Throwing Punches and Shade with Claressa Shields and Ryan Destiny

You ever meet somebody and just know they got that FIRE inside them? Well, today we’re sitting down with none other than The GWOAT herself, boxing legend Claressa Shields, and Detroit’s own Ryan Destiny, who plays Claressa in the new film “The Fire Inside,” to talk all about lighting that flame. They dive into the real life inspiration behind the film, tracing Claressa’s rise from Flint, Michigan to becoming a two-time Olympic gold medalist and undisputed world champion. We’re touching on everything from Remy Ma and Keith Powers to Drake and Kendrick Lamar—so sit back, and get ready to roll with the punches! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Speaker names marked ? are inferred from speaking time and the show’s known hosts — they are not voice-verified.

• 0:00Keke Palmer?

  This episode is sponsored by Airbnb. If spring fever's got you feeling a little, and see, might I suggest booking an Airbnb for a change of scenery? Now, let's start the show.

• 0:16Keke Palmer?

  Hey, listeners, it's your girl, Keke Palmer, and today, we have boxing legend Clarissa Shields here with us. There's a new film out called "The Fire Inside" that takes you through her incredible journey from growing up in poverty in Flint, Michigan, to snatching that first Olympic gold medal and way beyond. But, that's not all. Also joining us today is the phenomenal Ryan Destiny, who plays Clarissa in the film. We're breaking down how she brought Clarissa's powerful story to life on the big screen, and getting both of their takes on what it means to have the fire inside. So, hang tight, because, baby, this is Keke Palmer.

• 1:19Keke Palmer?

  All right, Mom, now, I'm excited to talk to you about this, because you always, always have been, I feel like, ahead of the curve when it comes to amazing stories, especially when it comes to young black women. And I remember, I think it was you, that's why I feel like I had met Claressa Shields, because you knew about her. Was it that you saw her documentary? But you had found out about Claressa Shields, and I just remember you telling me about her empowering story.

• 1:44Speaker 01

  Yeah, I heard about her through another boxer, who was slightly older than her, named Latonya.

• 1:51Keke Palmer?

  Okay.

• 1:52Speaker 01

  And Latonya, her and her father, at the time, was trying to get her in the Olympics. And he told me about Clarissa. He said, "My daughter is really good, and she's really talented." And he said, "There's another young lady that's coming up..." That is really good. Her name is Clarissa. So he kinda started telling me about female boxing and during this time, it wasn't even in the Olympics.

• 2:16Keke Palmer?

  Mm-hmm.

• 2:17Speaker 01

  Um, and he basically was saying, one day it's gonna be in the Olympics and he had a high hopes for his daughter. But he saw the talent in Clarissa. So all while he was pumping his daughter up, he always would pump Clarissa up as well.

• 2:33Keke Palmer?

  Oh, wow.

• 2:34Speaker 01

  Yeah, and he would say how good she was and his daughter, she was very talented too. She won a lot. But she got married and started having kids and, I mean, she chose that route for herself and, um, she seems very happy. But they're very happy for Clarissa. When she started winning, he called me and he said, I told you, see, I told you. You know, we're gonna do it, you know, so he was act like he was just as happy for her as he would have been had it been his daughter.

• 3:01Keke Palmer?

  I love that. So obviously, I'm talking to Clarissa today. I'm talking to Ryan, who I know you know as well from when I did Star.

• 3:07Speaker 01

  Yes, yes.

• 3:09Keke Palmer?

  But yeah, I'm excited to talk to Clarissa because I think in the movie, there's so many different things that she has gone through that she speaks to. Different traumas in her life, just things she was held up against. But not always were those the things that motivated her. I mean, I'm sure they shaped her and shaped her ability to withstand some of the things that she had to endure to even be so successful in a, in a sport like this. But it makes me just think about circumstances.

• 3:33Speaker 01

  Right.

• 3:34Keke Palmer?

  Um, and what can be the fuel to make us all tap into that fire inside? Whether you grew up in someplace like Flint, Michigan, or you grew up in Beverly Hills. We all need to find something that makes us wanna get it. And I'm wondering or, or curious to you, how do you feel that you found yours? What do you think the key is to tapping into that?

• 3:53Speaker 01

  You know, I mean, I don't know. I think you just have to find that passion. You have to really focus in on the things that are effortless to you, that really bring you passion. And for me, at a very young age, I knew I loved movies. I often wonder, like, you always hear the story of everyone said they couldn't make it. Everyone, you know, looked down on them and now look at them now.

• 4:17Keke Palmer?

  Hmm.

• 4:18Speaker 01

  And, you know, and you ask that person, well, how did you do it? Because I, you know, I motivated myself and I didn't listen to the naysayers. What about the person that does listen to the naysayers? Like, they're not able to put the negativity aside. They're not able to go past the words, you know, because words are very powerful.

• 4:40Keke Palmer?

  Yeah.

• 4:41Speaker 01

  What about those people? How do they survive?

• 4:45Keke Palmer?

  Man, I think there's probably more people like that than there are people that believe.

• 4:50Speaker 01

  Mm-hmm.

• 4:51Keke Palmer?

  You know, so I think that most of them just, you know, keep going, kind of become a, you know, what I would consider NPC, non-play of a character. You know, just kind of going through the motions of what they feel that, you know, it's like that's the matrix, you know what I'm saying? They go through the motions of what they feel that they're capable of till they realize that they have a choice. You know, we always talk about us and our family coming from Robbins, a neighborhood that we're in, whatever our background is culturally, politically, you know, that you may feel defines us. We still said, hey, maybe we have a choice to, to, to do something different or to go for something that people wouldn't expect, or we'll paint our own picture. Why we did that, why we had that determination? That's the part that I'm not sure how to put into words. I'm not sure if.

• 5:34Speaker 01

  Right.

• 5:35Keke Palmer?

  I don't know. Do you think that's something you're born with?

• 5:37Speaker 01

  Oh, my goodness, yeah. I think you are born with passions, you know.

• 5:43Keke Palmer?

  Or determination.

• 5:43Speaker 01

  Yeah, determination. Yeah, I do think that we're born with likes and dislikes. I do. You can look at the baby and see, you know, what they gravitate to and what they don't. They don't eat everything. They don't, you know, touch everything. So I do think that we are, but I.

• 5:57Keke Palmer?

  But it goes beyond that. Like, yeah, we all have likes. Yeah, we all have passions. Yeah, we all have hopes. Yeah, we all have dreams. But why don't we all go for them?

• 6:05Speaker 01

  I, you know, that's, I, I, I keep thinking about that because I was talking to my sister about that. Now, she always wanted to be bigger-than-life hairstylist. Like, she wanted to be John Amico and, you know.

• 6:18Keke Palmer?

  Who the hell is that?

• 6:19Speaker 01

  School. I don't know. I don't know if anybody knows who he is, but he used to be like the school. It used to be the John Amico.

• 6:26Keke Palmer?

  Like Paul Mitchell?

