Mike Johnson threw us all a curveball when he asked Keke Palmer out amidst Demi Lovato dating rumors, and no one was caught off guard more than the TV show host herself.

The Bachelorette alum popped the question during a visit to Strahan, Sara & Keke earlier this week, making the 26-year-old visibly uncomfortable. Now, she's speaking up about how the incident made her feel (and how she responded).

When the actress' co-hosts Michael Strahan and Sara Haines asked if she was going to go out with Johnson she replied with a simple "No" before elaborating. "First of all, I get really spooked about, you know, entertainers or reality," she explained. "I don't know. It really scares me to date people in the industry. That's number one. Number two, he asked me in front of everybody. I felt totally like no."

The 31-year-old addressed the situation via Twitter. "For those with untrue assumptions.. I'm grateful to be in your thoughts... 1. I deflected a question posed to me on my dating life - made a playful comment 2. I love black women too 3. Im happy, those are the vibes."

Johnson has also explained his thought process in a couple interviews. "What had happened was Keke was asking me questions about Demi. I've messed up in the past by speaking publicly about my personal things. So, I vowed not to do that again," he shared on the "Chicks in the Office" podcast. "She was asking me questions. She had asked me a second question, and I really didn't want to speak on it. So, I did what most people would do in the situation that are good at doing interviews: They flip it."

“I was being playful [with Keke]. I flipped it around earlier today,” he told Us Weekly. “I was going to it. I was going to flip it on you, but I ain’t going to be like that. I’m being playful. Right? … She’s an eloquent woman. She’s a beautiful woman.”

 

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