Keke Palmer recounted an incident in which Ryan Murphy, who co-created and produced Scream Queens, ‘ripped’ into her on set.
The actress, 31, detailed the experience in her upcoming memoir, Master Of Me: The Secret To Controlling Your Narrative, where she also shared a shocking racist incident that took place with an unnamed white co-star.
Palmer, who starred as Zayday Williams on the series for two seasons in 2015 and 2016, alleged Murphy, 59, called her out after she missed a day of shooting.
‘It was kind of like I was in the dean’s office,’ she said while speaking to the Los Angeles Times. ‘He was like, “I’ve never seen you behave like this. I can’t believe that you, out of all people, would do something like this.”‘
Palmer said she apologized to the television producer and thought that everything was settled between them, but days later she spoke with one of her co-stars who didn’t have as rosy an interpretation of the conflict.
Keke Palmer, 31, recounted an incident in which Ryan Murphy, 59, who co-created and produced Scream Queens, ‘ripped’ into her for missing a day of shooting; (L) Keke seen in 2021, (R) Murphy pictured in 2019
It all started when Keke had scheduled an unspecified ‘business obligation’ for what was to be a day off on her Scream Queens shooting schedule.
However, Palmer was later told by staff members on the series — seemingly at the last minute — that she had been rescheduled to shoot on what had previously been her day off.
Instead of canceling her plans, she skipped the day of shooting and instead took care of her prior obligation, though it’s unclear if she communicated that decision with the production.
That’s when she was called up by Murphy and reprimanded.
After she apologized, Keke told a female co-star that she thought she and Murphy were ‘cool,’ but her co-star said the situation was still ‘bad,’ which Palmer thought was an attempt to scare her straight.
Hollywood productions are infamous for their long hours — most actors and crew members can expect to work 10–12 hours per day, minimum, and its not unheard of for a single shooting day to go as long as 14 or 16 hours — but they also can be erratic, and changing shooting days is not unheard of.
The Nope star added that early on her time on Scream Queens she had hoped to become one of Murphy’s regular stars, such as Emma Roberts, Sarah Paulson, Jessica Lange and Billie Lourd.
However, after she skipped the rescheduled shooting date to focus on other obligations, she feared that Murphy had blacklisted her and would know longer cast her in other projects — though it’s unclear if the conflict between the two occurred on the first or second season of Scream Queens.
Palmer said she scheduled a ‘business obligation’ for her off day, but when the shooting schedule changed she opted to go to her prior obligation instead of filming; (L–R) Palmer, Abigail Breslin, Emma Roberts, Billie Lourd and Lea Michele seen on Scream Queens
‘It was kind of like I was in the dean’s office,’ she told the LA Times. ‘He was like, “I’ve never seen you behave like this. I can’t believe that you, out of all people, would do something like this”‘; Murphy seen in September in NYC
After she skipped the rescheduled shooting date to focus on other obligations, she feared that Murphy had blacklisted her and would know longer cast her in other projects; Murphy seen with Michele in 2022
The actress detailed the experience in her upcoming memoir, Master Of Me: The Secret To Controlling Your Narrative; seen in May
Palmer has not starred in a Murphy project since.
‘I’m still not sure Ryan cared, or got it, and that’s okay because he was just centering his business, which isn’t a problem to me,’ Palmer wrote in her book.
‘But what I do know is even if he didn’t care, and even if I never work with him again, he knows that I, too, see myself as a business.’
Murphy co-created the series with his regular collaborators Brad Falchuk and Ian Brennan, as well as produced, wrote and directed select episodes.
DailyMail.com has reached out to representatives for Murphy and Fox Broadcasting to request comment.
Murphy, via his publicist, declined a request for comment from the LA Times.
Elsewhere in the book Keke alleged that a shocking racist incident occurred on set of the slasher comedy, and described a confrontation with a white costar who is only referred to by a pseudonym.
The unnamed actress allegedly compared Keke to Martin Luther King Jr. during a tense exchange.
Palmer’s time on the series, which aired for two seasons on Fox from 2015 through 2016, seems particularly difficult, according to her book and new profile.
She starred on the horror-comedy with a bevy of women stars, including Emma Roberts, Lea Michele, Abigail Breslin, Billie Lourd and Jamie Lee Curtis, while Nasim Pedrad, Kirstie Alley, Ariana Grande and Cecily Strong were also featured on the series for a single season.
Elsewhere in the book, Keke alleged that a racist incident occurred on set of the slasher comedy, when an unnamed white co-star compared her to Martin Luther King Jr.
Scream Queens aired for two seasons on Fox from 2015 through 2016; publicity still from Scream Queens
Palmer’s self-help memoir Master Of Me: The Secret To Controlling Your Narrative hits shelves on November 19; seen in April in West Hollywood
She writes that the actress referred to as Brenda was upset on set one day due to a conflict she was having with another colleague.
However, when Palmer tried to console her costar and said she hoped that everyone on the show could ‘have fun and respect each other,’ Brenda lashed out.
‘Keke, literally, just don’t. Who do you think you are? Martin F— Luther King?’ the unnamed actress allegedly shot back.
In her book, Palmer explained her decision to not name the woman, as she thought it would rob her words of power and not make Brenda the center of discussion.
‘I’m not no victim. That’s not my storyline, sweetie. I don’t care what her a** said. If I allow what she said to cripple me, then she would,’ she added defiantly.
The jab comparing her to Martin Luther King Jr. was ironic, as Palmer’s parents had instructed her to follow the Civil Rights Movement icon’s example when she was the victim of microagressions in kindergarten at a private Catholic school.
Palmer’s self-help memoir Master Of Me: The Secret To Controlling Your Narrative hits shelves on November 19.
