Keke Palmer has shed more light about her volatile relationship with her ex-boyfriend, Darius Jackson.
The 31-year-old, who releases a new book, Master of Me: The Secret to Controlling Your Narrative on November 19, shared an excerpt with People as part of a new cover story. In it, the Nope star calls her 2023 breakup with Jackson "the hardest thing I ever had to go through."
The breakdown of Palmer and Jackson's relationship began around the time that the latter criticized his then-partner for wearing a sheer dress to an Usher concert last July. "There was a lot going on," Palmer wrote about the situation, writing that by then, her relationship had become "unhappy and unhealthy."
At the time, many of Palmer's fans grew a distaste for Jackson, who shares a now 1-year-old son, Leodis, with the actress, but the shock came when Palmer accused Jackson of abuse. Last November, Palmer filed a temporary restraining order against Jackson, accusing him of breaking into her home and strangling her. Jackson later filed a counterclaim, alleging that he was a victim of domestic abuse. The exes would ultimately battle over custody of their son.
"It got so out of control," Palmer writes. "The only way I knew how to bring order was through the court." She added that having a child "was a big stressor" in addition to already being in the public eye.
"Not just with my romantic relationships, but with family and friends, it’s always become a burden," Palmer writes about fame. "Too many voices get in. It can make everybody else not trust you. It’s hard to explain."
Palmer recalled in Master of Me that when her relationship with Jackson began in July 2021, that "not only is this the person, but this is the time."
"It felt very spiritual for Darius and I," she wrote. "We had separate lonelinesses, and we created a space for us to exist in that loneliness together. And then we wanted to have a son. Leo was very planned."
Now, the KeyTV founder and Jackson co-parent on healthier terms, as a six-month period of court-ordered mediation resulted in a cordial joint custody agreement. "I wish I could say he was terrible the entire time or that I was ... but it wasn’t that black-and-white and that was the problem," Palmer adds.
She continues, "I didn’t want my son to think his father is a monster, because I don’t."
Palmer advises others in explosive relationships that "walking away is the only way."
Now, Palmer has become "so proud" and "happy" for Jackson, who's now in the military. "I feel very at ease now knowing things are under control," Palmer says around the 14-minute mark of the video below.