‘Was This Really Necessary???’: Fans Defend Keke Palmer After August Alsina Puts Her on Blast on Twitter

Whatever sympathy August Alsina may have gained with his Jada Pinkett Smith love story seems to be wearing off, thanks to his response to a post shared by Keke Palmer.

Palmer, correcting a fan who shared an image of her and Alsina together, implying that she had a relationship with the 27-year-old singer at some point, wrote, “Yes girl. August was never my man lol. That’s why you’re still reaching to this day to figure out nothing.”

The image a fan tweeted to Keke Palmer, along with the caption “this you?” @stephvniexo/Twitter

Alsina’s response to Palmer was a bit too spicy for fans, who felt she meant no disrespect and was simply stating facts.

The tweet that started it all. @stephvniexo/Twitter

“U absolutely right. I was NEVER ur man,” wrote the “I Luv This S–t” singer. “You could possibly never shortie. It seems u mad u got curved, but ur “friends” r the reason 4 that.Dey showed me an endless thread of txt/pics of me dat u sent, wrry’d abt who i date &BEGGED me 2 not further disturb ur mental instability.”

Fans were not here for Alsina attacking their girl Keke and read him in the replies for directing his hurt and anger toward the wrong woman:

“Was this really necessary???” asked a fan. “She wasn’t even being shady.”

“This is displaced anger,” a second stated.

“August baby everyone is not out to get you,” reassured a third. “I know you’re on defense mode but this ain’t it. We believed you”

“The bitterness is eating him TF up, bless him,” a fourth fan wrote.

“Came on too hot and too furious for someone who wasn’t even talking about you negatively,” chided a fifth.

August Alsina replies to Keke Palmer, insinuating the two were never in a relationship. @AugustAlsina/Twitter

Alsina explained that he reacted the way he did because he felt the former “Strahan, Sara, & Keke” co-host has been taking subtle shots at him surrounding his comments about his past relationship with Pinkett Smith. “I actually f–ked w/ KeKe,” he tweeted. “So to see her covertly speaking subliminal shade around my name over the past week Is deeply perplex. I don’t and never have had a problem w/ the girl.”

Palmer has since responded to the drama in an Instagram post, choosing to take the high road. “I wouldn’t feel good kicking someone when they are down because it’s so easy to attack when you’re in a corner, I get it. People be hurting y’all and most of the time it has nothing to do with you.”

Democracy needs journalism it can trust.

This election season, the stakes are higher than usual — and so is the pressure on newsrooms to soften their coverage, stay quiet, or just disappear. Independent reporting, the kind that answers to readers instead of advertisers or political pressure, matters more in a moment like this, not less.

For over 14 years, Atlanta Black Star has stayed independent and reader-funded. We have no corporate owner and no shareholders telling us what to cover or how to cover it. That independence is also our biggest vulnerability: nothing protects it except readers choosing to fund it directly.

Newspaper ad revenue has fallen more than 80% since 2005, and local newsrooms are closing at a rate of roughly two a week nationwide. When outlets go under in a moment like this, it's rarely the independent, reader-funded ones that get to stick around.

We know a request for support isn't why you came here. But without readers choosing to fund this work directly, the depth of reporting we can do at home and abroad shrinks along with everyone else's. If you're not in a position to give, that doesn't change how much we value you as a reader.

If you are able to, a recurring contribution does more for us than a single one-time gift, because it lets us plan the next investigation instead of just the next invoice. It takes about 30 seconds, no long form, no account. Thank you for continuing to support independent journalism and freedom of the press.

Back to top