Content warning: This article contains descriptions of domestic abuse.
This summer, Keke Palmer and Usher created what Usher described to People as a “pop moment” that was “worth talking about” when he serenaded Palmer at one of his Usher: My Way The Vegas Residency shows, an act certainly not exclusive to Palmer but to which Palmer’s then-partner, Darius Jackson, took exception — publicly ridiculing her for her outfit. Palmer leaned into it, leveraging it to her advantage, but Thursday (November 9) presented a reminder that people’s lives aren’t meant to be reduced to internet fodder.
TMZ, citing court documents, reported that Palmer requested full custody of her son, Leodis, whom she shares with Jackson, and filed a temporary restraining order against Jackson. Rolling Stone reported this morning (November 10) that “a judge has granted Keke Palmer temporary sole custody of her eight-month-old son.”
So, how did we get here? Below is a timeline of what happened between Palmer and Jackson.
Keke Palmer And Darius Jackson Meet
May 2021: Palmer vaguely referenced Jackson while visiting the The Terrell Showfor an episode posted to YouTube on June 1. At the 15:48-minute mark, she mentioned that Jackson would ask her to sing Whitney Houston’s “All The Man That I Need” to him, which led into Palmer discussing that she had met Jackson “very casually at a party, which is so rare.”
She continued, “Diddy was doing an Insecure afterparty with Issa Rae, and I had just done the show, and his brother worked on the show.” Per Page Six, Diddy and Issa Rae co-hosted a party during Memorial Day Weekend in 2021.
Palmer And Jackson Go Instagram Official — Sort Of
August 2021: Palmer acknowledged her 28th birthday by posting an Instagram carousel with a photo showing her kissing Jackson.
Palmer Publicly Comments
March 2022:Palmer’s first formally addressed her relationship with Jackson with Bustle. She explained why she decided to make their relationship public, saying, “I just think [this] was a moment in time in my life where I really stepped into this kind of boss behavior [of doing] whatever the hell I want to do. This is the happiest I’ve ever felt with someone. So why would I go out of my way to hide this person? That’s a lot more work than just living in my life and being in my life.”
Palmer’s Pregnancy Announcement
December 2022:Palmer didn’t want to go out of her way to hide Jackson, but she also didn’t go out of her way to share much about their relationship. It was relatively private, given her stature. But while making her hosting debut on Saturday Night Live on December 3, 2022, Palmer revealed she was pregnant with their first child.
Palmer And Jackson Welcome Their Son, Leodis
February 2023: Palmer gave birth to Leodis Andrellton Jackson on February 25, 2023. Palmer shared an Instagram carousel to announce his arrival.
Palmer’s Father’s Day Tribute
June 2023:Palmer gushed over Jackson on Father’s Day, posting a lengthy Instagram tribute.
“Happy Father’s Day to the best dad ever!(don’t tell my dad I said that),” she captioned the video. “Congrats Mr. Man, Leodis and I are so very happy to have such a fun, kind, responsible, dependable and supportive man like you in our lives. It’s so wonderful to see the kind of loving father you are, but I’m not surprised. You wanted to be a dad maybe more than I wanted to be a mother and that’s saying a lot, because I’ve ALWAYS wanted to be a mother. I love this for us, but I really love it for Leo! God bless you darling, thank you for being in our lives. WE LOVE YOU!”
Jackson Publicly Criticizes Palmer’s Outfit For Usher’s Concert
July 2023:And then, Jackson inexcusably body-shamed (and mom-shamed) Palmer when she attended Usher’s Las Vegas residency on July 4. Palmer acknowledged his since-deleted posts a few days afterward, posting a video with her son and writing in the caption about how becoming a mother “empowered” her. The post also announced shirts with “I’M A MOTHA” and “Stevie To The Bullsh*t” printed across them.
Palmer And Usher’s Response, With Breakup Rumors Swirling
August 2023: Usher released his “Boyfriend” single alongside a video starring Palmer, clearly served as a callback to the serenading controversy.
Around the same time, People exclusively reported that Jackson had “moved on.” The source relayed that Jackson and Palmer were co-parenting, noting, “You don’t have to be in the same household to be good parents.” However, 10 days later, Palmer celebrated her birthday with Jackson (as relayed by Entertainment Tonight.)
Palmer Files For Full Custody And A Restraining Order
November 2023: On Thursday, November 9, reports surfaced that Palmer was seeking full custody of her and Jackson’s son. On Friday morning, November 10, People reported that Palmer had just “filed a request for a domestic violence restraining order in Los Angeles.”
The publication cited court documents in which Palmer alleged, “Darius trespassed into my home without my knowledge or consent, threatened me, then physically attacked me — lunging for my neck, striking me, throwing me over the couch, and stealing my phone when I told him I was going to call the police.”
That is said to have happened on Sunday, November 5, but the lengthy filing also cites “many instances of physical violence,” including particularly disturbing abuse captured on “home security footage” on February 13, 2022, as well as “Darius 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.”