Keke Palmer’s SXSW panel took an unexpected turn on Friday when a stranger came on stage and knelt in front of her, ring box in hand, in front of a live audience.
Palmer was hosting a live recording of his podcast, Baby this is Keke Palmernext to her I love reinforcements co-stars Demi Moore, Naomi Ackie, Taylour Paige, Poppy Liu and Eiza González when the man appeared on stage, knelt down and smiled at her with an open ring box.
Palmer’s jaw dropped. His co-stars reacted with a mix of surprise and laughter.
She handled it with as much grace as the situation allowed.
“I can’t marry you. I don’t know you. I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry, sir,” she told him, prompting laughter from the crowd.
Assuming it must be a setup, he asked if everything had been planned in advance, but staff and audience members near the front quickly made it clear that it wasn’t.
Someone shouted that they needed security.
His security guard came out from backstage and a SXSW staff member stood up from the audience and they both moved to escort the man away.
It didn’t move easily.
Still on her knees, he insisted that she meant yes. Several audience members shouted back that she didn’t. He was eventually escorted out of the event space, with Palmer visibly worried about him and apologizing to his castmates and the crowd.
Taylor Paige, always quick, leaned into the moment.
“I feel sorry for this man,” she said with a laugh, a nod to the iconic meme featuring Palmer herself.
Once the dust settled, Palmer joked that he had taken on Ashton Kutcher’s hidden camera show. punk must have been revived.
Then he asked the room to take a collective breath, the audience obeyed with applause and the recording of the podcast returned to its track.
