Mike Johnson says he was trying to change the subject when he asked out Keke Palmer on a date during his recent appearance on her "Strahan, Sara and Keke" talk show.
"She was asking me questions," the "Bachelor in Paradise" and "The Bachelorette" bachelor said on Barstool Sports podcast "Chicks in the Office" on Thursday about wanting to turn things around on Palmer who was asking about how he briefly dated singer Demi Lovato.
"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."
Johnson received backlash for the moment which featured Palmer covering her face before asking her co-hosts Michael Strahan and Sara Haines to continue the interview.
"I thought I was being cute and funny and innocent because I flipped it," Johnson continued on the podcast.
"I got like, the most unfollows ever in one day yesterday," he said about the response to the moment on social media before noting that he isn't bothered by the critics.
"My mama loves me, my sister loves me, my grandma loves me."
Palmer, on "Strahan, Sara and Keke" on Tuesday, explained why she would not be taking up Johnson on his date.
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"It really scares me to date people in the industry," the actress said. "Number two, he asked me in front of everybody, I felt totally like no."
"I felt ambushed, I felt like it was a big ol gag, like I was the gag," she continued.
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John Fleenor/ABC