Keke Palmer celebrates 30th birthday with Darius Jackson following breakup reports
Keke Palmer celebrated her birthday this weekend with ex(?)-boyfriend Darius Jackson following reports that the actor and the fitness instructor had parted ways.
Palmer and Jackson rang in the “Nope” star’s 30s on Saturday by grabbing drinks and documenting their outing on Instagram Live. The livestream aired on Jackson’s page less than two weeks after Entertainment Tonight and other outlets reported that he and Palmer had separated.
“D, thank you for taking me out on my birthday, as always,” Palmer said during the livestream, which was later posted elsewhere on social media.
“I mean, it’s not always my birthday, but you always take me out. But I just thank you for making it special for my birthday. That’s so sweet.”
Keke Palmer has made her first direct comments about the online drama that unrolled after she was criticized online by her partner, Darius Jackson.
After thanking him for the birthday gesture, Palmer proceeded to jokingly call Jackson out for his opinions about Virgos — who were born between Aug. 23 and Sept. 22.
“Let me go ahead and say one thing straight up about Virgos,” Jackson said. “The Virgos, don’t believe the hype. They are one of the biggest spokespersons for themselves.”
“Don’t believe the hype?” Palmer repeated. “But you are really into the Virgos though. So what are you talking about?”
On cue, Jackson began listing all the Virgos in his life, including his mom, his brother, his best friend and his grandma. But he notably stumbled on his words and struggled with what to call Palmer, eventually landing on the term, “partner in crime.”
Keke Palmer dancing at Usher’s Las Vegas residency was just the start of a ‘dream come true.’ The stars released a new song, ‘Boyfriend,’ on Wednesday.
“So ... yeah, I’m surrounded by Virgos,” he said.
“You’re obsessed with Virgos and that’s OK,” Palmer replied. “It is what it is.”
Jackson also wished Palmer a happy birthday on X (formerly Twitter), where he posted an adorable video of the “Hustlers” actor playing with their newborn son. The former football player and the Emmy winner welcomed a baby boy, Leodis Andrellton, in February.
“Happy Birthday to a one of a kind being,” he captioned the clip. “Hoping your 30s brings you many joys & triumphs!”
Keke Palmer’s boyfriend, Darius Jackson, defended himself, then deleted his Twitter after publicly disapproving of what she wore to an Usher concert.
In the weeks leading up to Palmer’s birthday, Jackson has come under fire on social media for outfit-shaming the “Alice” star online. Last month, Jackson publicly criticized Palmer in response to a viral video of Usher serenading her during his Las Vegas residency.
“It’s the outfit tho.. you a mom,” Jackson replied to a clip of Palmer slow-dancing with Usher in a sheer dress and black bodysuit.
After his unsolicited opinion of how a mom should dress sparked an immediate backlash on social media, Jackson doubled down by accusing his “wife & mother to his kids” of showing off her “booty cheeks to please others.”
Keke Palmer’s feud with her (ex?) boyfriend is not simmering down. Fans can now commemorate the ordeal with merch, or re-create a TikTok dance to the new breakup anthem of 2023.
Palmer has not addressed Jackson’s remarks — not directly, at least. She did, however, release some “I’m a motha” merch and encourage other moms to “do you” in the wake of the incident.
The former Disney Channel and Nickelodeon star also recently collaborated with Usher on a song called “Boyfriend.” The music video for the track seems to allude to the Jackson drama by prominently featuring Palmer — who at one point winks at the camera and says, “I’m a mother, after all.”
Earlier this month, an anonymous source told Entertainment Tonight that Palmer and Jackson broke up “after he called her out on Twitter for her outfit at the Usher concert.” They have reportedly been co-parenting since the alleged breakup.
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