Keke Palmer wants new moms to know some truths about snapback culture.
The “Nope” star, who welcomed son Leodis with her boyfriend Darius Jackson in February, discussed the importance of new moms fighting the pressures to lose weight or to return to their pre-pregnancy bodies during an interview with People published on Wednesday.
“The main thing I would say to any new mom is do what you can when you can, whatever it is that makes you feel good,” she said, adding that new moms should only follow a workout regimen if it makes them feel good.
“If that’s not what you’re worried about, then don’t worry about it,” she said.
Palmer later pointed out that often when celebrities immediately lose their baby weight or appear to snap back to their pre-pregnancy bodies, it’s largely due to the nature and cultural environment of their careers.
“Anytime you see a celebrity doing a snap back or whatever like that, it’s part of the damn gig,” she said. ”A part of our jobs is to look good and to look the part. So don’t think it’s this thing where it’s like, ‘We doing it because we got it like that.’ No, the job is on the line.”
She continued, “If we want the checks to get signed, we got to be what we got to be.”
Amy Sussman via Getty Images
Other celebrities have spoken out against societal pressures to snap back after having a baby.
Tia Mowry, who shares two children with her ex-husband Cory Hardrict, encouraged other moms to reject those expectations in an Instagram post in 2021.
“Mamas, we can allow our bodies to just BE while we nourish them (and our little ones!) with good things, instead of buying into the snapback culture,” she wrote.
Palmer announced the birth of her son with a slideshow of photos she posted on Instagram in February. The photos included shots of her and Jackson and sweet pictures of their newborn.
Last month, the actor got candid about the challenges of parenthood and wrote in the caption of the post, “I ain’t gon’ lie, I’m gettin’ COOKED!”
She then expressed her admiration for parents who are able to raise a child alone.
“I just came on here to say,” she said, “if you are a single parent, pull out your cape.”