• 6:27Speaker 01

  Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. And, um, she just wanted to be her name on, on a salon or whatever. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And so she would do all these hair shows and invest all this money in these hair shows. And it was fun and everything, but I I never saw how she was advancing, you know what I mean? I just saw her putting money into stuff and I'm not necessarily getting back the return.

• 6:53Keke Palmer?

  Sure.

• 6:53Speaker 01

  But it made her feel good about what she was doing. So I encouraged her, I even participated in some of the shows. But I just, you know, we're older now, we sit back and we talk about it and she goes, you know, I had dreams, you know? I had, you know, things that I wanted to do. And I just wonder like, you know, was her vision, I mean, like, I know everybody.

• 7:17Keke Palmer?

  You just wonder why it didn't pan out.

• 7:19Speaker 01

  Why it didn't happen for her?

• 7:20Keke Palmer?

  Because she didn't keep going.

• 7:21Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 7:21Keke Palmer?

  That's the, I think that is determination, is determination is continuing the plot. Like not getting off track of it and not.

• 7:29Speaker 01

  And being flexible, I guess, and pivoting, yeah.

• 7:31Keke Palmer?

  Yeah, and knowing that sometimes you don't get the immediate return.

• 7:34Speaker 01

  That's right.

• 7:35Keke Palmer?

  I mean, I can't tell you how many things I've invested in and I gotten the immediate return.

• 7:39Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 7:39Keke Palmer?

  You know what I mean? I just invested maybe differently the next time, but I had to keep investing in the dream. I had to keep believing, I had to learn to pivot, I had to learn how to keep it alive. And so I think that the only reason why people's things that they don't go through is because they they they've lacked the consistency, the persistence, and the determination.

• 7:58Speaker 01

  Right. Now, what happens when you make it? Per se, like you win that gold medal. Now what? Now what's next?

• 8:07Keke Palmer?

  Well, that's an important question. I was actually gonna say, do you think the fire burns out without challenges to keep you going, or can we stay motivated when things are smooth? And I feel like, for me personally, both things invigorate me. Because success begets success. So if I have success in something that makes me keep keep grinding, keep pounding the pavement, I start seeing some inkling of results, I'm not letting up. That's like when I'm in the gym, if I see it go to one seventy-four BPM, baby, I'm going to eighty. One eighty on your ass.

• 8:39Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 8:39Keke Palmer?

  You know, but if I also don't get it. Then I am challenged in a different way to, again, pivot. Okay, wait a minute, maybe I've moved too far in this direction. How can I course correct? This may not be all the way right, or maybe I need to slow down.

• 8:56Speaker 01

  You have a strategy. Yeah, you have a strategy. And I may, I think that might be why, you know, my sister, because I think she was talented, and she lived a good life, she, she shouldn't feel bad about anything. But I also think maybe there was no strategy to it. Now that I think about it.

• 9:13Keke Palmer?

  Well, because people don't have resources or information. Like, I mean, it's not like there's a book that says, this is how you become so and so.

• 9:19Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 9:20Keke Palmer?

  Um, everybody's blueprint is different. And I think coming up with your own strategy, that's the difficult part, but that's what it's gotta be, and you can't give up on it. But to that point, I want to ask you, to those people that, that are listening, that are figuring out how to do just that, and how to stay determined and have that fire. In your life, and I can share minds too, when you have felt about giving up, and when you have felt like, okay, you know, I don't, I, I don't want to re-strategize, I don't want to figure out, I just want to let things be. How did you get yourself to keep going towards that goal?

• 9:54Speaker 01

  Failure is not an option to me.

• 9:58Speaker 01

  It's just not a motherfucking option. It just, it's not an option. I'm a winner.

• 10:06Keke Palmer?

  So what do you do? Because I love that context.

• 10:10Speaker 01

  I tell myself I'm a winner. I tell myself that God wants me to win. I tell myself that I must win. Period. Exclamation point. That's it.

• 10:25Speaker 01

  It's not an option.

• 10:27Keke Palmer?

  Yeah, I feel like whenever I get down, and whenever I feel like, I let myself be down first. I let myself be down, I let myself feel whatever that is that I'm feeling. And I'm thinking about like forty-eight hours, I've come up with already a new plan. Um, and the basis of it for me is to not let myself down simply. You know what I'm saying? Like, I feel like I'm my best friend, I feel like I have goals and things I want to achieve. I feel like life is, life is Sure, like, life is an experience that, you know, I feel like I wanna live to the fullest, and I, and I feel like a video game sometimes, like, hey, if I didn't solve level one, then I gotta go back to the drawing board, cuz I gotta get to level two.

• 11:04Speaker 01

  That's right.

• 11:05Keke Palmer?

  So I kinda just feel like I wanna keep living, and I wanna keep being engaged with life. I don't wanna get bored with it, so I have to have some type of goal. I gotta have a goal, or why else I'm here.

• 11:14Speaker 01

  That's right.

• 11:15Keke Palmer?

  And so I think that, that kind of like really grounded, like, very simplistic way of thinking, um, is what pushes me forward, because I feel like I gotta do something.

• 11:24Speaker 01

  I agree with that, and I also love too, you know, we, we say this a lot, you and I, in our text messages, that there are no mistakes, just experiences, right? You know, we don't, you, you live in your life, you don't know what's around the corner, and it, it's not a mistake, it's an experience.

• 11:42Keke Palmer?

  And the truth is, is there's no end game. I think that's the thing too, like, I have goals, but they're kind of like ridiculous, nonsensical, these goals can never really be attained, and yet, still, they can. Like, generational wealth, how do you attain that? You know what I mean, like, like, you can, but it's like, that kid, that's so huge. So it's like, I'm always gonna be able to chase that, being able to support my community, being able to do things that makes my community proud, being able to branch off and figure out ways to build a bouncing board.

• 12:11Speaker 01

  You are focused on community. You know, when, uh, again, when people see the movie, One of Them Days, one of the things that people say about it is, it's so good with friendship and community, so is Kiki. That's really who you are.

• 12:27Keke Palmer?

  I feel like, I mean, I think it's obviously in my work, going back from Akela and the Bee to the characters I've tried to portray and, um, humanize people in our communities. You know, the same thing with this year, but except it's become even more, I think, clear in my work, and my work options, from One of Them Days to the Boots Riley movie, to

• 12:47Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 12:47Keke Palmer?

  the one I did with Aziz Ansari, The Good Fortune, and all of it does really speak to, I think, ultimately, what I would hope my legacy is with my work and my artistry, and my desire is for that, that community element, the togetherness, and just what that means to me, and how we move through some of these difficult times as the world keeps changing, and obviously, coming from where I come from, that's always been the thing, right, you know, uh, is, is each other. We don't have everything, but we have each other, and so reminding, or having that moment of Ubuntu, I am cuz you are, you are cuz I am. Reminding us why we're here through art. Those are the things that make me feel like life is worth living. What makes me feel like I have the fire inside.

