Unveiling Secrets: Karen Palmer’s Shocking Journey Behind She’s Under Here
LL: Even before Gil, you had a troubled childhood. You are adopted; your parents were often unavailable or combative. Your father was an alcoholic. You had a teen pregnancy, and were forced to give the child up for adoption. And then as a 17-year-old working after school as Gil’s secretary, you fell right into 36-year-old arms. He was charming in ways, but something niggled you. Can you speak a little about the teenage you and how some of your upbringing influenced your decisions?
KP: I was an only child, used to entertaining myself; I’d spend hours constructing cities out on our patio, or aiming a mirror at the ceiling and pretending to walk on the beams. Getting pregnant at 16 at first felt like more make-believe, a fairytale and an inevitability, given that I was adopted myself. As the pregnancy progressed, of course, it became all too real. My parents were Catholic and they were mortified. Keeping my son was not an option. Surrendering him devastated me. I met Gil soon after, while still grieving. I couldn’t deal anymore with teenage boys and thought we were well-matched. I rationalized the age difference, mistaking grief for maturity. Now, I recognize his behavior as grooming. It’s infuriating that a man his age thought it was okay to seduce a teenager.
