Are Keke Palmer and Darius Jackson Still Together? Inside Their Legal Battle Amid Abuse Claims
Keke Palmer and Darius Daulton Jackson appeared to hit a major bump in the road of their relationship in July 2023 — five months after welcoming their first child together. After fans witnessed Darius mom-shame an outfit that Keke wore, he hinted at the status of their romance by making some changes to his social media accounts.
On November 9, Keke filed a restraining order against Darius and is seeking full custody of their son, Leodis.
Are Keke Palmer and Boyfriend Darius Daulton Jackson Still Together?
Neither Keke nor Darius has publicly confirmed that they broke up. However, they sparked split rumors after Darius took to Twitter in July 2023 with his controversial comments on a black sheer dress that Keke wore to an Usher concert.
“It’s the outfit tho … you a mom,” Darius wrote via Twitter alongside a video of Usher serenading her on stage.
In response to the backlash he received from fans, Darius followed up in a separate tweet to explain why he disagreed with Keke’s wardrobe choice.
“We live in a generation where a man of the family doesn’t want the wife [and] mother to his kids to showcase booty cheeks to please others [and] he gets told how much of a hater he is [sic],” Darius wrote. “This is my family [and] my representation. I have standards [and] morals to what I believe. I rest my case.”
Keke then shared an Instagram carousel post showing off the angles of her stunning dress, noting that she wished she had “taken more pictures” from the evening.
Shortly afterward, Darius briefly deactivated his Twitter account but quickly reactivated it. However, he noticeably removed all photos of Keke from his Instagram account.
For Keke’s part, the Hustlers star seemed unbothered by Darius’ online activity. She avoided responding to any fans who questioned the status of her relationship after she shared a video via Instagram to promote her upcoming appearance at the Howard Theatre in Washington D.C. However, Keke did take the opportunity to capitalize on the situation as she dropped a merch line featuring shirts that read, "I'm a Motha" and "Stevie to the bullshit."
"One thing is certain and one thing is true, IM A MOTHA, through and through!" she captioned her Instagram announcement on July 7.
The two also appeared to have unfollowed each other on Instagram.
One month after the incident, Keke starred in Usher’s music video for his song “Boyfriend” on August 16. Shortly afterward, the duo was reported to have split, according to multiple outlets.
Darius addressed the claims via Twitter, claiming the split reports were “false.”
“I haven’t spoken to anyone about anything or gave permission to anyone to speak for me,” he tweeted on August 18.
One week later, the pair seemingly shut down the rumors when they celebrated Keke’s 30th birthday together where he referred to her as his “partner in crime.”
Keke posted cheeky photos for her milestone birthday via Instagram, where she revealed a "January 21, 1994" tattoo underneath her backside, dedicated to Darius' birthday.
Why Did Keke Palmer File a Restraining Order Against Darius Jackson?
Although neither of the pair publicly addressed their split, Life & Style confirmed on November 9 that the former Nickelodeon star filed a restraining order against Darius.
In the filing obtained by Life & Style, Keke alleged that there was “physical violence” in their relationship, claiming that Darius was “destroying my personal property, including diaries and prescription eyeglasses, throwing my belongings into the street, throwing my car keys to prevent me from driving away, hitting [me] in front of our son, spewing profanities about me to our son, threatening to kill himself with a gun if I left him, harassment, and other physical and emotional abuse.”
Keke also explained an alleged incident where she was “concerned for Leo’s safety” around her ex. “Darius became very frustrated with him when there was crying while Darius changed his diaper. Darius started getting rough with Leo physically, and I stepped in to make sure Darius would not hurt him,” she wrote. “Darius was angry, and it almost became a tug-of-war with Leo. Darius finally let go, and Leo was not harmed, but as I was holding Leo, trying to comfort him and finish changing his diaper, Darius hit me in the head before storming out of the room.”
Keke was granted a temporary restraining order against Darius and temporary custody sole custody of Leo.
Darius surrendered his Glock 34 to officials at the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department on November 11, according to documents obtained by Radar Online.
On December 15, Daruis accused Keke of abuse and requested his restraining order be lifted, according to documents obtained by Radar Online.
When Did Keke Palmer and Darius Jackson Start Dating?
Keke and Darius reportedly first met in mid-2021 and went public with their romance in August of that year by going Instagram official. Since then, they kept their love life out of the spotlight until Keke announced her pregnancy with their first child in November 2022.
How Many Kids Does Keke Palmer Have With Darius Jackson?
While delivering a memorable monologue for her Saturday Night Live hosting debut, Keke unbuttoned her jacket and revealed her growing baby bump to the audience.
In February 2023, Keke confirmed she had given birth to their son, Leodis, a.k.a. “Leo.”
“Hey son!!!! 1. Only 48 hours of being parents!” Keke captioned an Instagram selfie post at the time alongside Darius. “2. Darius always made me playlists when we first started dating. ‘Someone’ by El Debarge was a favorite. We became each other’s someone and made a someone, look at God [sic]!”