• 13:29Speaker 01

  Yeah, and I love your statement. When you the one, you the one.

• 13:34Keke Palmer?

  Come on. All right, let's get into this with Clarissa.

• 13:45Keke Palmer?

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• 14:28Keke Palmer?

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• 14:54Keke Palmer?

  Y'all, today we've got not one, but two powerhouses in the building. That's right, we've got Claressa Shields. And she is a real-life superhero who's rewriting history every time she steps into the ring. Okay, she's fierce, she's unstoppable, and she's the first American woman to win an Olympic gold medal in boxing. Okay, just let that sink in. Not only is she a two-time Olympic gold medalist, but she's also one of only four boxers in history, male or female, to hold all four major world titles in two weight classes. That's crazy. The other incredibly talented woman here with us today is Thea Ryan. Destiny, okay, she brings Clarissa's story to life in the new film, The Fire Inside, and her performance has already earned her

• 15:38Keke Palmer?

  a 2024 Gotham Award nomination for Breakthrough Performer, yes! A 2025 Independent Spirit Award nomination for Best Lead Performance, and a 2025 NAACP nomination for Outstanding Breakthrough Performance in a Motion Picture. Ladies, I'm thrilled to have you on the show!

• 15:58Speaker 02

  Yes! We're happy to be here!

• 16:02Keke Palmer?

  Oh my gosh, now the first time that I think I met you, Ryan, I was on, coming on to your show. You had me on Star.

• 16:08Speaker 02

  Star, I know.

• 16:09Keke Palmer?

  And then Clarissa, I don't know when I first met you, but I met you, we met years ago. I don't know what event we were at, but-

• 16:16Speaker 03

  Ryan Destiny's birthday party.

• 16:18Keke Palmer?

  Oh, was that Ryan when we first met?

• 16:19Speaker 02

  Oh, it was, okay.

• 16:20Keke Palmer?

  I didn't realize that was when we first met. Maybe I just always had known about your story. And so I felt like I knew you, even though I hadn't yet met you.

• 16:27Speaker 03

  Yeah, you know, listen, I've been knowing you since The Killin' the Beast, so we, so we sisters, okay?

• 16:31Keke Palmer?

  Okay! How y'all doing? Congratulations, the movie, The Fire Inside, it's out. It came out in December. How do y'all feel about it being out in the world? Because I know it was a process filming it and then it coming out. So how does it feel now that the world gets to see it and hold it?

• 16:46Speaker 02

  It feels very weird and surreal, like, you know, I mean, like, five years is quite some time. So for it to just finally be out, I think I'm just very grateful and thankful that it, that people have seen it and they're like responding to it so well. It's crazy.

• 17:04Keke Palmer?

  OMG.

• 17:05Speaker 03

  Yeah, for me, it's like, people understand me better now. You know, I am a different type of woman and I come with a lot of confidence that's kind of, people think it's abnormal, but I think from The Fire Inside and Ryan Destiny portraying me so well, people just like, this is where she come from and this is why she carry herself like this, and this is why she is different, but it has been, I haven't gotten out one bad comment about the movie.

• 17:34Keke Palmer?

  Well, let's talk about the, the time in which it takes place. For those who haven't seen it, Clarissa, can you talk a little bit about the period in life that the movie dramatizes?

• 17:41Speaker 03

  Yeah, so the movie kind of starts from my early childhood, age 11, when I started boxing. And then it goes into when I went to my first Olympics. And it kind of goes to the lead up to that. So starting boxing at eleven. I mean, a lot of people don't really realize, but I went to the Olympics at the age of seventeen when I won my first gold medal. So I was still a teenager. So it shows me winning that gold medal and then coming back and finishing my twelfth grade year of school.

• 18:09Keke Palmer?

  Oh, my god.

• 18:10Speaker 03

  The next year. So it goes from that and then it shows a few years after. Kind of after winning the Olympic and then somewhat preparing for the next one, which was in twenty sixteen.

• 18:23Keke Palmer?

  Now, some of this was, uh, obviously in the documentary that was about you called T-Rex.

• 18:28Speaker 03

  Yes.

• 18:29Keke Palmer?

  How did you feel about that documentary? And what did you think when they first said they wanted to actually turn it into a movie?

• 18:34Speaker 03

  Well, if you have seen T-Rex, you know, T-Rex is very raw. They followed me for five, six years of my life. They got behind the scenes, everything, first boyfriend, coach arguments. Um, my family, my mom, my sister, like. They have, but I mean, I think they even got a scene where me and my little brother fought in a yard with boxing gloves on. The documentary had everything. And, um, I just remember. After the documentary, people got stuck up in one part at a time. So people. Still feel like when they watch T-Rex that I'm still seventeen. And I'm like, I'm twenty nine years old. I'm turning thirty this year. So when they came with the opportunity to have the movie. I said, well.

• 19:21Speaker 03

  As long as you guys. At the end, keep everybody up to date to where I am now.

• 19:27Keke Palmer?

  Yeah, yeah.

• 19:27Speaker 03

  It's really hard for women in boxing to get exposure. And for people to actually follow us and what we're doing. So I was like, I want to have the documentary show. I went to the Olympics once, I went twice and then end the story. It's like, no, I'm a millionaire.

• 19:42Keke Palmer?

  Yep.

• 19:42Speaker 02

  Period.

• 19:43Speaker 03

  Like, let's, let, let's go there. Um, I have houses, I have cars. I'm a 15-time world champion in boxing. I am number one pound, pound, woman fighter in the world. Not yesterday, but today as we sit here. So it was like, I want you guys to put the stats.

• 20:01Keke Palmer?

  Honestly, Kristen, that is freaking amazing and insane. You know what I'm saying? It's really just incredible to hear about all these accomplishments. And I have to say to you, Ryan, what were you thinking when you heard about this? It sounds unbelievable. I know you probably read the script or, you know, heard about Clarissa and was like, is this shit for real? You know what I mean?

• 20:19Speaker 02

  No, yeah. Yeah. No, I, I definitely was just very intimidated with the entire process. And I knew, I knew that Clarissa was an outspoken person, you know, naturally. So I knew that if she didn't like any part of what was going on, she was gonna make it known.

• 20:41Speaker 02

  And pull up on me, baby. So I was, I was scared, not gonna lie. Like, I was scared, like, I think from auditioning. I didn't think I was gonna get it. Like, I was just completely scared during the whole process. But I don't, I don't look at that as a bad thing. I didn't look at it as something that was, you know. Yeah.

• 21:00Keke Palmer?

  Whenever I'm nervous, anxious, or, or scared about something, I'm like, I really want this. And I really see the value in it. And I think that that showed up on screen for sure, like with your transformation. I know you were mad because the director didn't put your thing up in there.

• 21:17Keke Palmer?

  It was in there for like five seconds. I know you said that.

• 21:19Speaker 03

  Yes.

• 21:20Keke Palmer?

