Parenthood looks great on Keke Palmer. The veteran actress-singer is commanding the most important role she’ll ever tackle: motherhood. Palmer shared the news of her pregnancy with the world in December while hosting Saturday Night Live. It’s reported she decided to make her big reveal on the show after realizing the physicality needed to perform couldn’t be done while keeping her secret. She closed out February with the news of her son’s arrival and even shared his name: Leodis Jackson. Fans had fun teasing her about that one, but Palmer took it all in stride.
Since then, she’s been updating her followers about the ups and downs of her first months as a mom. This week, Palmer shared a photo of her “mommy’ing” with her newborn, nicknamed “Mookie Mook,” as they went for a stroll. “I have juggled quite a few careers but this is my greatest gig of all,” the actress wrote in the caption of her photos. “Learning how to balance it all and looking forward to discovering this new person I am becoming. I will never be the same again, but if you thought I was a bad mama jamma before, you can’t imagine the greater purpose my son has given my life!”
She added, “Also, loving the new world I get to indulge in now as a mom. I have so many things bagged in my Amazon cart, haven’t quite pulled the place the order button, but it feels good just adding it to the cart. You know, fake shopping hahaha. Mom ‘stuff’ is a big business, who knew..” Meanwhile, Palmer’s growing family has drawn attention to her boyfriend, Darius Jackson. Little is known about the entertainment and sports professional, but it’s reported he and Palmer began dating in May 2021. They were said to have met at a Memorial Day party hosted by Sean “Diddy” Combs.”
Additionally, Darius is related to Sarunas Jackson, the actor who starred in Insecure from 2017 to 2021. It should also be noted that Sarunas famously called out Trey Songz, alleging the singer is a predator. Previously, Palmer accused Songz of sexual intimidation, even saying she hid from him in a closet. Meanwhile, unlike other stars, Palmer and her man keep the details of their relationship close to the vest. Their fans may not have a close eye on their romance, but the couple does pop up on social media in photos where they can’t help but show their affection. No word on if they’re looking to expand their brood, but for now, Palmer is delighting in her little one. Check out her post above.
Keke Palmer is currently detailing her journey in motherhood. Hitting Instagram, Palmer released a collection of photos with her song Leo, providing information into the “greatest gig of all.”
Mommy’ing is coming along if you were looking for an update. I have juggled quite a few careers but this is my greatest gig of all.
Learning how to balance it all and looking forward to discovering this new person I am becoming. I will never be the same again, but if you thought I was a bad mama jamma before, you can’t imagine the greater purpose my son has given my life!
It’s giving, SUPER SAIYAN.
You can see the full updates from Keke Palmer below.
Keke Palmer has spent most of her life in the public eye, from starring in 2006’s Akeelah and the Bee to, more recently, killing her performance in Jordan Peele’s Nope. In late 2022, she announced the exciting news of her pregnancy while hosting Saturday Night Live, and has since gone on to welcome her baby boy with boyfriend Darius Jackson. While some famous faces opt to stay offline in the months after going through such a major life change, the actress has continued to let her personality shine through on her various profiles while chronicling her journey into parenthood.
Earlier this month, the 29-year-old posted an emotional video on Instagram, during which she took a moment to praise any single people raising children by themselves. Even with the help of her partner and other loved ones, Palmer says that she’s been getting “cooked” in the time since she gave birth to Leodis Andrellton. Thankfully, she seems to have a strong support system keeping her sane amidst all the chaos.
“I just want anybody out there that’s a single parent that’s been doing this – friends of mine, people that I don’t know, family members of mine – it brings tears to my eyes. I am just truly, profoundly impressed,” the former Disney star vented to viewers. “It truly does take a village… Sometimes that’s a privilege,” she additionally acknowledged. Many fans praised Palmer in the comments, thanking her for being so honest through the ups and downs of rearing her child.
In the time since then, the Illinois native appears to be comfortably settling into her life at home with Darius and baby Leo. On Thursday (March 9), she updated fans on her family via Twitter with some heartwarming selfies of them sporting matching pyjamas. While Palmer perfectly twins with her son in what appears to be a moon-print onesie, her boyfriend wears pyjama pants in the same pattern with a light blue t-shirt.
“Thank you @zennioptical for the lewks,” the new mother wrote along with her photo dump. In one of the snapshots, Jackson plants a kiss on Palmer’s head as their son peacefully sleeps on his chest. Though some first expressed their disappointment in Leodis’ unique name, they seem to be warming up to the young boy, who got plenty of compliments on social media.
One person wrote, “Good looks run in the family,” while another added, “Omg, Akeelah now has a little bee.” Elsewhere, trolls poked fun at Darius’ proud dad energy, asking, “Lol… Why is he carrying the child like he’s the one who gave birth?” See Keke Palmer’s cute photos for yourself above, and check back later for more pop culture news updates.
