Keke Palmer and Demi Lovato have embarked on a new journey of introspection, revisiting their past romances and shedding light on aspects that now resonate differently with them—specifically their relationships with older men as teenagers.
In a candid conversation on her Baby, This is Keke Palmer podcast during its March 3rd episode, Keke, now 32, voiced her confusion and dismay at the age disparity in her relationships when she was just 15. "Why was my boyfriend 20?" she asked, to which Demi, 33, added her own reflection, "Why was my boyfriend 30?"
Keke's admission came after she previously opened up about her "inappropriate" relationship with an older man while starring on True Jackson, VP. Her voice trailing off in shock, she said, "Girl, damn. I'm not smiling at that, but that's real. We were just trying to find outlets and ways to process this."
The pair shared how their experiences as child actors made them feel prematurely mature. Keke explained, "At 15, I was thinking like, 'My boyfriend's older because I'm doing an older job. It seemed normal in my mind.'" Demi echoed this sentiment, adding, "Especially if you're an older soul or mature for your age."
Keke, who is now a mother to son Leo, 3, with ex Darius Jackson, praised fellow child star Hilary Duff for her song "Mature," released in 2025. The song reflects on the power dynamics between the Lizzie McGuire star and a former flame. "I love it because it's like 'oh shit,' we all had the same damn life," Keke said. "People kept telling us 'You're so mature for your age.'"
Demi has also used music to reflect on her experiences, releasing "29" in 2022. The lyrics to the song read, "Far from innocent / what the fuck's consent? / Numbers told you not to / but that didn't stop you." Elsewhere in the song, Demi alludes to the age gap between herself and her former boyfriends, singing, "Finally 29 / Funny, just like you were at the time. Thought it was a teenage dream / just a fantasy / But was it yours or was it mine?"
Though Demi—who married Jordan "Jutes" Lutes in May—has not publicly stated who the song is about, she encouraged Keke to give it a listen. "I also wrote a song about that," she said. "It's called '29' and when you listen to it I think you'll be able to relate to it."
