Keke Palmer opens up about the "toxic dynamic" with Darius Jackson that led to their split

Keke Palmer lifted the lid on her "toxic dynamic" with ex-boyfriend Darius Jackson. For the unversed, on November 2023, Palmer requested a domestic violence restraining order against Jackson, which she was granted later. She alleged that her ex had trespassed into her home, physically attacked her, and stole her phone when she told him about calling the police, as per The Hollywood Reporter.

In the declaration at the time, Palmer also claimed that there were "many instances of physical violence." A year later, in October 2024, the Nope actress revealed to People that she needed to file the restraining order because things "got so out of control."

In her recent cover story for The Cut, published on Tuesday, January 14, 2025, the singer-actress recalled her relationship with Jackson. She talked about being the face for survivors of domestic violence, saying:

"There's a sensationalization that happens with that word. But there really are often no other words to describe such a toxic dynamic."

Ultimately, Keke Palmer said that having her son, Leo was the turning point in her decision to cut her romantic ties with Darius Jackson.

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Keke Palmer admits to making excuses for Darius Jackson's alleged abuse for years

In her recent cover story for The Cut, Keke Palmer recalled instances of her relationship with ex Darius Jackson, including her penchant for making excuses for him. Besides that, she also admitted to having a thought process of wondering what she could have done differently to prevent the alleged abuse from happening. According to her, it stemmed from her natural impulse to stand by and observe.

"You can say, 'I know you're not like that,' or 'I know it's not like this,' or 'I know you're a good person deep down.' You can make so many excuses for behavior that could have stopped," she said.

Palmer admitted that having her son had pushed her to leave her "toxic" relationship "before it had the chance of becoming something that [she] had to survive."

However, Palmer admitted to facing a conundrum at the time because she didn't want her son to think that his father was a "monster." Ultimately, she told People that her advice for anyone dealing with the same problem in their relationship was:

"Walking away is the only way."

Ultimately, she said that things have become "under control" and that she was proud and happy for her ex.

Back to her cover story for The Cut, Keke Palmer also recalled the media frenzy that came after her split from Darius Jackson and the abuse allegations that came out. She said that she "hated" how the media coverage could affect her brand, adding:

"It was my personal junk. It didn't deserve a place in the center of something that I worked very hard to make encouraging and empowering."

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That said, years later, after their split, Keke Palmer told The Cut that she and her ex are now able to peacefully co-parent their son.