Be prepared to take a journey with Keke Palmer as the multihyphenate entertainer has teased a new project. These days, Palmer’s life has done a 180 now that she’s welcomed her baby boy into the world. She shared the good news of her pregnancy while hosting Saturday Night Live months ago, and more recently, she praised single parents after her first few days with her newborn. Becoming a mom isn’t the only new arrival from Palmer; she shared the first trailer for her docu-film earlier today titled Big Boss.
“I grew up in a very spiritual home. Went to church every Sunday,” Palmer explains in the clip. “I was always in practice as a child. Yet, still curious about what the ‘word’ actually meant. They always said the ‘word’ is meant to be lived. I never knew why until I started living.” A montage of images from the actress’s childhood intermingled with scenes from the docu-film was showed, beginning with a nine-year-old Palmer slating her name.
Keke Palmer Struggled With Self-Worth
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – JANUARY 13: Keke Palmer attends the AFI Awards Luncheon at Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills on January 13, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images)
“Overcoming this inner narrative that tells me no matter how far I’ve come, I’m still not good enough. Being different is one thing. Feeling lonely? That’s another.” She added that she didn’t need to “be accepted by the cool kids or the elitist. I just need to be accepted by me.” In the caption, she called the project a “musical narrative that chronicles my experience in the music industry.”
Palmer hasn’t been shy about sharing the ups and downs of her career—including the negativity she receives from trolls and critics. In December, she posted a photo of herself at a read-through for Saturday Night Live. Naysayers hopped online to spew hate about her not wearing makeup. “I just saw a few comments of ppl saying I was ugly cause I wasn’t wearing any makeup. And I really want y’all to get the help y’all need because makeup isn’t real,” Palmer wrote. “I’m beautiful in real life, because of who I am, not what I look like.”
She further added, “I wish I could bottle how I feel about myself and sell it. Because some people take comments to heart and these ppl just say anything. I mean truly it’s insane to say anyone is ugly, but especially me. .” Check out the trailer for Big Boss above.
Keke Palmer, 29, the triple threat can now add mom to her many roles, as her acting and singing have already made her a standout both in life and on screen. Making her debut in the 2004 film Barbershop 2: Back in Business, Palmer quickly became likable from her honest and kind demeanor, making her a favored co-star to want to be around.
Keke Palmer Debuted As An Actress And Singer
Making a transition to television in the same year of her movie debut, Palmer ultimately went on to star in multiple Nickelodeon series like True Jackson, VP and Winx Club. When she displayed how raw her skill was at such a young age, Palmer continued to succeed in the industry with more serious roles that would later catapult her into the respected actress she is today. Starring in films like Akeelah and the Bee, Madea’s Family Reunion, Jump In!, and The Longshots, Palmer has spent most of her life in the film world.
When her adult life came around, so did the adult roles. No age could define Palmer on screen, as her ability has transcended into one of the greats. Taking on roles next to Tyler Perry, Queen Latifah, Whoopie Goldberg, Julia Stiles and Ice Cube, Palmer was able to gain versatile parts in films like Alice, Hustlers, and Nope. Palmer has also been a voice over actress in films like Lightyear, Unstable Fables: Tortoise vs. Hare, and multiple movies from the Ice Age franchise. Displaying even more skill, Palmer has taken her career a step further into the musical world with a 2014 role as the first African American Princess to star in a title role as Cinderella on Broadway. With Rolling Stonescalling her assertive and confident with a “biting sense of humor,” Palmer stays contributing her love for acting in every role she is given.
Palmer Explains Her Love for Her Career
Keke Palmer interviews for Bustle wearing a Gucci gown and Cosabella bra.
In an effortless steez, Palmer epitomizes true passion behind the screen saying, “I can’t even tell anyone how it feels when I’m acting, I don’t mean to say that I don’t have to try. But there’s something in my heart that explodes, and I feel like I understand. When I’m acting, I feel like so in control and so centered. This is something that I solely get from acting and music.”
Not only has Palmer paved her own way as an actress, but she has also grounded herself as a singer and songwriter. Her 2007 debut album So Uncool charted on Billboard’s Top R&B & HipHop Albums list and was released under her contract with Atlantic Records. Palmer explains her love for music with, “Whether it be in acting, music, or even in dancing, I only want to do things that I truly connect to, and with my music, it’s everything that I am.” Though she’s now signed to Island Records, Palmer has released albums Virgo Tendencies, Pt. 1, and Virgo Tendencies, Pr. 2 along with multiple singles over the course of the previous years.
Palmer Meets Longtime Boyfriend at Diddy’s Memorial Day Party in 2021
Keke Palmer shares her and boyfriend Darius Jackson’s first experiences with son Leo.
