All About Keke Palmer's Son, Leodis Andrellton Jackson

Mar. 15, 2025

Photo:KeKe Palmer/Instagram

KeKe Palmer/Instagram

TheEmmy awardwinner welcomed her first child, son Leodis “Leo” Andrellton, on Feb. 25, 2023, with her ex-boyfriend,Darius Jackson.

Since welcoming Leo, the actress hasn’t shied away from posting about him on social media. Betweensilly videosandheartfelt tributes, Palmer has been relishing in motherhood.

“Mommy’ing is coming along if you were looking for an update. I have juggled quite a few careers but this is my greatest gig of all,” Palmer wrote onInstagramin March 2023. “I will never be the same again, but if you thought I was a bad mama jamma before, you can’t imagine the greater purpose my son has given my life!”

In November 2023, Palmerfiled for sole custodyof Leo — claiming that Jackson physically abused her on several occasions. The exes, who are in a better place according to the actress' bookMaster of Me, nowshare joint custody.

While talking to PEOPLE in August 2024, Palmer said that she tries to take Leo “every-single-where I go” so that she can maintain the “closeness” she has with her son so far.

“The grace of a career like mine — and, obviously, his age — is just that he can be with me,” she said. “So I’m grateful for that. I think I wanna just continue to be able to just do that and have him with me and do things together and make sure that he feels part of my life and sees what I’m doing."

His name has a special meaning

Keke Palmer Instagram

He was “manifested” into the world

Prior to Palmer’spregnancy revealduring her hosting debut onSaturday Night Livein December 2022, she “joked” about being pregnant on April Fool’s Day a few months earlier. One year later, the actressspoke about the passage of timein a heartfeltInstagrampost on April 2.

“He already tired of me,” she playfully concluded.

Palmer has called him a “warrior”

Derek White/WireImage

She went on to express her excitement at becoming a first-time mom, noting that she “thinks about it every day.”

He’s Palmer’s “twin”

He has given Palmer “confidence and empowerment” as a mom

Keke Palmer/Instagram

Speaking on stage at the Howard Theatre in July, Palmer revealed how becoming a mother to Leo has given her a“sense of freedom”and boosted her confidence.

Palmer continued, “I never would have imagined that my son would have given me such a deep confidence and empowerment to just really be like, ‘Yo, we about to do this.' "

He and Palmer celebrated his first Halloween with coordinating costumes

For his first Halloween, Leo went asscientist Henry Frankenstein, and Palmer dressed up as the bride of Frankenstein.

“He gave me LIFE,” she captioned photos from their spooky photoshoot.

Palmer and Jackson share joint custody of Leo

Palmer filed a restraining order against Jackson andfiled for sole custody of Leoin November 2023. According to court documents, Jackson allegedly “hit” Palmer and “spew[ed] profanities” at Palmer in front of their son.

“The abuse during our relationship was not just physical, but emotional and manipulative,” the filing for the restraining order read. “Darius would ‘love bomb’ me and make me feel like I was the most important woman in the world, only to get extremely distant and cold over a perceived insult to him.”

In her bookMaster of Me, Palmer said the very public ordeal with Jackson was the “hardest thing I ever had to go through.” A court-ordered mediation led the exes to settle amicably on ajoint 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 wrote. “I didn’t want my son to think his father is a monster, because I don’t."

Palmer says it takes a “village” to raise him

During an interview withTeen Vogue, Palmer emphasized that she relies on her “village” to raise Leo. The actress and her son currently live with Palmer’s sister.

“The village is really important,” she said. “It’s more about keeping Leo insulated with the people that I know and trust, that don’t just love him, but love themselves. That’s really big.”

Palmer continued, “It’s important that he has good examples. He observes everything. It’s about giving him the proper role models and making sure my family is around.”

source: people.com