Keke Palmer expected viewers to notice her chemistry with Sean Evans. She did not expect strangers to ask for relationship updates while she was passing through airport security.
During a July 27 appearance on Today With Jenna & Sheinelle, Palmer said the connection she shares with the Hot Ones host is genuine but urged fans to stop writing a romantic story faster than the two people involved can experience it.
She described the intensity of the public interest as “parasocial” and recalled being questioned about Evans by someone she encountered while going through TSA.
Romance speculation increased after Palmer and Evans were seen having dinner together in Brooklyn in June.
A Fan Wanted an Update Almost Immediately
“I was gagged that everybody was ready to marry me off,” Palmer said. “I was like, ‘Guys, let it cook!’ They married your girl off in two seconds.” Palmer recalled encountering someone at an airport who wanted to know what was happening between her and Evans.
“I see somebody at the airport. I’m going through TSA,” Palmer said. “They’re like, ‘So, girl, what’s going on?’” She responded by asking the fan to allow some time to pass before expecting an answer. “This just happened yesterday,” Palmer recalled telling the person. “It’s so parasocial, the world we live in now.”
Although Palmer discussed the encounter humorously, she said it demonstrated how quickly online narratives can enter a celebrity’s ordinary life. “They write the story quicker than you can live it,” she said.
Palmer Calls Evans Her ‘Work Husband’
“Essentially, we met at work,” she said. “It’s like, you know, work husband, work wife. You just have that chemistry with people. Then, we hang out.”
Palmer said their rapport was not created for publicity and had been present since their first collaboration. “Our chemistry is genuine,” she said. “I couldn’t force that if I tried. We always felt that chemistry from the first time we did the show.”
Their Chemistry Began on ‘Hot Ones’
Palmer first appeared on Evans’ YouTube interview series in 2017. They reunited for another episode in 2021, when Palmer’s reaction to one sauce produced the widely shared line, “This one has a little sweetness to it.”
During a 2023 appearance on Amelia Dimoldenberg’s Chicken Shop Date, Evans admitted that he had a crush on Palmer and described her as “very charming.”
Palmer returned to Hot Ones in September 2025 and raised the subject after completing the interview. She suggested that they share a quick kiss “to see if there’s a spark,” and Evans agreed.
The playful exchange ended with digitally added fireworks and Palmer declaring, “The spark was sparking.” Evans joked that the moment would be among the memories he saw when his life flashed before his eyes.
Evans Said They Had Always Been on the Same Wavelength
Evans joined Palmer on the May 26 episode of Baby, This Is Keke Palmer, where they revisited their previous interviews and discussed the connection viewers had noticed across nearly a decade.
Palmer admitted that she initially assumed Evans was simply being professional during their first encounter, even though she felt they were having an unusually enjoyable conversation.
Evans told her he had felt the same way and said they had been on the “same wavelength” from the beginning. He also praised Palmer as charismatic, intelligent and beautiful while explaining why she had become one of his most memorable guests.
Palmer Will Not Let the Internet Set Her Timeline
She said that online speculation does not determine how she views her own life. “I don’t let it define the way that I think,” Palmer said. “You can’t just take everything at face value. You have to be critically thinking about everything you see.”
During a June 23 Cannes Lions panel with Jay Shetty, Palmer confirmed that she and Evans had been spending time together but stopped short of defining the connection.
“We hangin’ out, you know what I mean?” she said. “That’s my guy. You never know what can arise from there. We just take it day by day. One wing at a time, so to speak.”