Palmer started dating boyfriend, Darius Jackson, 29, after meeting at Rae and Diddy’s Memorial Day Party in 2021. Keeping their relationship private for only a few months, the couple have remained close since their first encounter. Telling Bustle in an interview, Palmer says, “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. You know what I’m saying?”
Being in the entertainment industry as well, Jackson is both an actor and fitness trainer. Attending Fresno State University on a football scholarship, Jackson continued in the footsteps of his older brother Saranus Jackson who played sports before launching his acting career in 2017 in the series Insecure. Though he hasn’t much acting fame, Jackson can be linked to the upcoming sci-fi film Dawn of the Predator as Agent Mayo. In the film, a group of agents are deployed to a robot-controlled territory, and upon their attempt to retrieve technology from an alien crash, they are faced with war against the aliens.
Though acting and singing may have been the prevalence of Palmer’s whole life, her newest role as ‘mom’ may be her most important one yet. Palmer gave birth on February 25, 2023 to a healthy baby boy, Leodis Andrellton Jackson. Though it’s a first time being a parent for Palmer, she stays happily grateful for her experience, taking to social media to say, “”Hey Son!!!! Born during Black History Month, with a name to match! LEODIS ANDRELLTON JACKSON, welcome to the world baby Leo.”
Keke Palmer Has Ideas for the Future of Her Career
Keke Palmer gets candidly cheeky about how to solve Bustle’s interview questions.
Though Palmer is most focused on being a new mom with her longtime boyfriend, Jackson, she still has her eyes set on new horizons after earning a Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Talk Show Host for her appearance alongside Michael Strahan on Strahan, Sara, and Keke from 2019-2020. Palmer told Bustle she envisions herself giving back to her community in the near future by interning a plethora of young black adults for the directing and producing of filmssaying, “I imagine myself directing movies and producing films and having a bunch of different interns that are just in college.”
Continuing, “Young, black kids that are learning how to be a grip, that are learning how to be a DP, that are learning how to work in production, or as a designer, or people that are learning how to be a teamster, I really want to educate the young kids on the fact that you don’t just have to work in Hollywood as a performer, or as a writer, or as a director — your ass could be a crafty.”
With 20 years in the industry, Palmer has exhibited the essence of a true star. In following her own advice, “You can do anything as long as you don’t stop believing. When it is meant to be, it will be. You just have to follow your heart,” Palmer continues to thrive as a new mom still wanting to work, as her love for acting and singing is endless.
Celebrities – they’re just like us. In the days after giving birth for the first time, Keke Palmer is keeping it incredibly real with her followers. In a video posted to her feed on Friday (March 3), the True Jackson VP actress admitted that parenthood has been anything but easy so far. Thankfully, she has her boyfriend, Darius Jackson, by her side. Still, she took a moment to acknowledge the hard work of people who are raising children on their own.
“I just came on here to say, if you are a single parent, pull out your cape. Matter fact, clip your angel wings. Because I don’t know how it is you did it,” Palmer told the camera as her weekend was beginning. “And I really don’t want this to sound pander-y or something like this, because I know there are a million and one reasons why somebody wants to be a single parent or becomes a single parent. Maybe they lost somebody, maybe they don’t want to deal with somebody, maybe it’s a choice.”
The Illinois-born entertainer then admitted that she’s realizing that it truly does “take a village” to rear a little one. “Sometimes that’s a privilege,” Palmer acknowledged. “And I just want anybody out there that’s a single parent that’s been doing this – friends of mine, people that I don’t know, family members of mine – it brings tears to my eyes. I am just truly, profoundly impressed.”
In the caption of her vulnerable video, the new mother added, “I ain’t gon’ lie, I’m gettin’ COOKED!” Seeing as she’s been so honest about her family life on social media so far, we’re expecting plenty more updates from the Hustlers actress and little Leodis Andrellton Jackson. While many agree that the infant is absolutely adorable, his name hasn’t gotten such a positive reaction from social media.
After she shared the exciting news of her son’s arrival online, well-wishes began flying towards the growing family. Of course, there were snide comments about the moniker chosen by the young parents. “That name sound like it led a civil rights march,” one Twitter user wrote at the end of February. In response, Keke Palmer wrote back, “It’s giving I marched with Martin, purrrr.” See what else trolls had to say about the baby’s unique name here, and check back later for more pop culture news.
Keke Palmer and her boyfriend, Darius Jackson, has welcomed a new baby boy, Leodis Andrellton Jackson. Hitting Instagram, Palmer shared images of the couple and the precious moments with their child.
Included in the baby reveal, Palmer shared sweet updates about their union:
Only 48hrs of being parents!
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!
The baby love Rolling Ray, cause purrr.
