Keke Palmer has given her first interview after her partner, Darius Jackson, made shaming comments about an outfit she wore.
On Monday 10 July, the 29-year-old actor and singer spoke candidly about motherhood in an interview withThe Cut. The conversation marked Palmer’s first interview since the controversy surrounding Jackson began, in which he publicly called out Palmer for wearing a sheer dress to an Usher concert despite being a mother to their five-month-old son, Leodis “Leo” Andrellton Jackson.
“It’s the outfit tho [sic]… you a mom,” Jackson tweeted in response to a video of Palmer being serenaded by Usher at his Las Vegas residency.
After receiving backlash for his tweet, Jackson then doubled-down on his opinion, writing: “We live in a generation where the man of the family doesn’t want the wife and mother to his kids to showcase booty cheeks to please others and he gets told how much of a hater he is.
“This is my family and my representation. I have standards and morals to what I believe. I rest my case.”
Speaking to The Cut, the Hustlers star was asked about her “mental headspace” after Jackson was branded “insecure” for shaming her outfit. In response, Palmer described the newfound confidence she’s gained since welcoming her first child in February.
“After having my baby, I’ve just gotten so much more powerful,” she began. “I’ll be honest, I think before I even had the baby, I was really actually quite self-conscious. In a way that you would expect, considering the kind of work that I do as a public figure - always trying to be on point with my body and always trying to make sure I’m taking care of this and that. There’s a lot of physical attention.”
Palmer noted that, after becoming a mother, her body has “got so much bigger and [she] started getting fluff in areas [she] never had before”.
The former child star went on to describe a positive interaction she had with her personal trainer, in which he assured Palmer that they were “never going to try and get [her] body back to how it was” before she gave birth.
“It’s like, that’s not something to hide, that’s something to embrace,” she continued. “We’re going to lean into this new body. That is the whole aura of what’s happening with me in this big boss era as I come into my 30s and I have my baby boy. I’m just continuing to spread my wings as a young woman.”
While the Nope star gave no mention of her and Jackson’s current relationship status, Palmer added that she’s now focused on inspiring herself and others.
“My headspace is just to continue to inspire and encourage myself and anybody else who wants to go down that road with me,” she said. “Because we’re growing and we are changing. It’s all about loving who I am and loving what I experienced and what I’ve gone through that’s gotten me here. A lot of gratitude for me.”
Last week, Darius Jackson appeared to delete his social media accounts after fans rushed to Palmer’s defense. While the fitness instructor later dismissed reports that he had deleted his Twitter account following the backlash, he still scrubbed all photos of Palmer from his Instagram.
Speaking to The Cut, the True Jackson, VP alum also shared a message to the fellow mothers who came to her support and “defended her integrity” amid the drama.
“Do you, new moms. Do you,” Palmer added. “Girl, if there’s one person on this earth that loves you for sure, it’s that baby. Be happy, because there’s no love like it. Somebody loving you like that, hell, who cares?”
Although the interview marked Keke Palmer’s first since the controversy began, the actor hasn’t shied away from sharing subtle messages aimed at the drama on social media. Just hours after Jackson publicly shamed her for wearing the sheer dress, which also featured a black bodysuit underneath, Palmer took to Instagram to share even more photos of the glammed-up look.
“I wish I had taken more pictures but we were running late!” she captioned the post. “I am telling y’all right now, if you haven’t seen @usher YOU MUST GO!! HE WAS SO FABULOUS!!”
Unsurprisingly, fans instantly applauded Palmer for showcasing the sheer outfit despite receiving criticism from her boyfriend.
“YES MAAM!!!! You don’t criticise the mother of your children publicly. End of discussion,” commented internet personality Christian Walker. “If unbothered by the mess was a person,” another fan wrote.
Two days later, the actor then shared a sweet clip of herself singing the hit Stevie Wonder song, “Isn’t She Lovely” to her infant son Leo. In the caption, she hinted that she was aware of the backlash Jackson had faced for his comments.
“One thing is certain and one thing is true, IM A MOTHA [sic], through and through!” she said, before noting that shirts with the slogan were available to purchase on her website.
Keke Palmer and Darius Jackson welcomed Leo, their first child together, in February this year. In an Instagram post announcing his arrival, Palmer wrote: “Born during Black History Month, with a name to match! Welcome to the world baby Leo.”