  But overall, the transformation, you know, you always have a strength about you. But to see a character where you could really lean into it more, I know must have been so fun for you to get to show that other side.

• 21:33Speaker 02

  Yeah, it really was. I, I really, really wanted something like this role. And I wanted something that was going to challenge me in these types of ways. Like, that was just like a dream, you know? Because I know what people and how people perceive me. And I know that, like, You know, they want me to play like a Bratz doll or something.

• 21:54Keke Palmer?

  Okay.

• 21:55Speaker 02

  You know, a princess.

• 21:57Keke Palmer?

  Yeah.

• 21:59Speaker 02

  And I love that, you know, I, I love, I love that and I think it's so flattering. But I also knew there were other sides of me and I really, really wanted to, you know, showcase that and push myself um beyond, you know, what I even saw for myself. So um, so yeah, this definitely did that and I just, I'm, I'm really proud of it.

• 22:18Keke Palmer?

  Yes, you should be. Aside from the parts that were so unfamiliar, like the boxing and just her extreme, just this whole athletic world that not many of us know much about. What were the parts that you felt resonated with you personally in terms of you guys' stories? Just as young women growing and, and fighting for your dreams?

• 22:36Speaker 02

  I think it was literally that. It was the fact that, you know, during that time too, me and Clarissa are literally the same age. Well, now I'm thirty, so I'm a few months.

• 22:46Speaker 03

  She's, she's older than me by.

• 22:48Keke Palmer?

  Uh huh, not her trying to be like, I'm older, I'm older.

• 22:51Speaker 03

  She big sis.

• 22:54Speaker 02

  Girl, no, I would be, I'm twenty-five. Um, but no.

• 22:59Speaker 02

  But we, we were in high school literally at the same time. Like two thousand twelve was when I um graduated and when I was a senior. So there were so many things that I could relate to and kind of doing and achieving kind of the impossible, like especially from the state that we're from. From Michigan, I'm from Detroit, she's from Flint and those parallels were just crazy, like.

• 23:21Speaker 03

  Amazing.

• 23:21Speaker 02

  I, it's just, it's such a coincidence.

• 23:23Keke Palmer?

  Midwest, I'm from Illinois, Robin's stand-up.

• 23:25Speaker 02

  Yes.

• 23:27Keke Palmer?

  Midwest girlies.

• 23:30Speaker 02

  My favorite girlies.

• 23:31Keke Palmer?

  Okay.

• 23:33Speaker 02

  But yeah, so I think culturally, I could resonate with so many things that were going on. You know, music we're listening to, clothes we were wearing, like, just, just so many things that I just felt a connection to.

• 23:46Keke Palmer?

  And if I'm not mistaken, you started around the same time in, during your career in music as she did in boxing, right? Like eleven, twelve, same kind of thing?

• 23:55Speaker 02

  Yeah, mhm, yeah, definitely, definitely teen, pre-teen. Um, and it's just so, it's crazy to be, I mean, you know, to be doing something, you know, at such a young age and, and taking it that serious is like not normal. And, and then you really gotta, and then you really gotta commit to it. Like, you gotta continue the commitment for at least twenty more years after.

• 24:19Keke Palmer?

  No, seriously.

• 24:20Speaker 02

  It's so, it's, it's, it's just a different type of mentality, I think. So, um, so yeah, I, I could connect to a lot of things like that.

• 24:29Keke Palmer?

  So what was it like, you know, you get the part, you, you know, go through all that process and then you and Clarissa and me, both of you guys, what, you know, what were your expectations? And then like, what did you think when you actually met each other?

• 24:40Speaker 02

  So we didn't actually meet in person until my birthday.

• 24:45Speaker 03

  When I met you, same day.

• 24:47Speaker 02

  Yes, same day. We were always like connected, like through texts, through DM, like anything, like call, anything I needed from her, any questions I had, like she was there to answer. And I was really appreciative of that, but it was a lot of things that messed it up, like COVID.

• 25:03Speaker 03

  Yeah.

• 25:04Speaker 02

  I was, I went to, I was going to one of her fights and then that fight got canceled. Like timing just kept getting in the way of us meeting.

• 25:13Speaker 03

  I was leaving Flint. It was like she had just landed in Flint and I was leaving Flint. Like people were calling me like, hey, is this you running down the street up on Baltimore Street? And I'm like, no. And I'm like, oh, that's Ryan. She's doing a great job with Triane, great.

• 25:28Keke Palmer?

  Oh, my gosh, I love that.

• 25:30Speaker 03

  I thought she was me. Yeah, it's Ryan.

• 25:33Speaker 02

  We, so we, but we didn't meet until after, but we met after she saw the movie for the first time.

• 25:39Speaker 03

  I saw The Fire Inside the day before, right? And I was shooketh, okay?

• 25:46Keke Palmer?

  Yeah, what did you think? I mean, first of all, what was your involvement with production up to that point? I obviously knew, you knew this is my story. They're taking stuff from T-Rex. But like, you know, in terms of the process, like how much of it all was a surprise for you? Or did you, were you kind of there the, the whole way?

• 26:01Speaker 03

  Well, I, I had two major parts in, in the movie. And that was all, and that was okay in the script. Me and Barry Jenkins sat and talked for four or five hours.

• 26:10Keke Palmer?

  Shout outs to Barry.

• 26:12Speaker 03

  Yes, he, me and him talked four or five hours. I asked him, what's your take on my story? He told me, I said, mm, almost, this is my life story, you know?

• 26:21Keke Palmer?

  So wait, let's go, let's, I would like to go in on that. When you, tell me what, in a few, few words, what was the vibe? He thought your story was? And then in a few words, what did you want to make sure came through?

• 26:34Speaker 03

  Well, you know, you've been through like sexual abuse growing up and you're in a sport that's dominated by men. People kind of look at you like, oh, you know, yeah, you accomplished these great things, but do you box because you don't like men? Or do you box because you're scared and you want to get stronger to where you can protect yourself? Or your upbringing, like, we don't know much about it, but this is what we heard about, you know? Um, your mom was an alcoholic and dad was in prison and no one looked out for you and, you know, I was just like, nah, actually, you know, being born and raised in Flint, you know, I think that that's why we have the word family because if your mom or your dad can't do it, you got an auntie or you got a grandma who steps in and takes care of you.

• 27:18Speaker 03

  And I was raised by my grandmother, that's who raised me. So, um, after going through the sexual abuse as a young kid, it did bring a lot of anger and confusion to me. But that was at five years old. I didn't start boxing until I was 11.

• 27:33Speaker 03

  So it was a stretch in between there, but I stayed with my grandmother from the time I was five years old till I was like nine, 10. And then I moved back to my mom. So now back to my mom, I found bursting, which was the gym. I started boxing, fell in love with it, but I, but, but I ran track, I played basketball, but boxing was just like, it wasn't about getting hit, it wasn't about hitting somebody, it just was about doing something right and somebody telling me, "Good job."

• 28:02Keke Palmer?

