Keke Palmer kept her love life private — until she met Darius Jackson.
The couple went public with their relationship in mid-2021 and announced in December 2022 that the actress was pregnant with their first child.
“There’s some rumors going around. People have been in my comments saying, ‘Keke’s having a baby, Keke’s pregnant,’ and I want to set the record straight — I am,” she said while hosting “Saturday Night Live” before opening her blazer to reveal her bare stomach.
“It is bad when people on the internet spread rumors about you y’all, but it’s even worse when they’re correct.”
Palmer gave birth in February 2023 to a baby boy named Leodis, whom she and Jackson call Leo.
Nine months later, Palmer filed for full custody of the little one and filed a restraining order against Jackson, accusing him of physical and emotional abuse.
Here’s a complete timeline of their relationship’s ups and downs.
Memorial Day meeting
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The duo reportedly crossed paths for the first time in May 2021 at a Memorial Day party hosted by Issa Rae and Diddy.
Neither the “Nope” star nor the fitness instructor have confirmed the rumor.
Sweet social media snaps
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Palmer and Jackson wrote loved-up Instagram tributes to each other via Instagram later that same year.
“Never would’ve expected summer 2021 to turn out the way it did but here we are,” he wrote for her August birthday. “You’ve been a blessing from above & I thank you for showing me a lot of feelings I didn’t know I had in me.”
In a post of her own the following month, the “True Jackson, VP” alum gushed, “Without being too mushy because I HATEEEE THAT, it feels really nice to not be afraid to show this kind of care for someone that I don’t share the same blood with.
“I thought it could never happen, I can be quite guarded, but I appreciate you for being a safe space,” she continued. “I will always cherish what you have given me.”
TikTok debut
@kekepalmer And all the people said AMEN!!! 😏😏💋@southernbelleinsults / @dariusdaulton / #southernbelleinsults
♬ original sound – Keke Palmer
Jackson appeared on Palmer’s TikTok account for the first time in November 2021.
“Lady Miss takes what she WANTS,” the Emmy winner captioned the footage of herself appearing to make out with her partner from behind a fan.
Breaking her silence
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Palmer gushed to Bustle about her boyfriend in a March 2022 interview, explaining she did not want to “hide” him because he made her “the happiest” she has ever been.
“[Keeping our relationship a secret is] a lot more work than just living in my life and being in my life,” the KeyTV founder added at the time.
Pregnancy reveal
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Palmer called her pregnancy “the biggest blessing” during her baby bump debut in December 2022.
“I am so excited, guys,” she told the “SNL” audience. “I’m gonna be a mom!”
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Jackson confirmed his paternity the following day with an Instagram Story photo of the “Scream Queens” alum captioned, “2023” with a red heart emoji.
As for Palmer, she called the trainer her “other half,” gushing, “Thank you … for giving me the things that only true unity can bring. Love is all we have isn’t it, you do nothing in this world alone and trust me, I am not alone!”
New parents
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After posing for a stunning maternity shoot together, Palmer and Jackson welcomed their son, Leodis Andrelton Jackson (aka Leo), on Feb. 25, 2023.
The new mom subsequently clapped back at a troll who tweeted that her newborn’s name sounded like someone who “led a civil rights march.”
She replied, “It’s giving I marched with Martin [Luther King Jr.], purrrr.”
Trouble in paradise
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Jackson came under fire in July 2023 when he publicly shamed his partner for wearing a sexy sheer ensemble to an Usher concert.
“It’s the outfit tho.. you a mom,” he tweeted.
Jackson then doubled down on his criticism, writing, “We live in a generation where a man of the family doesn’t want the wife & mother to his kids to showcase booty cheeks to please others & he gets told how much of a hater he is.”
He continued, “This is my family & my representation. I have standards & morals to what I believe. I rest my case.”
Palmer responded by sharing photos of herself in the polarizing outfit to her Instagram account with the caption, “I wish I had taken more pictures but we were running late.”
It’s over
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News broke in August 2023 that Palmer and Jackson had split after their relationship drama.
“He’s moved on,” a source told People.
Jackson called the reports “false” at the time, tweeting, “I haven’t spoken to anyone about anything or gave permission to anyone to speak for me.”
Back on
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Jackson and Palmer reunited on multiple occasions in the ensuing months, from celebrating his 30th birthday together to attending Beyonce’s “Renaissance” tour.
The former Nickelodeon star, who revealed a tattoo on her butt dedicated to her on-again, off-again beau, played coy about their relationship status on the “Today” show in September 2023.
After telling Hoda Kotb and Jenna Bush Hager to “mind y’all’s business,” she said, “Life is good. I have nothing but gratitude, honestly. Seriously.”
Going to court
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In November 2023, Palmer filed for sole legal and physical custody of Leo in documents obtained by Page Six.
She also sought protection against Jackson, filing a temporary restraining order and accusing him of physical and emotional abuse.
Palmer wrote that she ended the relationship “for good” in October 2023 for the sake of their son who “needs and deserves to be safe and grow up in an environment free from violence.”
While the duo’s reps did not respond to Page Six’s request for comment at the time, Jackson tweeted a photo of the toddler and wrote, “I love you, son. See you soon.”
