Keke Palmer is telling her side of the story involving the public fallout that occurred within her family unit following a viral interaction with USHER at one of his concerts last year.
In a recent interview with PEOPLE, Palmer opened up about how the viral incident with Usher at his concert ultimately led her to file a restraining order against her ex, Darius Jackson, who is also the father of her child.
The controversy began when Jackson took to Twitter to express his disapproval of Palmer’s outfit at the concert, a sheer black dress layered over a matching thong bodysuit. In her initial remarks on the incident, Palmer downplays her interaction with USHER and explains that it was all supposed to be apart of a “fun” moment she was creating with him.
“I get that people feel like celebrities all know each other, or they’re thinking in their mind that,” Keke Palmer said in part.
“I mean, ultimately I was doing what I do as an entertainer, as I was creating a fun moment. That’s what he [Usher] does with every entertainer that comes to his show. How it became a genuine storyline of that me and USHER in love, or me and Usher have something going on, I don’t know how it got there, but usually, as we all know, things are never really what they seem.”
However, Jackson ended up causing a stir after he publicly criticized her sheer outfit on by going off on a rant in a retweet he shared featuring a video of Palmer being serenaded by USHER during his Las Vegas residency.
He tweeted, “It’s the outfit tho.. you a mom (sic).” When he came under fire for publicly shaming his partner’s look, Jackson simply doubled down on his stance.
“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,” he tweeted. “This is my family & my representation. I have standards & morals to what I believe. I rest my case.”
Palmer explained that even though she viewed the situation differently than Jackson, considering it was just a concert, the incident spiraled into public speculation about her relationship, which she says she was shocked to see unfold, in addition to Jackson’s comments.
“I was just at a concert… it was not that reality for me,” she said. “I was speechless… I was just shocked.”
Describing the public reaction and her ex’s social media comments, Palmer added, “I didn’t have no words, and it’s not reality… I didn’t want to engage with something that wasn’t reality.”
She expressed frustration over the spread of misinformation, explaining that taking legal steps was her way of bringing order to her family.
“The only way that you know how to bring order or control to something is the court, she said.
Palmer concluded by sharing that the court action has brought her a sense of clarity and peace, as she remarked, “I feel very at ease now… there’s a calm.”
Keke Palmer and Jackson announced their relationship and the birth of their child last year, which initially sparked joy among fans. However, Palmer went on to accuse her Jackson of domestic violence and was granted temporary sole custody of her and Darius’ then nine-month-old son Leodis in December 2023. Palmer was also given a temporary restraining order, which barred Jackson from coming within 100 yards of her and their son.
Watch the full interview in the video above.