Keke Palmer and ‘Hot Ones’ host Sean Evans fuel rumors with NYC date
Keke Palmer further fueled dating rumors after being spotted on a date night with “Hot Ones” host Sean Evans in New York City.
According to TMZ, the duo was seen having dinner at Italian restaurant Lucali in Brooklyn on Friday night.
An eyewitness told the outlet that the “Nope” actress, 32, and media personality, 40, were at the upscale establishment for over an hour and a half and remained “locked in” on each other for the duration.
Although the pair didn’t appear to engage in PDA, the source said Evans seemed “smitten” by the “One of Them Days” actress.
Snapshots obtained by DeuxMoi and TMZ showed them deeply engaged in conversation over an intimate, candle-lit table.
Reps for Palmer and Evans did not immediately respond to Page Six’s requests for comment on Saturday afternoon.
The duo intensified romance speculation back in May, when they flirted during an episode of her “Baby, this is Keke Palmer” podcast.
After introducing Evans as her “potential future suitor,” Evans revealed that his celebrity crush as a youth was TLC rapper Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes.
“I played Chili in the [‘CrazySexyCool: The TLC Story’] movie. Close enough,” Palmer replied, to which Evans agreed, “Absolutely close enough.”
Keke’s mother, Sharon Palmer, then said watching her daughter interact with Evans was a “great moment” because somebody from Evans’ “rich” neighborhood in Illinois wouldn’t typically hang out with someone from Palmer’s Robbins, Illinois area.
“This is great. This is how life should be,” she gushed. “The guy from Crystal Lake should be sitting next to the girl from Robbins.”
Keke called the comment “sweet,” adding, “I love that. Shoutout to Mr. and Mrs. Evans … your parents.”
Evans sheepily confessed, “Oh, I thought you were talking about us.”
At the end of the show, Palmer and Evans affectionately embraced and said, “I love you.”
The “Hustlers” star has appeared on “Hot Ones” several times in the past. In 2025, they stunned fans with a surprise kiss during the show.
“I saw an interview where you said, like, I was your favorite guest, and all this really sweet stuff,” Keke told him, referencing his 2023 admission that he had a crush on Keke during an episode of “Chicken Shop Date.”
She added, “I know we’ve just had some wings, but I thought that maybe we could just have a quick smooch to see if there’s a spark.”
As they leaned in for the smooch, Keke gushed, “The sparks are sparking!” Sean chimed in, “When I’m dying, and my life flashes before my eyes, I’ll have that snapshot.”
Palmer was previously involved with Darius Jackson — with whom she shares son Leo — but they parted ways in 2023 after he took to social media to shade the dress she wore to an Usher concert.
Evans and adult film star Melissa Stratton parted ways back in 2024.
