Congratulations are for Keke Palmer and Darius Jackson, who are now proud parents to their first child, Leodis “Leo” Andrellton Jackson.
On Monday, the Emmy Award winner announced the news on Instagram, sharing some heartwarming family photos just 48 hours after giving birth.
The 29-year-old wealthy actress wrote, “Hey Son!!!!”
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Palmer announced her son’s name in the caption, which pays homage to his birth month. She added, “Born during Black History Month, with a name to match! LEODIS ANDRELLTON JACKSON, welcome to the world baby Leo.”
In the first photo, Palmer showed what she and Jackson looked like after “only 48 hours of being parents!” In the second slide, she shared a video of herself singing “Someone” by El Debarge to Jackson in the car.
The song had special significance to the couple as Jackson had included it in some playlists for Palmer when they first started dating, and now they have a beautiful son to show for it. Palmer shared, “We became each other’s someone and made a someone, look at God!”
Keke Palmer debuted her maternity style on the red carpet at the 2023 New York Film Critics Circle Awards at TAO Downtown on January 4, 2023, in New York City, where she won the Best Supporting Actress award for her role in Nope (Credit: Dave Allocca / StarPix / Startraksph / Cover Images)
She also posted some adorable photos of baby Leo, including close-ups of his face, and joked about not hiding him from the world.
The Longshots actress wrote, “‘I’m not hiding the world from my son, I’m hiding my son from the world.’ Hahaha”. She added, “I’m just playing, my baby face is on this slide … And this slide.”
In December, when making her hosting debut on Saturday Night Live, Keke Palmer revealed her pregnancy while wearing a tight-fitting blazer that appeared to try to cover her baby bump.
Keke Palmer wore a silver floral lace gown created by Michael Kors, hand-embroidered with recycled sequins in seven different shapes and sizes to catch the light from all angles (Credit: Marion Curtis / StarPix for NYFCCA / Startraksphoto / Cover Images)
She used her monologue to confirm that she had her first child with Jackson, a former college football player and current fitness trainer, ending pregnancy rumors that had been circulating. Palmer appreciated the support she received from her followers and family despite her efforts to keep the news under wraps.
During her opening monologue, the actress said, “I’m especially glad to be here, though, because there’s some rumors going around, people have been in my comments saying, ‘Keke’s having a baby, Keke’s pregnant.’”
“And I wanna set the record straight — I am!” Palmer exclaimed, exposing her growing baby bump as she unbuttoned her long jacket.
She joked, “I got to say, though, it is bad when people on the internet spread rumors about you, but it’s even worse when they’re correct.”
“I was trying so hard to keep it on the down low because I got a lot of stuff going on. People kept coming up to me, ‘Congratulations!’ I’m like, ‘Shhh, can y’all stop? I got a liquor sponsorship on the line! Once the check clears, we can get to the damn baby shower!'”
When Palmer’s hosting stint was over, she thanked the show’s staff, her family, and Jackson in an Instagram post.
She wrote, “This year has taken me for a ride! And how cool, my baby and I are already doing it all together. Thank you God! Thank you to my amazing parents and family who continuously support me. Thank you @noraradd for being my spiritual sister as ALWAYS! You feel me my little Pisces moon. Thank you to my team who have been constantly reaching and moving mountains to extend the reaches of my gift, and thank you to my other half @dvulton for giving me the things that only true unity can bring. Love is all we have isn’t it, you do nothing in this world alone and trust me, I am not alone! Very grateful… Happy Holidays!”
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While Palmer has mostly kept her relationship with Jackson, also known as Darius Daulton, out of the public eye, she did share exclusive photos of her “Once Upon A Time” themed baby shower in January.
Keke Palmer made a stunning appearance at the CFDA Fashion Awards in a floral gown from Carolina Herrera’s spring 2023 “Secret Garden” runway show at Casa Cipriani on November 7, 2022, in New York City (Credit: Darla Khazei / INSTARimages / Cover Images)
Looking forward to motherhood, she said, “I can’t wait to hold my little one. I am counting the minutes until I get to meet him and start learning about this human I helped create.”
Now that baby Leo has arrived, we’re sure Palmer and Jackson are over the moon with joy and excitement for the journey ahead. Congratulations to the happy family of three!
Keke Palmer in a strapless Saint Laurent dress featuring a bandeau of black feathers at the top, with flowing black fabric cascading around her body and ending in a wide hem of feathers, at the 2nd Annual Academy Museum Gala at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures on October 15, 2022, in Los Angeles, California (Credit: Jeffrey Mayer / Media Punch / INSTARimages / Cover Images)