
“That’s a question I’m kind of asking more people ’cause I don’t know really what to expect,” she expressed about her plans to balance it all. “It’s all completely new to me. Work-life balance is something that I’ve been figuring my way around for as long as I’ve been working. So it’s been a 20-year journey to figure out how to do that the right way. And I don’t think there’s any particular right or wrong answer.”
She added, “I think it’s just what’s best for you. So I’m talking to all my boss diva moms around me and getting all the tips I can and then letting God teach me the rest of the way.”
With plans of being a boss, Keke added that she’s interested in doing more behind-the-scenes projects.
“I’m doing more performance stuff and then also maybe some more behind the scenes stuff,” she revealed. “And I think as I continue to evolve in my career, hopefully we’ll see even more of some of the directing and producing and things where I’m not solely the talent, but I think I’ll always be doing something in entertainment because I love it. I love storytelling. I love having fun.
“Like I said, being creative and bringing new stories to life, whether it be a commercial or movie or TV show,” she continued. “So I’ll always be doing something in it. But I do think that we’ll get even more variation and diversity as it comes to me being in front of the camera as much as I am behind the camera.”
Check out Keke Palmer and Tyrese Maxey in the Pepsi “Starry Struck” commercial above and tune into the NBA All-Star game this weekend to see the STARRY 3-Point Contest take place.
