Keke Palmer Says Relationship With Darius Jackson Got “Out of Control”
Keke Palmer Details Her “Out of Control” Relationship With Ex Darius Jackson
Keke Palmer is highlighting a difficult time in her life.
Nearly one year after the Nope actress obtained a temporary domestic violence restraining order against her ex Darius Jackson, she gave insight into why she decided to take legal action.
“It got so out of control,” Palmer told People in an interview published Oct. 30. “The only way I knew how to bring order was through the court.”
The 31-year-old—who shares 20-month-old son Leodis with the fitness instructor—noted that having a child together, along with the pressure that came with being in the spotlight, were the catalyst for their split.
“It’s always become a burden,” she said of fame. “Too many voices get in. It can make everybody else not trust you. It’s hard to explain.”
E! News has reached out to Jackson and has not yet heard back.
Although the True Jackson: VP alum accused her ex of being physically and emotionally abusive during their two-year relationship, it wasn’t always that way, which she also touches on in her upcoming memoir Master of Me.
“I wish I could say he was terrible the entire time or that I was … but it wasn’t that black-and-white and that was the problem,” she wrote, per an excerpt published by the outlet. “I didn’t want my son to think his father is a monster, because I don’t.”
So, she made it a priority to remain amicable with her ex. For instance, six months after Palmer filed for sole custody of Leo last November, she and Jackson settled on a joint custody agreement.
Instagram/Keke Palmer
And in the year since her breakup, the Baby, This is Keke Palmer podcast host has been focused on their son and her future.
“I need to be the best for him and to be the best for him, I gotta be the best me,” she told E! News in August. “I’m not going to be able to be the best me for him if I’m not focusing on the things that make me the best I can be.”
Prioritizing her mental and physical health has helped her be the best mom she can be. As she noted of her mindset, “I have more of a balance in my life, because if I can’t show up for him, then none of this s–t matters to me.”
Roy Rochlin/WireImage, Getty Images/Instagram@dvulton
And despite the ups and downs of her relationship and the legal battles that followed, Palmer has a positive perspective as she moving forward.
“I have never been so happy,” she wrote on Instagram in January. “Already 2024 has started off on the vibes I was looking for, more experiences and more enjoying what this beautiful world has to offer. Look at my smile! I don’t even recognize me! I made a second connection with this girl here, I’m on clouuuuuud nine!”
Now, keep reading to see more of Palmer and her little boy’s sweet moments on cloud nine.
Instagram / Keke Palmer
This is What Dreams Are Made Of…
The Nope actress recapped her trip to Rome with her son Leodis Jackson in an Instagram carousel featuring quality time with the family, Lizzie McGuire throwbacks and an adorable mirror moment with her “Leo Rising” toddler.
Instagram / Keke Palmer
Mother’s Day Message
Palmer gushed over “Master Leodis” in a heartwarming Mother’s Day post, teasing her desire for an even bigger family.
“I love being a mom more than I thought I would, and that was a lot already,” she shared on Instagram. “I want a whole soccer team.”
Instagram / Keke Palmer
First Words on Set
Palmer was shocked in an adorable video of Leodis saying the word “mama” for the first time while on set. As she put it, “I’m not crying YOU ARE.”
Instagram / Keke Palmer
Baby’s First Birthday
The proud mother wished her “Leo Beo” a happy first birthday in her emotional post, sharing that he has given her life purpose.
“You make my life so worth living,” she wrote in February 2024. “I’d live a million lives. Even with all the pain and suffering one has to experience here. I will do it over and over again, because I know that I’d be with YOU!”
Instagram / Keke Palmer
Santa’s Little Helper
“Santa” and her “favorite little helper” dazzled in a sparkly red dress and the cutest elf costume.
Instagram / Keke Palmer
True Love
Palmer was all smiles as she danced with her baby boy, calling him “the love of my life,” in her Instagram caption. “I can’t wait until you’re older and we can go to the movies together, camp, improv, binge tv shows, cook and all the other endless things I dream of doing with you.”
Instagram / Keke Palmer
Popcorn, Popcorn
Leo giggled at his mom as she recited the catch phrases of viral TikTok sensation Pinkydoll, repeating “popcorn, popcorn.”
Instagram / Keke Palmer
From the Archives
Palmer couldn’t help but pull this sweet moment out of the archives, sharing a video of the joyful mom showering her baby with kisses.
Instagram / Keke Palmer
Mommy and Me Yoga
This mama was ready for Mommy and Me yoga in an adorable skit, but baby Leo wasn’t too sure about the whole yoga situation…
Instagram / Keke Palmer
First Mother’s Day
“Happy Mother’s Day,” Palmer wrote on the milestone day, “to a MUVAAAAA.”
Instagram / Keke Palmer
April Fools’ Day Manifestation
This was not an April Fools’ joke…Keke Palmer may have manifested the birth of her first baby, thinking back to when she “’joked’ about being preggers” just one year prior.
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