Keke Palmer further fueled the dating rumors after he was spotted on a date night with “Hot Ones” host Sean Evans in New York City.
According to TMZthe duo was spotted having dinner at Italian restaurant Lucali in Brooklyn on Friday evening.
An eyewitness told the outlet that the “No” actress, 32, and media personality, 40, were at the luxury establishment for more than an hour and a half and remained “locked up” the entire time.
Although the pair didn’t seem 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 involved in conversation at an intimate table with candlelight.
Representatives for Palmer and Evans did not immediately respond to Page Six’s requests for comment Saturday afternoon.
The duo intensified romance speculation in May, when they flirted during an episode of her podcast “Baby, this is Keke Palmer.”
After introducing Evans as her “potential future suitor,” Evans revealed that his childhood celebrity crush was TLC rapper Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes.
“I played Chili in the movie (‘CrazySexyCool: The TLC Story’). Close enough,” Palmer replied, to which Evans agreed, “Definitely close enough.”
Keke’s mother, Sharon Palmer, said at the time that it was a “great moment” to see her daughter interact with Evans, because someone from Evans’ “wealthy” Illinois neighborhood wouldn’t normally interact with someone from Palmer’s Robbins, Illinois.
“This is great. This is how life should be,” she said. “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 sheepishly admitted, “Oh, I thought you were talking about us.”
At the end of the show, Palmer and Evans lovingly hugged each other 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 on the show.
“I saw an interview where you said I was your favorite guy, and all this really sweet stuff,” Keke told him, referencing his 2023 confession that he had a crush on Keke during an episode of “Chicken Shop Date.”
She added, “I know we just had some wings, but I thought maybe we could have a quick cuddle and see if there was a spark.”
As they leaned in for the hug, Keke said, “The sparks are sparking!” Sean said, “When I die and my life flashes before my eyes, I get that snapshot.”
Palmer was previously involved with Darius Jackson – with whom she shares son Leo – but she parted ways in 2023 after he took to social media darken the dress she wore to an Usher concert.
Evans and adult film star Melissa Stratton broke up back in 2024.
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