The "Runaway Love" scene where Keke Palmer was bawling next to Mary J. Blige was the actress' genuine reaction to the Grammy Award-winning song.
As seen in the clip below, Palmer held a Harriet's Story Time chat in Philadelphia with Tierra Whack on Thursday (Jan. 23), where she recalled being in the 2006 Ludacris and Mary J. Blige music video at 12. In the video, Palmer played Erika, an 11-year-old who turns to run away after getting pregnant by her boyfriend (played by Julito McCullum) and abusing drugs.
As Blige sat next to Palmer during filming, the video crew played the song for the actress, although she didn't know they wanted her to get "emotional."
"I'm a really dramatic person, as you guys know," she joked to the audience. Palmer then recited lyrics from "Runaway Love," and added that she "had no idea what X was."
"[She took it] for the pain! And she's having sex with a boy who's 16!" Palmer continued. "When I tell you I started sobbing and they were like, 'Oh, shit, roll the cameras!'"
The One of Them Days star added that Blige was "immediately ready" and called the music video "the most insane experience." "Because why was I so deeply touched?" she concluded.
In December 2023, Palmer had a "Runway Love" reunion with Luda, and around the 29-minute mark of the video below, she mentioned her scene was referenced in memes.
"They talk about some, 'Why was that girl going through all that stuff and Mary was just screaming in her face?'" Palmer joked.