  I really love everything that you said so much because I think specifically with our stories, whether it's, you know, growing up in poverty, I grew up in poverty myself, whether it's experiencing something traumatic or if it's just being black or if it's being a woman, so much of what makes us great or our, our talent or our passion is attributed to this storyline of, that, that can feel so dehumanizing and also make it feels as if our choices are not autonomous, where it's like, oh, they, this is all they had and this is what they had to do. And it's like, nah, I was just good and I just loved it. And that's just what it was. It was good. It was like, yes, this is my life, this is what I experienced and this will happen and maybe it has affected me in ways that I don't even know, but at the end of the day, this right Here, this was some shit I put my mind to, that I loved and I did it.

• 28:47Speaker 03

  This is mine.

• 28:48Keke Palmer?

  That's right, that's right.

• 28:49Speaker 03

  This is mine right here. Like, I'm not being forced to box. Nobody's like, hey, get in the ring and box for the tough. He's like, no. I just love the sport of boxing. I love running. I love jumping rope. I love hitting the speed bag, Ryan.

• 29:04Keke Palmer?

  I love, I love that you wanted to make sure that your autonomy and your love for your sport and your craft was not synonymous with your hardship. I think that's a very powerful thing to make sure that comes through.

• 29:16Speaker 03

  Absolutely. I think passion isn't used enough in, in our fields. Like, they say, oh, when we're doing something, we, it's something that we have. It's like, no, actually, people are passionate about their jobs.

• 29:27Keke Palmer?

  Yeah.

• 29:28Speaker 03

  I love boxing and I love fighting.

• 29:38Keke Palmer?

  For both of you, I know that, uh, the movie's about Clarissa, but I feel like this goes to both of you. Um, what makes you both have the fire inside? What is that fire inside for you both that keeps you going in your, in your crafts?

• 29:52Speaker 02

  I think there are a few things for me. I think, obviously, the people around me definitely keep me going.

• 30:01Keke Palmer?

  Mm-hmm.

• 30:01Speaker 02

  My family, you know, kind of uplifting me, because obviously, I mean, maybe not all the time, Clarissa, but I, I feel like for me, I have so many moments of doubt where my fire fizzles out.

• 30:18Keke Palmer?

  Come on, Capricorn.

• 30:21Speaker 02

  It fizzles out and I, yeah, sometimes you do just want to, you know, throw in the towel and you feel confused about, you know, whether or not you're on the right path for yourself. And I feel like I go through those moments and I've gone through those moments a lot within the past, like, I guess, decade and, and figuring out, you know, kind of where I fit in and, and where I see myself. And my family has been just like a saving grace for me and my support system to just keep me going and, and lighting that fire literally back under me. So I think that's one thing and another thing is being inspired and, and kind of wanting to, um, make myself proud.

• 31:05Keke Palmer?

  Yeah.

• 31:05Speaker 02

  And, you know, I, I think that that definitely. Keeps, I don't know, keeps the will going in, in some way in my mind. I feel like I'm always telling myself like you can do better. Or you can do this and even when I feel kind of really low. So I think it's a mixture between those two. But I think there's a lot of things that inspire me and my peers, you, everyone around me.

• 31:29Keke Palmer?

  I feel the same way. So Clarissa, I want to obviously ask you the same thing. What keeps you going?

• 31:35Speaker 03

  You know, um, it's such a lovely question because I'm like, people see me as just super confident all the time and just always tackling my goals and stuff like that. But I've been able to do that inside the ring. Outside the ring is a whole nother fight, you know, as far as then, you know, like, um, the brands, the endorsements, the sponsorships, the look, right?

• 31:58Keke Palmer?

  Girl, the look has me in shambles half the time. Anyway, sorry.

• 32:02Speaker 03

  Me, I think, hey, I look good.

• 32:04Keke Palmer?

  No, no, I mean, like, the pressure of having, like, me in my life, the pressure of getting my look, you know what I mean? It's just stressful.

• 32:11Speaker 02

  Yeah, it's so stressful.

• 32:12Speaker 03

  Kick it, please.

• 32:16Keke Palmer?

  I'm telling you, it's, it is tough though, the whole, like, I just love how you put that because performance is one thing. But then there's real life and then there's how do I make sure that I'm giving that performance the support it needs from my look, from this, the brands, that. You know, there's so many levels to it that, you know, it's like.

• 32:34Speaker 03

  It's so many levels. So that's, so what you saying that, that's what keeps me going. It's like, look, I see myself as like Beyonce, you know, I'm like, when it's all said and done, I want to be like Beyonce. I want to have, I want to be the biggest, the best, the baddest, the coldest. Like, I want to have the best life ever, right? And it's like, how do you get that through boxing? So in boxing, I've been able to do that. But outside the ring, it's like, okay, trying to still figure it out. But girl, it's kind of hard not to have enough fire in boxing when they got girls coming, they gonna whoop your ass and they gonna knock you out.

• 33:07Keke Palmer?

  But I think the amazing thing that you've done, you know, what you've talked about, and obviously it's what you're doing from T-Rex to this, is that you have really branded yourself in a way that we have never seen anybody do in boxing before. And I think it also will create a space for other young women to know that they can do it. How did you even know that that was something to do? Like, I think that's incredible that, you know, a lot of people don't know it's, it's hard to figure out how to make sure people know your name. That's not an easy thing to do.

• 33:36Speaker 03

  You know what, honestly, I just kept it real simple. I just kept it with, one guy chose me to be a woman boxer, and he told me to be the one to lead the sport into trailblaze. And then from there, I just kept it super simple and just said, "Just win. Don't worry about people talking about, oh, the look, the endorsements, the sponsorships." I kept it very simple. I said, "As long as I win, they're gonna keep talking. I beat this girl, I beat that girl, I get this title. You know, I tell this girl, I'mma knock her out, and then we fight, and I knock her ass out. Chirp chirp chirp chirp chirp." So I just told myself, "Just win."

• 34:18Keke Palmer?

  Now, when are you knocking Remy Ma out?

• 34:21Speaker 03

  Can't stop.

• 34:27Keke Palmer?

  Now, y'all know, y'all know I had to bring that up, okay? Because the girls was tussling over the internets. I didn't know if she was gonna get knocked out. I was scared. Oh, shit.

• 34:39Speaker 03

  The internet is not a real place for you. Listen, I woke up that morning just in shock of everybody else.

• 34:46Speaker 03

  Like, what the hell?

• 34:47Keke Palmer?

  Oh, my God.

• 34:48Speaker 03

  What's going on? I'm like, I want to promote the movie. What is this?

• 34:52Keke Palmer?

  But honestly, it did, it did also promote the movie, because people was like, "Damn."

• 34:56Speaker 03

  Yeah. Now, I gotta go see who this girl is.

• 34:59Keke Palmer?

  That's right.

• 34:59Speaker 03

  Yeah.

• 35:00Keke Palmer?

  That's right.

• 35:00Speaker 03

  So, you know, they say, "All publicity is good publicity." But, baby, the internet is not.

