The Legal Drama Between Keke Palmer And Ex Darius Jackson's Brother, Explained

This article includes references to domestic abuse. 

Keke Palmer and Darius Jackson's relationship seemed shaky, but no one anticipated that it would end with restraining orders from the two of them and Darius' brother, Sarunas Jackson. After an on-and-off two-and-half-year romance, the couple called it quits in October 2023, and Palmer demanded temporary sole custody of their son, Leodis Andrellton Jackson, after accusing Darius of both physical and emotional abuse. According to court documents obtained by People, the "Nope" star claimed that after their split, Darius broke into her home, physically assaulted her, and snatched her car keys and phone to prevent the actor from escaping. 

Palmer also alleged that Darius physically abused her on several prior occasions, spoke negatively about her around their son, and shattered her personal belongings to express his anger. According to the "True Jackson, VP" breakout's account, Darius also consistently manipulated her into getting his way including showering Palmer with compliments and affection, and took it away in the blink of an eye when she went against his wishes. 

"If we were at a party or event, and I spoke with one person too long or looked at someone a 'certain way,' he would storm off in a rage — telling me I was [a] 'slut' and a 'whore,' accuse me of cheating on him, and that I did not love him," she claimed in the filing. Palmer was granted temporary sole custody in November 2023. Surprisingly, Darius filed a restraining order against her the following month, and his brother followed suit in January 2024.

Per court documents obtained by Page Six, Sarunas Jackson decried Keke Palmer's abuse allegations against his brother, Darius Jackson, as completely false. Sarunas claimed that the former Nickelodeon star had wrongly used her influence to taint his family's reputation and endanger their safety. The "Insecure" star claimed, "She has harassed and stalked my friends and family [on] social media. She has reached out to people in relation to me to lie on my family." With his restraining order, Sarunas aimed to ensure that Palmer would be forced to cut off all contact with the Jacksons and therefore put an end to her spreading supposedly malicious untruths.

Initially, Darius' visitations with their son, Leodis Andrellton Jackson, were supposed to happen at Sarunas' house, but Palmer wouldn't have it. She expressed her disdain about the idea in court documents by citing Sarunas' history of alleged physical and sexual abuse, which Sarunas denied in his own filing. E! News reported that a judge ultimately denied Sarunas' restraint order since there was "insufficient evidence that great or irreparable harm would result."

Meanwhile, Darius claimed that Palmer was the abusive one in the relationship in his own order, per People. He alleged that she physically and mentally abused him. To present his claim, Darius said that the actor blew up his phone with hundreds of calls and emails when he refused to be with her for a night in 2021. He supposedly had to change his phone number after their split because Palmer repeatedly called him after drinking heavily and spoke harshly to him.

Although Darius Jackson and Keke Palmer's relationship was full of highs and lows, we first saw cracks appear in July 2023 when she attended Usher's Las Vegas residency in a sheer dress with a figure-hugging bodysuit underneath. Jackson wasn't happy about her clothing choice and took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to shame Palmer for not dressing the way he would expect the mother of his children to. 

After receiving tons of backlash for his outdated sentiments, Jackson clarified: "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," (via People). He added that he had ideals about the way his family should act, and that outfit went against them. Both tweets have since been deleted. Ultimately, though, Jackson had no regrets about his statements because, from his perspective, he was simply standing up for his beliefs. 

Palmer later proudly shared several photos of herself in the dress her then-partner disliked on Instagram. While that disagreement would've been a dealbreaker for many, they continued dating for a bit. When Palmer appeared on "Today with Hoda & Jenna" in September, she confirmed she was still in a relationship with Jackson. But the "Nope" star shaded him in Usher's music video for "Boyfriend," quipping, "I'm so tired. I'm a mother after all," with a wink. 

If you or someone you know is dealing with domestic abuse, you can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1−800−799−7233. You can also find more information, resources, and support at their website.