Keke Palmer responds to college student who asked her out on TikTok

Keke Palmer responded to a college student who publicly asked her out on TikTok, saying she is open to a swirl but not yet ready to be a cougar. The participant, Cole Smith, posted a video saying he had watched Palmer on Hot Ones and noticed flirty banter with host Sean Evans. When he learned she was single, he declared that he was throwing his hat in the ring and joked that age is just a number. He also teased that he could offer Nutri-Grain bars and noted that Evans’s team handles the wings, not Evans himself. Smith, who says he was a background actor on Law & Order during Season 24, added that he could Skype if she preferred.

Palmer’s response arrived in a TikTok video in which she opened with a light, playful tone. “How you doing young man?” she asked, thanking him for the compliments and acknowledging the boldness of his approach. She pointed out the 11-year age difference between them, then clarified that while she is open to romance, she is not yet ready to be a cougar. “But if I was, you’d be the first one I was calling,” she teased. Smith later told People that he freaked out after Palmer replied and said that her engagement with the moment was a win, calling Palmer a legend for responding. Palmer’s social post also encouraged people to see her new movie, underscoring the way she mixes humor with career momentum.

Palmer has been single since her split from Darius Jackson in 2023. The two began dating in 2021, and in December 2022 Palmer announced, while hosting Saturday Night Live, that she and Jackson were expecting their first child. They welcomed son Leo in February 2023. About five months later, Jackson drew public backlash for publicly criticizing Palmer for wearing a sheer dress to Usher’s Las Vegas residency; he defended his comments on social media. The couple announced their breakup in October 2023, and Palmer filed for sole custody of Leo in early November, a request that led to a temporary order granting Palmer sole custody while the case proceeded. Palmer also filed a restraining order against Jackson, who denied the allegations.

In interviews and public appearances since, Palmer has described the period as a time of “boss behavior,” saying she is choosing to live without hiding parts of her life and focusing on her family and career. The TikTok moment with Smith highlighted Palmer’s continued visibility in entertainment culture, even as she navigates personal milestones and a high-profile past relationship. The exchange drew online attention and offered a window into how celebrities manage public interest in their personal lives while maintaining professional momentum. IMAGE1 IMAGE2 IMAGE4