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Keke Palmer has always been a force of nature and has done things how she wanted to do them, no matter who approved. However, the outfit-shaming from her ex-boyfriend Darius Jackson made headlines in July 2023, when he boldly challenged how she dressed while enjoying an Usher concert in Las Vegas.
Just over one month following the outfit drama, Keke and her then beau broke up. A source told People at the time that Darius had “moved on” from the mother of his child. Later, a separate insider told Entertainment Tonight that the outfit-shaming drama had a role to play in their split. “Keke and Darius called it quits shortly after he called her out on Twitter for her outfit at the Usher concert,” they said. “Keke is focusing on her work and her 6-month-old son.” They also claimed that although the now-exes “have been co-parenting” they “aren’t together.”
Keke was enjoying a night out with her girls at Usher’s Vegas residency show. A video circulated of the singer serenading Keke while she wore a black bodysuit underneath a sheer polka dot cover-up. When Darius saw the video, he had a less-than-happy reaction. “It’s the outfit tho.. you a mom,” he wrote in a tweet, before deleting his account altogether.
When he was called out for shaming her outfit by fans and defenders, he doubled down on his belief, adding, “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.”
Keke surprised her fans by announcing she was pregnant during her first hosting gig for Saturday Night Live on December 3, 2022. The former child actress later announced the arrival of her first child on February 27, 2023, two days after the baby’s birth. At the time, Keke also shared the first photos of their son, whom they named Leodis Andrellton Jackson. Of course, now fans want to know all about the Keke’s former boyfriend.
Keep reading to find out more about the actress’ now-ex, Darius, below.
Darius Is A Jack Of All Trades
Darius Jackson has worked in both the fitness and entertainment industry over the years, according to his LinkedIn page, per US Weekly. Over 19,000 followers have subscribed to his YouTube channel, per the outlet, where he touted being an instructor at Inspire Fitness.
On the Inspire Fitness website, Darius revealed he played football at Fresno State University on a scholarship. “Since my childhood, I got into fitness from playing sports. I always found myself being active since then,” he said. The site also claimed Darius was “pursuing his career in & received a certificate in broadcasting.”
How Did Keke & Darius Meet?
While both Keke and Darius appear very private about their personal lives, it has been reported that the couple first met at a Memorial Day party hosted by Insecure star Issa Rae.
Darius & Keke’s Instagram Drama
It wasn’t until the couple went Instagram official in August 2021 that fans found out about the romance. “You’ve been a blessing from above,” Darius wrote of Keke at the time on his Instagram. “Never would have expected summer 2021 to turn out the way it did, but here we are. 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.”
In March 2022, however, fans noticed Keke and Darius deleted all photos of each other off of their Instagram pages. They also unfollowed each other, which has caused breakup rumors to fly.
His Brother Was On ‘Insecure’
The happy accident of bumping into each other at the Memorial Day party may all be thanks to Darius’ brother, actor Sarunas Jackson. Sarunas played Dro on Insecure alongside Issa Rae and was reportedly invited to the bbq by her, with Darius tagging along, according to Metro.
Keke & Darius Are in a Better Place as Co-Parents
During a 2026 interview shared by Rolling Stone’s TikTok account, Keke acknowledged that she and Darius were in a healthier place co-parenting their son.
@rollingstone @Keke™ says she’s in a better place with her ex-boyfriend: “I mean, there’s no easy way to say it. But I can’t say that it didn’t have anything to do with God. Because it did. I feel like God does incredible things and whether people believe in God or not or how they see God in their lives… I’m always trying to leave a positive vibe. And so sometimes that means distance… And God will heal the rest.” #KekePalmer #exboyfriend #God #positivevibes #beliefs
♬ original sound – Rolling Stone
“I mean, there’s no easy way to say it. But I can’t say that it didn’t have anything to do with God. Because it did,” Keke said. “I feel like God does incredible things and whether people believe in God or not or how they see God in their lives… I’m always trying to leave a positive vibe. And so sometimes that means distance… And God will heal the rest.”
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