Actress Keke Palmer made the announcement that she was having a child with her partner Darius Jackson on Saturday, December 3, while hosting Saturday Night Live for the first time.
“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!” Palmer stated before taking off her coat to announce her pregnancy during her introductory statement.
She continued, “I gotta say, though, it is bad when people on the internet spread rumors about you y’all, but it’s even worse when they’re correct. I mean, like, I was trying so hard to keep it on the down low, cause I got a lot of stuff going on, you know? But honestly this has been the biggest blessing, and I am so excited. Guys, I’m going to be a mom.”
Many people were curious about her partner after she made her declaration. Palmer has kept her connection with Jackson largely quiet, but if she does, it’s just to give him the highest praise. Here is what we know.
Who is Darius Jackson?
Darius Jackson is the brother of actor Sarunas Jackson, who appears in Issa Rae’s Insecure. A fitness instructor at Inspire Fitness, he is also pursuing a career in acting.
Jackson and Palmer have been dating for how long?
After appearing on Insecure herself, Almer was introduced to Darius by Sarunas. They allegedly became acquainted during a Memorial Day party in May 2021, and in August 2021, they announced their romance to the world.
Palmer’s birthday was commemorated at the time by Darius in a post that has since been taken down. “You’ve been a blessing from above,” he wrote at the time. “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.”
What has Palmer publicly posted about Jackson?
Palmer posted a video of her partner in October of 2021, which she has since removed. Palmer said, “Without being too mushy because I HATEEEE THAT, it feels really nice to not be afraid to show this kind of care for someone that I don’t share the same blood with. I thought it could never happen, I can be quite guarded, but I appreciate you for being a safe space. I will always cherish what you have given me.”
In March 2022, all of the posts were deleted in bulk. There were reports that they had broken up, but Palmer clarified why she had removed the pictures on The Tamron Hall Show in November of this year, despite the fact that their relationship is public knowledge.
“It became more difficult to hide,” she said. “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 added, “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.”
However, a video shows her going in for a kiss from Darius behind a fan is still available on her TikTok account, and it is captioned, “Lady miss takes what she WANTS.”
What is known about her general relationships?
Palmer revealed to Harper’s Bazaar in March 2020, prior to meeting her current beau,
Palmer revealed to Harper’s Bazaar in March 2020, prior to meeting her current beau, “I don’t really do relationship stuff online, mainly because I don’t know how I would do it without looking, like, cheesy or something, you know? Yes, I’m a hundred percent authentic, but there is stuff that I do save for family and friends.”
Has Darius commented on expecting a child?
On Sunday, December 4, Darius posted a picture of Palmer that clearly showed she was pregnant on his Instagram Stories along with the date “2023,” and a red ❤ emoji.