This post contains discussions of abuse.
On Thursday, multiple outlets reported that Keke Palmer had asked for a restraining order against her ex-boyfriend Darius Jackson, as well as full custody of their son, Leodis.
In the docs, Keke alleged that Darius had been physically and emotionally abusive throughout their relationship, as recently as this past Sunday, when she said, “Darius trespassed into my home without my knowledge or consent, threatened me, then physically attacked me — lunging for my neck, striking me, throwing me over the couch, and stealing my phone when I told him I was going to call the police.”
Along with screenshots from her home security footage, she detailed other alleged "instances of physical violence" that occurred after they began dating in 2021, including "striking and grabbing me around the neck, descriptions of Darius destroying my personal property, including diaries and prescription eyeglasses, throwing my belongings into the street, throwing my car keys to prevent me from driving away, hitting [me] in front of our son, spewing profanities about me to our son, threatening to kill himself with a gun if I left him, harassment, and other physical and emotional abuse."
The news came as a shock to the public — and, apparently, even to insiders close to them. One source told People it was "a big surprise," as the pair looked friendly at an event for Keke's streaming network KeyTV in late October. "The baby was there, everybody," the source added. "Darius went to support her, they were all congratulating her."
But, at the same time, the insider acknowledged that things weren't always smooth in the relationship.
The fitness instructor said at the time that he didn't think what Keke was wearing was appropriate, given that she's a mom. “It’s the outfit tho..you a mom,” he wrote alongside a clip of her being serenaded by Usher.
Following criticism of his comments, Darius also doubled down and said that it was improper to "showcase booty cheeks" to the public. "This is my family & my representation. I have standards & morals to what I believe. I rest my case."
The source said that the drama over the outfit was when things really started to go downhill in the relationship: “I don’t think the Vegas incident caused all of this. There were problems before, but I do think it was the beginning of the end.”
BuzzFeed reached out to representatives for Keke for comment on the report but did not immediately hear back.
If you or someone you know is in immediate danger as a result of domestic violence, call 911. For anonymous, confidential help, you can call the 24/7 National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 (SAFE) or chat with an advocate via the website.