While hosting an SXSW event, Keke Palmer had an awkward interaction with a fan, to say the very least. The now-viral incident took place during what appears to be a panel, according to footage shared by TMZ. Amid the conversation, a man approached the stage with a small, black box in hand. As attendees started filming the man, he can be heard asking the Nope actress for her hand in marriage, which she immediately shut down.
“I can’t marry you,” Palmer says. “I don’t know you. I’m so sorry.” Despite the man’s pleas, Palmer stood firm. At one point in the video, Palmer suggests the moment could be part of a prank, but it doesn’t appear to be the case. Not long after, the man was escorted away from the stage by security staff. The conversation quickly resumed after the man was removed from the building.
EXCLUSIVE: Keke Palmer gets a surprise proposal from a random guy at SXSW in a very awkward moment. pic.twitter.com/aMq87UzgwJ
— TMZ (@TMZ) March 13, 2026
The Dangers Of Parasocial Relationships
The moment was mild compared to a situation like Rihanna’s, whose Beverly Hills home was recently shot up by a fan; it still speaks to the dangerous nature of parasocial relationships between celebrities and their fans, as well as trolls. According to Psychology Today, parasocial relationships are “one-sided emotional bonds where individuals invest their time, effort, energy, emotions, and feelings into a well-known media figure, such as a celebrity, influencer, or fictional character from a book or movie, who is not aware of their existence.”
While typically harmless, some fans’ admiration can go too far and even turn fatal. One of the most infamous cases of this is with Mexican-American singer Selena Quintanilla-Pérez. Often referred to as the “Queen of Tejano” Music, Quintanilla-Pérez was shot and killed in 1995 by Yolanda Saldívar, the president of her fan club and manager of her boutique.
