Keke Palmer and Darius Jackson Break Up After His Outfit-Shaming Comments

After Darius Jackson publicly criticized Keke Palmer’s choice of attire at a July Usher concert, the pair—who share son Leodis—officially ended their relationship.

By Kisha Forde Aug 16, 2023 11:59 PMTags
Watch: Keke Palmer and Darius Jackson Split

Sorry to this man.

Keke Palmer and Darius Jackson—who share 5-month-old son Leodis Andrellton Jackson—have broken up after nearly two years of dating, according to multiple reports.

The Hustlers actress and fitness instructor—whose brother is Insecure star Sarunas Jackson—began dating in 2021, with the pair going Instagram official that August.

"Never would have expected summer 2021 to turn out the way it did, but here we are," he wrote in a since-deleted post, per People. "I'm glad we were able to help each other throughout our lowest of times & show one another that what we are bringing to the table is everything that we got."

The pair's split comes a little more than one month after Darius sparked controversy when he publicly criticized the attire his then-girlfriend wore to an Usher concert in early July. In response to a video from the show featuring the Nope actress shared on X, formerly known as Twitter, he responded, "It's the outfit tho..you a mom."

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Darius then doubled down on his stance at the time, writing in a since-deleted July 5 post, "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 added, "This is my family & my representation. I have standards & morals to what I believe. I rest my case."

And though Keke didn't respond to the online drama directly, she did begin selling "I'M A MOTHA" merch shortly thereafter. Not to mention, she teamed up with Usher himself after the fact to star in his music video for his single, "Boyfriend."

Rebecca Sapp/Getty Images for The Recording Academy

In addition to taking center stage in the video released Aug. 16, the 29-year-old also seemingly threw shade Darius' way during on a phone call at the end, saying, "Dammit, I missed the show! S--t, I'm so tired. I am a mother, after all."

In fact, as a mother, the Emmy winner had a few words of wisdom for fellow new moms in the wake of the online drama.

"Do you, new moms," she told The Cut in July. "Do you. Girl, if there's one person on this earth that loves you for sure, it's that baby. Be happy, because there's no love like it. Somebody loving you like that, hell, who cares?"
 
As she noted, after welcoming her baby boy earlier this year, she's "gotten so much more powerful."

"I'm just so strengthened in a crazy way," she explained. "Strutting my stuff, enjoying. I'll be honest, I think before I even had the baby, I was really actually quite self-conscious. In a way that you would expect, considering the kind of work that I do as a public figure."

E! News has reached out to reps for Keke and Darius but hasn't received a comment.

For a complete timeline of Keke and Darius' love story, keep reading.

August 2021: Instagram Official

The True Jackson, VP alum and the fitness instructor went Instagram official with their romance when Keke shared Polaroids of the two packing PDA at her 28th birthday party. "It's the details for me. Nobody was on they phones, we had that before MySpace feeling… I'm so happy," she wrote on Instagram Aug. 29, 2021. "Awesome Birthday, so grateful."

September 2021: Group Date

Keke and Darius enjoyed a group outing at Cinespia's screening of Coming to America in Hollywood.

October 2021: All Loved Up

The couple stepped out at the Veuve Clicquot Polo Classic at Will Rogers State Historic Park in Los Angeles.

October 2021: Hollywood Nights

Keke and Darius' relationship continued as they spent spooky season together, hanging out with friends during a Cinespia screening of I Know What You Did Last Summer at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery.

November 2021: Private Pair

While appearing on The Tamron Hall Show, Keke explained that she decided to go public with Darius because it "became more difficult to hide" their romance.

"We spend all this time together, and he really is my closest friend, so it just becomes a thing where I'm not gonna hide something that makes me happy," she explained. "It's not gonna be everything you see, my job is my job, but at the end of the day this is somebody that is important to me so why not."

December 2021: First Christmas

Keke spent Christmas with Darius and family, sharing that he gifted her sunglasses fitted with her prescription. "I couldn't be happier!!!" she wrote on Instagram Dec. 25, 2021. "Worked hard all year to spend this time celebrating our health and our love for one another. All the sacrifices are worth it in the end when you know it's for the future and your family. I am who I am because of these people and their love for me is enough to keep me happy until the ends of time."

The Nope star added, "Nothing means anything without these people. My heart is so full and I'm wishing you all the best today.. may the spirit of God be with you all!! Ho Ho Ho!!! Merry Christmas."

 

February 2022: Courtside Cuties

Keke and Darius sat courtside at an NBA All Star Weekend game in Cleveland.

December 2022: Pregnancy Reveal

Keke announced her pregnancy during the Dec. 3, 2022 episode of Saturday Night Live. "There's some rumors going around, people have been in my comments saying, 'Keke's having a baby, Keke's pregnant,' and I wanna set the record straight: I am," she said during her opening monologue, before throwing open her coat to reveal her growing belly. "I was trying so hard to keep it on the down low, 'cause I got a lot of stuff going on...but honestly this has been the biggest blessing, and I am so excited."

December 2022: Time to Celebrate

After the big pregnancy announcement, Keke and Darius were spotted heading to a SNL after-party in New York City.

December 2022: Baby Love

Darius sent some social media love to Keke amid the baby news, sharing a photo of the star cradling her growing bump. Seemingly referencing their baby on the way's due date, he wrote in the caption alongside a red heart emoji, "2023."

December 2022: Sweet Shoutout

While reflecting on her SNL experience on Instagram, Keke called Darius her "other half" and thanked him for "giving me the things that only true unity can bring."

"Love is all we have isn't it," she added in a Dec. 4 post. "you do nothing in this world alone and trust me, I am not alone! Very grateful… Happy Holidays!"

February 2023: He's Here!

The couple welcomed son Leodis Andrellton Jackson in February 2023, with Keke quipping in his birth announcement, "Born during Black History Month, with a name to match." 

April 2023: Baby Boy's First Red Carpet

Keke and Darius Jackson took their baby boy to the screening of her visual album Big Boss at Georgia State University.

April 2023: Easter Celebration

"Happy Easter," Keke wrote on Instagram Apr. 9. "Blessings to all! He has risen."

July 2023: Mom's Night Out

Darius faced online backlash when he appeared to shame Keke for wearing a see-through dress to an Usher concert in Las Vegas. "It's the outfit tho," he tweeted at the time, "you a mom."

After fans came to Keke's defense, the dad of one doubled down on his stance, writing on Twitter, "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. This is my family & my representation. I have standards & morals to what I believe. I rest my case."

August 2023: Break Up

Keke and Darius broke up after nearly two years of dating, according to multiple reports.

August 2023: Birthday Buddies

However, Keke spent her 30th birthday with Darius a week after breakup reports surfaced, prompting speculation that the couple were back on.

September 2023: The Good Life

When asked about her relationship status with Darius during a Sept. 25 appearance on Today, the actress quipped, "I'm not trying to be specific! I'm going to take a page out of my girl Beyoncé's book: Mind y'all's business."

She added, "Life is good. I have nothing but gratitude, honestly."

November 2023: Seeking Custody

Keke petitioned to get full legal and physical custody of Leo, according to court documents obtained by TMZ and Page Six.

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