“I’m not hiding the world from my son, I’m hiding my son from the world.” Hahaha
I’m just playing, my baby face is on this slide.
And this slide 🥹
Born during Black History Month, with a name to match !
LEODIS ANDRELLTON JACKSON, welcome to the world baby Leo.
Months after confirming her first pregnancy on SNL, Keke Palmer has welcomed her beautiful baby boy with boyfriend Darius Jackson. The actress took to her Instagram to introduce her new bundle of joy to the world. Updated By: Nicole Bartley (2/28/23 at 4:12 pm) Keke Palmer is officially a new mom. On Feb. 27, the […]
It feels like just yesterday that Keke Palmer shared the exciting news of her first pregnancy with the world. The Disney Channel alum was hosting Saturday Night Live at the time when she addressed the rumours circulating online claiming she’s with child. In the months after confirming her venture into motherhood, the actress also subtly revealed her baby’s gender on late-night TV, as well as some of her future plans for raising him.
On Monday (February 27), the Illinois-born entertainer revealed via Instagram that she’s given birth, making her and boyfriend Darius Jackson first-time parents. Palmer had plenty of fun photos and videos of them to share as they adjust to their new life, as well as the first look at the little one, who already has a full head of dark hair. “I’m not hiding the world from my son, I’m hiding my son from the world,” she joked in the caption, expertly quoting Drake.
Elsewhere in the same post, Palmer shared some heartwarming anecdotes about her man and baby. “Darius always made me playlists when we first started dating, ‘Someone’ by El Debarge was a favourite. We became each other’s someone and made a someone, look at God.” Immediately after, she let followers know that she and Jackson’s little one is a Rolling Ray fan, “’cause purrr.”
“Born during Black History Month, with a name to match,” her announcement post’s caption concluded. “LEODIS ANDRELLTON JACKSON, welcome to the world baby Leo.” Like many other celebrity infant names, this one is certainly unique, and not everyone has been taking kindly to it on social media.
Over on Twitter, reposts of Palmer’s exciting news have been appearing across the app. Many are happy to see the 29-year-old, who grew up alongside so many of us, starting a family with a man who makes her so happy. Others, of course, are hung up on the moniker she and Jackson crafted for the young boy. “That name sound like it led a civil rights March,” one user joked yesterday evening.
It wasn’t long before the multi-talent responded to the criticism with a comedic clap back. “It’s giving I marched with Martin, purrrr,” she expertly teased. Keep scrolling for more Twitter reactions to little Leodis’ arrival, and check back later for more pop culture news updates.
Keke Palmer just gave birth to her first child, and welcomed her baby boy alongside his father, boyfriend Darius Jackson. Of course, since the reveal of her pregnancy, fans have been ecstatic to see Palmer experience the joy of motherhood. Moreover, she also made the announcement in quite a grandiose and public manner. Not many other celebrities would include a pregnancy reveal in their opening host monologue for Saturday Night Live. Then again, Keke’s not like other celebrities. In her announcement post, she reflected on the first 48 hours of being Leodis Andrellton Jackson.
“Hey Son!!!!” she began her post. Furthermore, each “section” of her caption corresponds to a picture in her Instagram slideshow. “Only 48hrs of being parents!” she wrote about a picture of the couple looking frazzled. “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!” she attributed to a video of them singing along. “The baby love Rolling Ray, cause purrr,” she captioned a video of the family watching the viral sensation.
“’I’m not hiding the world from my son, I’m hiding my son from the world.’ Hahaha,” she wrote on a picture of the two with Leodis’ face concealed. Of course, that’s a dig at Drake’s infamous lines on the track “Emotionless” about his then-exposed son. “I’m just playing, my baby face is on this slide. And this slide,” she wrote for the last two pictures, which are in fact of the beautiful baby boy. “Born during Black History Month, with a name to match!” she concluded. “LEODIS ANDRELLTON JACKSON, welcome to the world baby Leo.”
Back when she originally made the pregnancy announcement, Palmer spoke to her excitement, love, and gratitude. “This year has taken me for a ride!” she wrote on Instagram. “And how cool, my baby and I are already doing it all together. Thank you God! Thank you to my amazing parents and family who continuously support me… thank you to my other half [Darius] for giving me the things that only true unity can bring. Love is all we have isn’t it, you do nothing in this world alone and trust me, I am not alone! Very grateful… Happy Holidays!” Congrats to Keke and Darius on their joyous gift, and come back to HNHH for the latest on Keke Palmer.
.” Meanwhile, Palmer’s growing family has drawn attention to her boyfriend, Darius Jackson. Little is known about the entertainment and sports professional, but it’s reported he and Palmer began dating in May 2021. They were said to have met at a Memorial Day party hosted by Sean “Diddy” Combs.”
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