Keke Palmer Confirms Sean Evans Romance: One Wing at a Time

After months of speculation and viral moments, Keke Palmer finally addressed what everyone’s been wondering about her connection with Sean Evans. During a panel at Cannes Lions on Tuesday, June 23, the 32-year-old entertainer opened up about her relationship with the 40-year-old Hot Ones host in a way that was playful but surprisingly honest.

Palmer didn’t deny anything. Instead, she leaned into the chemistry everyone’s observed, telling podcaster Jay Shetty that she and Evans are“just tak[ing] it day by day”—a measured approach that still left plenty of room for possibility. Her joke about taking it“one wing at a time, so to speak”was a clever nod to Evans’show while keeping the mood light and fun.

The timeline of their connection reads like a rom-com script. Evans had publicly crushed on Palmer back in 2023, calling her“very charming”during an appearance on Chicken Shop Date. Then, when Palmer appeared on Hot Ones for the third time in 2025, she made her move. During the episode, Palmer initiated a kiss with Evans and asked if there was a spark between them—a moment Evans described as something he’d treasure forever. By early June 2026, they were spotted together in Brooklyn, and Evans had been gushing about working with Palmer as a“one-plus-one-equals-three situation”at an FYC event.

What’s interesting is how Palmer has been publicly defining what she wants in a partner. Just a week before confirming the Evans situation, she detailed her criteria on her“Baby, This Is Keke Palmer”podcast: faith, a God-fearing nature, and someone with clarity about their future. The fact that she’s comfortable discussing both her romantic search and her current situation suggests she’s in a healthier headspace about her love life. This comes after her previous relationship with fitness instructor Darius Jackson, with whom she shares a 3-year-old son, Leo.

Whether this turns into something serious or remains a beautiful moment between two people who clearly admire each other, Palmer’s willingness to be transparent about it all—without oversharing—is refreshingly mature. In an age where celebrity romance is either heavily guarded or plastered across tabloids, Palmer’s approach of simply saying“we’re hanging out”and letting things unfold feels almost radical.