• 35:07Keke Palmer?

  How is it handling and dealing with all that new? And not, not really new, but just even more popularity?

• 35:15Speaker 03

  You know what, I had to tell myself, like, this comes with the territory. You talking about being Beyonce, baby girl, and you're in boxing? It's like... Beyonce get way more stuff than this. You know, so I think it's it's not about the problem, it's about how you handle the problem. And I think I handled it very well. And, um, you know, everything trends for a minute and then it goes away.

• 35:37Keke Palmer?

  It always goes away. So, yeah, I'd say you did a great job. It just comes and it goes and your life keep going, but they not paying attention. So, hey, oh, well.

• 35:44Speaker 03

  Yeah, too. People were saying stuff like, oh, we never heard of her before. And I was like, that's because you got only like driving. I'm all positive and shit.

• 35:52Keke Palmer?

  Right.

• 35:53Speaker 03

  I'm all, I'm all over here being a not. Yeah, like not drinking, not, not, not, not smoking, not going to jail, not getting.

• 36:02Keke Palmer?

  Come on, not going to jail. Now, that's an applaud.

• 36:06Speaker 03

  It's like, I'm over here just like boxing, winning world titles and got a biopic coming out. I'm teaching kids how to box. I'm throwing Christmas programs. I'm doing all this stuff. And they're like, why we never heard it? He was like, I don't know, but I, but I got over a million followers, so it's not really my fault.

• 36:24Keke Palmer?

  I know that's right. I know that's right. Now, in the film, I think this is important to call out because it puts an interesting twist, not only on sports, but success stories overall, because you obviously win your first Olympic medal, but then you don't automatically get the financial reward or attention you expect. And I think, you know, it's like you just got the medal, which is a huge accomplishment, but there's still so much more to it. And you describe that moment in your life as they're hurtful and discouraging. And I kind of want to get into why and how you got through that, because I think this is something that a lot of people experience. I mean, I've experienced it. I'm sure Ryan has. When I did Akilah and the Bee, everybody was like, this is going to be a number one hit movie. Came into theaters, nobody's seen it.

• 37:06Keke Palmer?

  Now, people watched it over time, but like it wasn't what people told me it was going to be. And those things can be hard to get over.

• 37:13Speaker 03

  You know. When I watched the fire inside and Ryan had been a test to this. Girl, I just cried and cried and cried.

• 37:23Keke Palmer?

  Oh my gosh.

• 37:24Speaker 03

  And one of the reasons why I cry so much is because. You asked me the question like, how did I get through that? You know, being being seventeen, winning the gold medal.

• 37:33Keke Palmer?

  Yeah.

• 37:34Speaker 03

  Believing that the Olympics would change my life and everything was gonna change. And then like, nothing happened. When I have to relive that, when I watched the movie. I asked myself the same question, what made you keep going? Because honestly, I know it's my life, but I don't know. I don't know what what it was just like, it was. Maybe it was the fire inside of me that was saying like. We have to prove, we have to do more. Okay, this wasn't enough. Let's do more. And I was like, they may have ignored me winning one gold medal, but what if I go back and win? Two.

• 38:10Keke Palmer?

  Hey. Oh, my God, I really just, I really just love you. You're a really hard not to love type of person. You have so much effervescence and charisma. It's like, it's like, yes, you need to win everything in life type vibe.

• 38:27Keke Palmer?

  Now, Ryan, it's the same thing for you, right? Because we're all, we all got our own personal sports. And you in your life, I mean, you've had so many huge moments. You've had your own show, you amazing music, you know, probably moving to California and starting your dreams. What were those moments for you where you were like, this is the moment? And then you realize, oh, wait a minute, there is no moment, there's just moments. Like, what were those times in your life?

• 38:51Speaker 02

  I mean, like, I feel like it happens in almost any project. I I think even with Star, you know, it was like fresh off Empire and everybody saying like, oh, this about to. Do go crazy.

• 39:04Keke Palmer?

  And it, I mean, but to be clear, it did. It did, huge hit show, we all loved it. But then, as we all know, we just gotta be like, what's the next thing? But it was a huge hit.

• 39:14Speaker 02

  Yeah, yeah, for sure. So it's just like, things like that. And even with this film, you know, I I feel like just it's it's reminding me how. This this space in Hollywood, how it does treat black actresses. Um, being in this space, getting into these new rooms that I've never been in before. Um, it's crazy how I can count on one hand, how many of me I see. And I think it it's hard to get back to a place of of being, I guess, optimistic about the future.

• 39:51Keke Palmer?

  Sure.

• 39:51Speaker 02

  Um. Cause it, yeah, like it just keeps reminding me of something that I really didn't want to be reminded of. And I think, you know, you continuously see so many people that came before us and how much they accomplished. You would think, you know, we're we're getting somewhere, we're, you know, pushing it, but it's still a long way to go. And I think it's continuously reminded me of that, um, which is, you know, I guess just something that we gotta, gotta go through sometimes, but I I think I think it's happened, you know, a few times and I don't think this is the end. I I think, you know, it's really just about being proud of the work that you're doing and and

• 40:31Keke Palmer?

  Yeah.

• 40:31Speaker 02

  and continuing, you know, to meet people along the way that you love and you guys create those relationships and.

• 40:37Keke Palmer?

  Yeah.

• 40:38Speaker 02

  Um.

• 40:38Keke Palmer?

  And I think it's in part, it's important that you honor the experience you're speaking of, which is just simply being a marginalized person in a minority. And in life, in certain situations, especially in your rise to success, uh, because sometimes it's so limited. And because so it's been so many things systemically that have stopped us from even getting to those points that you start to realize and see that reality more and more. But you can still honor, you know, we can still honor that while also standing at the same time, what Clarissa said earlier. I'm going to trailblaze, I'm going to make it to that next thing, I'm gonna make it even more. Like, we gonna keep breaking those barriers because both things can be true. I can be minority and deal with marginalizations and I also can be the first of of many, you know?

• 41:23Keke Palmer?

  And I can make things happen that nobody, black, white, male, female, otherwise could have.

• 41:28Speaker 03

  Um, and then, you know something too, Ryan? I tell myself all the time, and I'm telling myself a lot about this lately. Sometimes you gotta block out what everybody else is saying is success and just know what you feel in your heart is real. Like, the fire inside, like, is doing great numbers and everything, but like, that's a timeless movie. Like, you know, I grew up watching What's Love Got To Do With It with Tina Turner when Angela Bassett played Tina.

• 41:51Keke Palmer?

  Well, this is just what I was saying with Akil and the Bee. It's the same kind of thing. These are definite, this, this movie, you guys, is a legacy film. It's a legacy project.

• 42:01Speaker 03

  It'll never die.

• 42:02Keke Palmer?

