Keke Palmer is finally sharing her side of the story about what went wrong in her relationship with her baby’s father. In her new book, Palmer takes readers behind the scenes of her life and the challenges she’s faced as a mom in the spotlight.
Ahead of her new book ‘Master of Me,’ Keke Palmer gets candid about fame, family, and what really happened between her and her son’s father.
Last year, just a few months after the Nope star welcomed son Leo with then-boyfriend Darius Jackson, their seemingly happy relationship dissolved after Jackson’s social media post criticizing a dress she wore to an Usher concert sparked a viral firestorm. Then came allegations of domestic violence and a custody dispute.
Keke Palmer says she and Jackson met “very casually” at an after-party for “Insecure” in 2021 after the “Nope” star made a cameo on the Issa Rae series.
In August 2021, the couple made their relationship official on Instagram, with the Nope star sharing a kissing photo, among others, from her 28th birthday party.
“For me, it is all about the details. We had a pre-MySpace vibe, with no one using their phones. “I’m overjoyed,” she captioned the post, which was later deleted. “Awesome Birthday, so grateful.”
The couple welcomed their first child, a son named Leodis Andrellton Jackson, on February 25, 2023.
In November of that same year, Keke Palmer filed a restraining order against her ex-boyfriend Darius Jackson, alleging that Jackson was physically abusive to her, according to documents viewed by Insider.
Reflecting on the relationship’s painful end, Keke admits, “It was the hardest thing I ever had to go through.” With her characteristic candor, she reveals that the situation became so overwhelming that she had to take legal action. “There was a lot going on. It got so out of control,” she writes. “The only way I knew how to bring order was through the court.”
What went wrong between them? “Having a baby was a big stressor,” Keke disclosed. She also revealed that fame had a hand in her troubled relationship. “Not just with my romantic relationships, but with family and friends, it’s always become a burden. There are too many voices coming in. It can cause others to lose trust in you. “It’s difficult to explain.”
After six months of court-ordered mediation, Palmer and Jackson reached an amicable agreement on joint custody.
Keke Palmer’s Master of Me: The Secret to Controlling Your Narrative will be released on November 19 and is currently available for preorder wherever books are sold.
