Keke Palmer explains passing on Whitney film

Friendship played a key role in South Suburban native Keke Palmer’s decision to not play the title role in an upcoming TV movie about Whitney Houston.

Palmer is friends with Houston’s daughter, Bobbi Kristina Brown and told The Grio’s Chris Witherspoon, while she initially was considering the film, but passed on it “because the family’s not involved, and that’s a big part for me.

“If you’re going to do a movie or biopic about someone, the family needs to be involved, because you want it to be as honest as possible. I think that was what didn’t really make me go for it.”

The Lifetime cable network — where Palmer has previously appeared in three movies — will make the film with Yaya DaCosta cast as Houston. It will be directed by Angela Bassett.

The casting of DaCosta reportedly upset Bobbi Kristina, as she was hoping to tackle the role of her mother herself.