  It will never die and it will always breathe life into the community. And that's what it's about. Your work, your artistry, the work that we do. I can't, I remember I tell people all the time, oh my gosh, you done something. I was like, not most of my movies have been whatever y'all consider box office hits. The community, my people, the people that are my fans, they've made me who I am because they've liked the projects. But what y'all say is something is a success, has not always been the case for me. And yet, still, I'm considered a success. So, that's very important to remember because a lot of people try to put all these different things on. Oh, you gotta have a billboard 100 and you gotta blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. No, the hell you don't. You just gotta do the great work.

• 42:42Speaker 02

  Exactly. And I think that's really important to like, continue that perspective. Perspective is everything. Like, I, I just, the amount of, I don't know, people that can be in your ear. And when you just like, turn the camera and look at it from a different lens, it really like, that's, you hyper-focus on what really matters. And, yeah, just what you said, I mean, Akil and the Bee is a staple. And I feel like that's so many other, especially with black cinema, like, it's, it's so, it's so much more universal than I think we think and realize.

• 43:18Speaker 03

  Yeah.

• 43:19Keke Palmer?

  And, and, and honestly, a lot of people don't know, it's the same thing, you know, it's not the same exact thing, but it's a sports movie. You know what I mean? Akil and the Bee is a sports movie. The sport is just spelling, just like Fire Inside is a sports movie, obviously more obvious sport with boxing. But it's that those triumph stories and the stories that are centered around our community guys, that, those things make a difference. So, I appreciate you both. I appreciate you Clarissa for making it a reality and living that and being that. So, we could have that story to tell so that Ryan could perform and do that project in a way that only she could. Because it's remarkable what you guys have done. You should be really proud of this one.

• 43:54Speaker 03

  Oh, listen, I am. And I'll tell you what, Ryan was saying earlier in the conversation, she was scared when she had dropped the part. And listen, I, listen, I was scared too. They were telling me Ryan never got into a fight before.

• 44:09Keke Palmer?

  Ryan never got into a fight because they was scared right when they stepped to her.

• 44:17Speaker 02

  Y'all will never see me out in these streets. I'm a wimp, okay?

• 44:21Speaker 03

  You don't have to, you just dial me.

• 44:24Speaker 02

  Exactly.

• 44:25Keke Palmer?

  Exactly, me and her, because I feel like you one of the people that would be like, "Oh, my gosh, we hating on her because she's so cute." We'd be in the street like this for you, okay?

• 44:31Speaker 02

  Yes. I'ma call y'all, I'ma call y'all, yes.

• 44:37Keke Palmer?

  All right, guys, before I let y'all go, because I know I gotta let y'all go, but we have to play a game. I always play it on the show with my guests. This one is called Quickies with Kiki. And I'm gonna give you two options, and each of you gotta tell me which one you're vibing with more. Easy enough?

• 44:52Speaker 02

  Yep.

• 44:53Keke Palmer?

  I think I know some of what you guys are gonna say, but, you know, I'll leave my guesses to myself.

• 44:58Speaker 03

  I'm scared, I'm scared. I'm scared too.

• 45:00Keke Palmer?

  Okay, hmm. We'll start off light. Fame or fortune?

• 45:05Speaker 03

  Fortune.

• 45:06Keke Palmer?

  Okay, baby, period. It's very simple.

• 45:11Keke Palmer?

  Tough love or gentle advice?

• 45:15Speaker 03

  Tough love.

• 45:16Keke Palmer?

  Yeah. I wanna be a gentle reminder person, like gentle advice person, but honestly, tough love is what always gets the results, I fear.

• 45:24Speaker 02

  Yeah, no, tough love, that's true, that's true.

• 45:28Keke Palmer?

  Um, we all know the answer to this, but I'm gonna ask it anyway. Jake Paul or Mike Tyson?

• 45:34Keke Palmer?

  Because, come on.

• 45:35Speaker 02

  Mike Tyson. I don't need to know much.

• 45:38Keke Palmer?

  Netflix binge or outdoor adventure?

• 45:42Speaker 02

  Ooh, outdoor adventure.

• 45:44Keke Palmer?

  Wait a minute.

• 45:44Speaker 02

  Outdoor adventure.

• 45:46Keke Palmer?

  I would've expected the reverse. I totally expected, motherf- I knew Ryan was gonna be like, "Netflix and binge," and you're gonna be like, "Outdoor adventure." So I love the little switcheroo. Um, winning streak or comeback victory? So are we thinking like Floyd Mayweather or Rocky?

• 46:05Speaker 02

  Ooh, I'ma, I like the winning streak. I don't care, baby.

• 46:08Keke Palmer?

  Okay, I don't need to lose just for the gag of it.

• 46:10Speaker 03

  Winning, winning, winning.

• 46:12Keke Palmer?

  I need to win, win, win, no matter what.

• 46:14Speaker 02

  That's it.

• 46:15Speaker 03

  I'm with you, winning streak.

• 46:17Keke Palmer?

  Okay, spicy food or sweet treats?

• 46:20Speaker 02

  Sweet treats.

• 46:21Keke Palmer?

  I'm gonna say, Ryan, you totally give me, "I'll take a little chocolate and wine."

• 46:24Speaker 03

  Yeah.

• 46:27Keke Palmer?

  I don't know why I'm ready for something to burn my chest. I love spicy food.

• 46:32Speaker 03

  Me, you both. Jalapenos, love them.

• 46:35Keke Palmer?

  Okay, Michigan or California? Y'all know there's only one answer that's correct. Come on.

• 46:40Speaker 02

  Michigan.

• 46:41Keke Palmer?

  Period. Period. It's gotta be the Midwest. I'm sorry, Kelly, but come on.

• 46:46Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 46:47Speaker 03

  Kelly charged me twenty bucks for four tacos. I'm not going back there.

• 46:50Keke Palmer?

  But you know ain't nobody gonna have a better taco though. Now, Kelly's tacos, hands down. Best tacos in the world.

• 46:55Speaker 03

  You're right, because they are like just... Yes.

• 46:57Speaker 02

  The tacos hit.

• 46:58Speaker 03

  But I was like, twenty... Really?

• 47:01Keke Palmer?

  Okay.

• 47:01Speaker 02

  That is crazy.

• 47:02Keke Palmer?

  Now, this is when it's gonna get difficult. Okay? Drake or Kendrick Lamar?

• 47:08Speaker 02

  Oh, God.

• 47:09Keke Palmer?

  Yeah, I decided to pull that out on y'all.

• 47:11Speaker 03

  Wow.

• 47:14Speaker 02

  That's crazy, Kiki. No. No, no, no, no. Because you know what? You gonna have to answer too.

• 47:21Speaker 03

  Oh, my gosh! Yeah. Um... Oh, my gosh.

• 47:27Speaker 02

  Okay, I'll go first. I'll go first.

• 47:29Keke Palmer?

  You're brave.

• 47:31Speaker 02

  Kendrick.

• 47:33Keke Palmer?

  I mean, come on. We know that. We know that is Kendrick. We have no dog in the fight. It's no hate on Drake. "Take Care" will always be one of my favorite albums of all time.

