Keke Palmer is drawing attention to a double standard, questioning why powerful women and powerful men have different expectations for romantic partners.
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During a recent interview with Bevy Smith on her Radio Andy show, the actress addressed the expectations around income in relationships, implying that the man is always the one who’s expected to make more money. Keke went on to question why powerful women are expected to be in relationships with equally powerful men, referencing Oprah Winfrey and Stedman Graham’s relationship as an example.
Plenty of powerful men will date women with fewer resources, according to Palmer, who has highlighted the double standard many times.
“That’s the weird thing about powerful women, what we’re left with. So I’m supposed to find love, but he’s gotta have a certain amount of money. But at the same time, I gotta be still be like–Guys, what’s going on here? Nobody cares if a man finds his woman under a bridge. Why do we have to deal with that?”
She went on to argue that successful women shouldn’t be scrutinized for choosing partners who earn less than them.
“Let me tell you something that Keke don’t need,” she explained. “Money… from nobody.”
Having became a millionaire at a young age, Keke emphasized that money has never been the most important thing in her personal relationships. The star is more concerned with other dynamics of the relationship, like how she is treated.
“It’s about love, it’s about respect,” Palmer said, citing a lesson from her father that the most important thing a partner can offer is respect. “A man needs to treat you right. He needs to handle and service you in whatever way you need service.”
The singer went on to say that if her man wants to pay for her nails here and there, she’s all for it, but she recognizes that to the outside world, he might still look like a “Stedman.”
