*Beloved actress, author, and the self-proclaimed “Mother of Black Hollywood,” Jenifer Lewis has built a career on telling the truth—even when it’s uncomfortable. During a deeply personal conversation with Keke Palmer, Lewis opened up about a chapter of her life she now views through a very different lens: her past sex addiction.
Appearing on Palmer’s podcast, Lewis reflected on her younger years with the same humor, honesty and self-awareness that have endeared her to audiences for decades.
“I slept with 63 men. Now that was fabulous,” Lewis said with a laugh. “I wish I had known my body was a temple. I used to just find a gorgeous man and f—- the sh– out of them.”
Lewis’ laughter made it clear she wasn’t looking for sympathy or trying to shock anyone. Instead, she was sharing the kind of perspective that often comes only with age, experience and a willingness to be honest about the past.
While that revelation quickly made headlines online, Lewis’ bigger message wasn’t about the number. It was about recognizing that what she once viewed as sexual freedom had become an addiction she didn’t fully understand until much later in life.
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When Sex Became the Drug
As Palmer listened, Lewis explained that she didn’t realize until years later that sex had become her drug of choice.
“I would have sex. Sex was the drug,” she said.
Looking back, Lewis said she eventually realized sex had become her drug—a truth she didn’t fully understand until much later in life.
It wasn’t until the HIV/AIDS epidemic changed the world around her that she was forced to stop and reevaluate the choices she had been making.
“It wasn’t until when life got real and the AIDS epidemic hit where I went, ‘Wait a minute,'” Lewis recalled.
As the epidemic devastated communities across the country and claimed the lives of countless people—including many in the entertainment industry and LGBTQ+ community—Lewis said the carefree attitude she once had toward sex suddenly disappeared. What had once felt liberating became something she viewed through an entirely different lens.
For many Americans, the AIDS crisis transformed conversations about sex, health and personal responsibility. Lewis said it forced her to examine choices she had never questioned before, becoming a turning point in how she viewed intimacy and her own well-being.
The conversation became one of the podcast’s most candid moments as Palmer gave Lewis space to reflect on lessons that only time, loss and experience could teach.
Finding Wisdom Without Shame
Despite the seriousness of the subject, Lewis didn’t speak with regret so much as perspective.
“I wish I had known my body was a temple,” she said.
Rather than judging her younger self, Lewis acknowledged that she simply didn’t possess the wisdom she has today.
That kind of radical honesty has become one of her defining characteristics. Throughout her career, Lewis has spoken openly about living with bipolar disorder, navigating addiction, embracing therapy and overcoming personal struggles while building a decades-long career in Hollywood. Instead of protecting a carefully polished public image, Lewis has built her reputation on authenticity.
A Life Lived Out Loud
Lewis’ reflections to Palmer echo themes she explored in her memoir, “Walking in My Joy: In the No Judgment Zone,” where she writes candidly about her mental health journey, relationships and decades in the entertainment industry.
She has long encouraged others to seek therapy, embrace treatment and reject the stigma surrounding mental illness and addiction, particularly within Black communities.
Her willingness to revisit painful or deeply personal experiences has become one of the reasons audiences continue to connect with her long after the cameras stop rolling.
More Than a Viral Quote
While social media quickly zeroed in on Lewis’ admission that she had slept with 63 men, she made it clear that the headline-grabbing number wasn’t the real takeaway.
Her conversation with Palmer was ultimately about growth, accountability and the wisdom that often comes only with time.
Looking back, Lewis doesn’t dwell on how many partners she had. Instead, she hopes people hear the lesson behind the laughter.
“I wish I had known my body was a temple.”
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