• 47:44Speaker 02

  It's true.

• 47:45Keke Palmer?

  But it's Kendrick.

• 47:47Speaker 03

  I have to say, I know more Drake songs than I know Kendrick Lamar's songs.

• 47:53Speaker 02

  Oh, my God. Are you about to... Are you about to say Drake?

• 47:58Speaker 03

  I mean, I mean, I mean, right now, if we have to say like, if it right now in time, you go like, okay, Kendrick Lamar's winning the war, but it's like... Drake been giving us great music for...

• 48:09Keke Palmer?

  So, the only reason why I say Kendrick, I think you have a point. Like, it depends on which Drake, right? Like, I think the Drake that I got, like, "Take Care," when he was talking about his issues with his mom and his dad and the way things were going on in his life and how he wanted to overcome his obstacles and we were in that growing pain together. I mean, that up against Kendrick, I feel like it could be toe-to-toe. You know what I'm saying? But the reason why I say Kendrick now is because Kendrick is still growing with us. I'm not saying Drake's not growing. But musically, he's just keeping it cool and cheeky and cute, which, hey, I'm not mad at you, but I'm thirty, boo. But I'm waiting to see what Dee coming back with, you know what I'm saying? Like, we still here for it. What you gonna give us? Give us some tea, we down to drink. Um, and this is the last one.

• 48:54Keke Palmer?

  Alicia Keys or Beyonce? I mean, this was just, I'm gonna just say this was the producers that did that, because that don't even really match. But I'm just, hey, just still. I blame their own producer. Beyonce or Alicia? I mean, it's not even right that, that even doing that.

• 49:10Speaker 02

  I don't know why he did that. Come on, they know everybody love Beyonce.

• 49:13Keke Palmer?

  Right, that's what I'm saying. It should've just been Beyonce. We should've did Beyonce versus her own self. B-day Beyonce or Renaissance Beyonce?

• 49:21Speaker 02

  Exactly. No, really.

• 49:23Keke Palmer?

  That would've been more.

• 49:24Speaker 02

  We could talk about that, yes.

• 49:25Speaker 03

  Like Alicia Keys, you know, or Jordan Sparks or something like that, right? Or Mary J. Blige. You know? Like, am I wrong?

• 49:37Keke Palmer?

  You putting Alicia Keys and Mary J. Blige, you're saying? Is ridiculous.

• 49:41Speaker 02

  Oh.

• 49:42Keke Palmer?

  I'm gonna know.

• 49:43Speaker 02

  It's the Jordan Sparks of it all. No, I'm, y'all. Y'all, can this be chopped up?

• 49:51Keke Palmer?

  Yes.

• 49:53Keke Palmer?

  Ryan said I need to have approval, because I actually have a deal that I'm working out with Beyonce right now. Me and, what's the hair called? Me and Sacred.

• 50:06Speaker 02

  Sacred.

• 50:06Keke Palmer?

  Okay, here you go.

• 50:07Speaker 02

  I'm weak, no. All of it's candid. I, I love, I love you girls. You guys are so, this was such a great, this was such a good combo.

• 50:17Keke Palmer?

  Clarissa, what sign of you? Because I already know that me and Ryan go together real bad. Virgo, Capricorn, what are you?

• 50:22Speaker 03

  Girl, I'm a Pisces. March 17th.

• 50:25Keke Palmer?

  My son's birthday is February 25th.

• 50:28Speaker 03

  Oh.

• 50:29Keke Palmer?

  Pisces too. So, you know, I'm gonna do one last little gag since I got Clarissa. When you and Keith Powers about to get?

• 50:37Keke Palmer?

  Who?

• 50:40Speaker 03

  She missed me.

• 50:43Keke Palmer?

  I just tried to gag Ryan real quick. You know, I tried to gag her.

• 50:47Speaker 02

  She asked about Keith. Yeah, no, I don't know when. I, I, I still, I think I'll feel like a child until I get a child.

• 50:56Keke Palmer?

  Oh, my gosh. That's, I mean, that's how it is. And I still feel like a child with my damn child, girl.

• 51:01Speaker 02

  Yeah, I can see that feeling.

• 51:03Keke Palmer?

  I really hate that KP, you know, people call him KP because I'm KP. So then it's like, we're fighting for the KP. It's like, get back, get back.

• 51:15Speaker 02

  That's so true.

• 51:16Keke Palmer?

  Anyway, send my love. You guys are amazing. Congratulations again on the fire side. This is huge on your nominations, Ryan. Bravo, bravo. And Clarissa, I mean, just keep beating bitches ass. That's the way I can put it.

• 51:30Speaker 03

  Girl, listen, I fight February 2nd in my hometown, Flint, Michigan. So I'll fight in 12 days. Around the corner, I fight for the heavyweight undisputed championship. So another big one, I'm finna touch the canvas. This girl I'm fighting against, Danielle Perkins is 6'2". She's strong as hell and she big. She got a big jawline. I got to kick her ass, okay?

• 51:50Keke Palmer?

  Yes, you have to. Yes. Girl, when I tell you I love the talking, I feel like that is like a underrated, or maybe it actually is a properly rated part of boxing. When y'all talk that mess to each other, that's what I live for.

• 52:05Speaker 03

  Yes. Women be actin', actin' like they scared. And it was like, y'all know us women is quick on our feet.

• 52:11Keke Palmer?

  Okay.

• 52:12Speaker 03

  I quit.

• 52:13Keke Palmer?

  Well, thank you, girls. Y'all are amazing. I lingered in this conversation.

• 52:17Speaker 03

  Love y'all.

• 52:25Keke Palmer?

  Woo, y'all, what a conversation. I think in their own way, Ryan and Clarissa both know what it means to take life's punches and turn them into power. I guess my takeaway is that hardship doesn't have to hold us back. It can fuel us, sharpen us, and ignite something unstoppable inside. Let Clarissa's story be a reminder that through those hard times, light and fire can push you to greatness. Keep fighting, keep striving, and always remember, there's a champion in you too. And I'll see you next time because you know it's your girl.

• 53:05Keke Palmer?

  Enjoy Baby This is Keke Palmer on the Wondery app, wherever you get your podcasts, and now on YouTube where you can watch full episodes. Subscribe to the Wondery channel on YouTube and don't miss any episodes. You can listen to Baby This is Keke Palmer early and ad-free on Wondery Plus. Join Wondery Plus in the Wondery app or on Apple Podcasts.

• 53:30Keke Palmer?

  Baby This is Keke Palmer is hosted and executive produced by me, Keke Palmer. Lucas Segal is our post-producer. Music supervisor is Scott Valesquez. Our original theme song was written and performed by me, Keke Palmer. For Team Kiki, my producer is Sharon Palmer. For Wondery, our managing producer is Olivia Fonte. Our producer is Tristan McNeil. Senior producers are Lizzie Basset and Candace Manriquez-Rin. Our executive producers are Date Easton and Marshall Louie.