Keke Palmer’s Dating History, Explained
Keke Palmer may have spent years of her adult life in the public eye, in one way or another, but she has been pretty careful to shield her dating life from the masses. In 2021, she switched things up, allowing a romantic entanglement to make headline news. She’s back to her more coy ways, though, allowing fans to speculate about her romances and where her love life will lead here. Here’s everything we actually know about her romantic life.
Keke Palmer made headlines with Darius Jackson
Keke Palmer changed her game plan about sharing her dating life when she linked up with Darius Jackson. They crossed paths in May 2021 at a party hosted by Diddy and Issa Rae. Palmer later described the meeting casually, telling The Terrell Show in 2023 that her best friend encouraged her to approach him. “I was not looking for love,” she said. “I was looking for a roster, you understand? And so I was like, ‘He fits the physical bill.’ But when I talked to him… he was such a sweetheart.”
Things got serious pretty quickly, but they didn’t chart a straight course. The two dated on and off for months before going Instagram official in August 2021, with Jackson posting a heartfelt tribute calling the relationship a bright spot after a difficult stretch. Palmer later explained in a chat with Bustle that she’d decided to stop hiding the relationship because it made her genuinely happy. “This is the happiest I’ve ever felt with someone,” she said. “So why would I go out of my way to hide this person?”
A very public split followed
In December 2022, Palmer announced she was pregnant on Saturday Night Live, revealing her baby bump on live television. The very public announcement generated plenty of buzz. The couple welcomed their son, Leodis Andrellton Jackson, in late February 2023. All seemed well for a time, but fans quickly picked up on tension.
Jackson didn’t endear himself to Palmer’s fans with his often-critical commentary, though he later deleted several social media comments that had everyone talking. By October 2023, the couple had officially split. The following month, Palmer filed for a temporary restraining order against Jackson, alleging he had been physically abusive and kept firearms in their home.
It didn’t end there, either. Jackson later filed his own restraining order against Palmer, alleging she had become aggressive with him on multiple occasions. Both filings indicated the relationship had ended in October 2023. Palmer addressed the relationship candidly in her 2024 memoir, Master of Me: The Secret to Controlling Your Narrative, describing it as an “unhealthy relationship” that had to end.
The Sean Evans speculation
After ending things with Jackson so publicly, Palmer returned to her old form, keeping her private life as private as possible. That didn’t stop fans from speculating about who she might be seeing. They honed in on Sean Evans as a potential suitor. While Palmer and Evans have never publicly acknowledged an actual relationship, they have known each other for years and did share a kiss in an episode of Hot Ones.
Speculation kicked up more in mid-2026. Palmer and Evans were seen looking pretty cozy at a dinner in Brooklyn. Palmer was asked directly about the relationship during a panel. She neither confirmed nor denied that love was in the air. Still, she did acknowledge that they were hanging out.
An Instagram carousel this weekend had fans questioning the on-again-off-again love connection. Palmer wrote: “If it don’t feel like heaven, boy go to hell. Disrespectfully.” Fans quickly questioned if she was referring to Evans, who fans later tagged in the post. So, did Evans and Palmer hit a rough patch? If they did, we probably will never know. Palmer seems pretty shy about sharing her love life after all that happened with Jackson. We can’t say that we blame her.
