Keke Palmer has had quite a year: she starred in Jordan Peele’s summer blockbuster Nope, judged her own game show, and ended her whirlwind 2022 by hosting Saturday Night Live. On top of all the career milestones, she is also expecting a baby, who will likely inherit her impressive work ethic.
“Honestly this has been the biggest blessing, and I am so excited. Guys, I’m going to be a mom,” Palmer said during her Saturday Night Live monologue. “Even though some people feel a little weird about me having a baby cause I was a child actor, I just wanna say, look, I’m 29, I’m grown, I have sex, I own a home, I stormed the Capitol on January 6, you know? Things adults do.” Palmer joked after showing off her pregnancy.
Palmer has been dating her current partner Darius Jackson since they were reportedly introduced at Diddy’s Memorial Day Party in 2021. The pair had kept a low profile since then, only posting the occasional photo of one another on social media (they have since been deleted).
Just a few years ago, Palmer told Harper’s Bazaar that she likes to keep her love life separate from her work. “I don’t really do relationship stuff online, mainly because I don’t know how I would do it without looking, like, cheesy or something, you know?” But when Palmer met Jackson in early 2021, her outlook changed.
Palmer told Bustle in March of this year that she didn’t want to “hide” anymore when it came to her personal life. “This is the happiest I’ve ever felt with someone. So why would I go out of my way to hide this person? That’s a lot more work than just living in my life and being in my life.”
Jackson works as a fitness instructor and actor, and Palmer explained in a 2021 interview with Tamron Hall that he is “industry-adjacent,” meaning he understands the demands of Palmer’s life and job. “I’ve always been somebody that hasn’t wanted too much industry stuff in my life, he’s very industry-adjacent, meaning he understands it but that’s not what he’s about,” she explained. Jackson is also the brother of Sarunas Jackson who starred in Insecure, where Palmer also had a brief guest starring role.
Even though not much is known about Palmer and Jackson’s relationship, Palmer is clearly excited to be a mother…even if she jokes about the timing. “I was trying so hard to keep it on the down low, because I’ve got a lot of stuff going on. People kept coming up to me [saying] ‘Congratulations,’ I’m like ‘Shh! Can y’all stop, I’ve got a liquor sponsorship on the line. Let the check clear, then we can get to the damn baby shower.”