Darius Jackson may no longer be the “Boyfriend” in question.
On the heels of Keke Palmer teaming up with Usher for his new song “Boyfriend,” a source says her estranged partner, fitness instructor and actor Darius Jackson, is making new moves of his own.
“He’s moved on,” a source tells PEOPLE of Jackson, who made headlines in July when he publicly criticized Palmer’s attire on a social media post of the star dancing with Usher as he serenaded her during his Las Vegas residency.
“It’s the outfit tho.. you a mom,” he tweeted in response to photos of Palmer, 29, who wore a sheer dress at the show. Jackson deleted his Twitter account 24 hours later after facing backlash.
Keke Palmer.
Keke Palmer/Instagram
The two, who welcomed son Leodis Andrellton in February, have not been spotted together since the incident, though Palmer has kept busy with work engagements.
Neither have addressed the status of their relationship publicly. A rep for Palmer declined to comment.
Keke Palmer Teases Usher Collab ‘Boyfriend’ amid Relationship Drama with Darius Jackson
According to the source, Jackson is focused on an acting career and wants to put the drama behind him. In terms of co-parenting, the pair are making it work, adds the source: “You don’t have to be in the same household to be good parents.”
Keke Palmer, Darius Jackson and baby Leo in April 2023.
Derek White/WireImage
As for Palmer and Usher, the two announced “Boyfriend” with a teaser trailer that the 44-year-old R&B star posted to YouTube and social media, which featured clips of him and the actress, on Tuesday. Palmer herself also shared it on X (formerly known as Twitter).
The full video, which was filmed in Las Vegas, according to the credits on YouTube, premiered on Wednesday. In the promo snippet, Usher can be heard singing, “Somebody said that your boyfriend’s looking for me/Oh that’s cool.”
Keke Palmer, Usher.
Taylor Hill/WireImage, Karwai Tang/WireImage
Speaking to PEOPLE earlier this month, Usher shared his own thoughts on the situation, saying it was “a pop moment” and “worth talking about.”
“I think everybody’s vision or a version of what they felt happened there just leads you back to just really having a good time in Las Vegas. And that’s what I hope came out of it. Rather, it was a conversation of what was going on with us having fun in front of the audience or conversation about that song,” he said at the time.
He added, “Every night I’m thinking about how the world now is going to react to this moment that I’ll have with whoever I’m choosing to sing to. But it was a pop moment, and it was fun to have at least conversation going and we just keep it light. I don’t see anything negative happening in Las Vegas.”
Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education