Keke Palmer Speaks About “Intimate” Relationship Going Wrong
Warning: This story discusses allegations of domestic violence and emotional abuse.
Keke Palmer is speaking her truth.
The Nope actress reflected on the "highly toxic" nature of growing up in the spotlight. And while expressing the stress of being her family's breadwinner as a child star, she shared how feeling misunderstood by those around her ultimately shaped her approach to making decisions as an adult—including in relationships.
"At that point, it was just like, I choose happiness and I choose joy," she explained to Dr. Drew Pinsky on Baby, This is Keke Palmer podcast Nov. 28, "and I don't choose to go back there. And like you said, as time goes on, I'm like, I'm good, whatever that was, I'm good."
However, ultimately she realized she was repeating certain patterns from her childhood, including her dating life.
"I reach that reenactment, and the reenactment is, here it is again, someone doesn't see me," Palmer admitted. "I put myself in an intimate scenario with someone where they don't see me…. They didn't see me."
The episode dropped almost three weeks after the actress obtained a temporary domestic violence restraining order against her ex Darius Jackson.
In her Nov. 9 filing obtained by NBC News, Palmer accused her former partner of physical and emotional abuse throughout their two-year relationship and after their breakup, which she said occurred in October.
"So much of Darius' abuse towards me throughout our relationship was based on his insecurity and jealousy," The 30-year-old, who also filed for sole custody of their 8-month-old son, Leodis Andrellton Jackson, stated, "that I became extremely concerned when Darius started to express jealousy about the time I was spending with our son."
She also expressed other concerning behavior from the 29-year-old in her filing.
"Darius said very disturbing things to me that caused me to fear for our son's safety with him, including, 'how he understood why male animals in the wild want to eat their children' and, 'A man's love for his child is based on if he loves the woman,'" she wrote. "Given Darius' uncontrolled, violent outbursts in the past whenever he became jealous, I became seriously concerned he would hurt our son, even if it was just to hurt me."
E! News reached out to Keke and Darius' reps for comment amid the court filing but hasn't heard back.
A hearing is set for Dec. 5 to determine further action on the arrangement.
(E! and NBC News are part of the NBCUniversal family.)
For more information on domestic abuse or to get help for yourself or someone you love, visit the website for The National Domestic Violence Hotline (http://www.thehotline.org/) or call 1-800-799-7233.