Keke Palmer has a supportive crew surrounding her amid her legal battle with ex Darius Jackson, an insider exclusively reveals in the new issue of Us Weekly.
“All of Keke’s friends have rallied around her,” the source says of Palmer, 30. “Keke has a great inner circle, and they’re all pitching in to make sure she feels supported during this transitional time.”
Earlier this month, Palmer filed for a restraining order against Jackson, 29, and requested full custody of their son, Leodis, 8 months. In court documents filed and obtained by Us on Thursday, November 9, Palmer accused Jackson of abusing her multiple times over the course of their two-year relationship.
In her filing, Palmer alleged that she has security footage from a November 5 incident in which Jackson “trespassed into my home without my knowledge or consent” and “threatened” her before “lunging for my neck, striking me, throwing me over the couch and stealing my phone.” She went on to claim that there have been “many instances of physical violence” with Jackson that include him destroying her personal property, hitting her in front of Leodis and “threatening to kill himself with a gun” if she left him.
Palmer also noted in the documents that her relationship with Jackson “finally ended for good” in early October “primarily due to the physical and emotional abuse inflicted” on her by him.
One day later, a Los Angeles Superior Court judge granted Palmer a temporary restraining order against Jackson and temporary custody of their son. The court ordered Jackson to stay 100 yards away from both Palmer and the baby until further notice. Jackson is also currently prohibited from having visitation rights with his son.
Jackson has not publicly responded to Palmer’s claims, but on Thursday, he shared a message for his son via X (formerly Twitter). “I love you, son,” Jackson wrote alongside a photo of himself holding the infant. “See you soon.”
Palmer and Jackson’s relationship status has been the subject of fan speculation for months after Jackson publicly commented on the clothing his then-girlfriend wore to an Usher concert. “It’s the outfit tho … you a mom,” he tweeted in July, referring to Palmer’s black bodysuit with a sheer black polka dot cover-up.
After receiving backlash online, Jackson doubled down before deleting his social media accounts entirely. “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 wrote. “This is my family & my representation. I have standards & morals to what I believe. I rest my case.”
Palmer declined to publicly address Jackson’s comments, but in August, she teamed up with Usher, 45, for the singer’s “Boyfriend” music video. “What time is it?” Palmer asked at the end of the clip. “Damn it, I missed the show. I’m so tired. I’m a mother, after all.”
One month later, Palmer brushed off a question about whether she and Jackson were still together after the controversy. “I’m going to take a page out of Beyoncé’s book — mind y’all’s business,” Palmer quipped during a September interview on Today With Hoda & Jenna. “Yes, life is good. I have nothing but gratitude, honestly. Seriously.”
For more on how Palmer is coping following her split from Jackson, watch the video above and pick up the new issue of Us Weekly, on stands now.