Keke Palmer is almost ready to retire from acting.
Palmer, 30, opened up about her career in her recent Teen Vogue cover story, published on Tuesday, January 30. “I think the timer has started,” she said, hinting that she might be stepping away from the spotlight in the near future. “I think it’s because I just haven’t felt it yet. But the timer, I know that it’s around the corner. I don’t know when exactly, but it’s around the corner.”
While Palmer — who has recently starred in Hustlers, Nope, Alice and more after getting her start on Nickelodeon — might not be in front of the camera forever, she hopes to be remembered as someone who wanted to “use your power for good.” She explained, “Use what you have to create spaces and systems for other people to thrive.”
As for Palmer’s 11-month-old son Leodis, whom she shares with ex Darius Jackson, she looks forward to raising him to “unconditionally love” himself.
“I want to raise him to know that if life is a school, get out there and learn,” she said. “A part of learning in this place, I think, is to love and to know how to first be unconditionally loving to yourself, so that you know how to love others and be of service to others in a way that doesn’t disadvantage them but instead empowers them.”
Palmer welcomed Leodis in February 2023, eventually splitting from Jackson in October 2023.
One month later, Us Weekly confirmed Palmer filed for a temporary restraining order against Jackson and claimed there were “many instances of physical violence” throughout their relationship. She alleged that Jackson destroyed her personal property, such as “diaries and prescription eyeglasses.”
Palmer further claimed Jackson was responsible for “throwing my car keys to prevent me from driving away, hitting [me] in front of our son, spewing profanities about me to our son, threatening to kill himself with a gun if I left him, harassment, and other physical and emotional abuse.”
A judge signed off on Palmer’s restraining order in November 2023 and granted her temporary sole custody of the pair’s son. Jackson filed a response in December 2023, alleging that Palmer was “the primary aggressor” in the duo’s relationship and put him through “physical and verbal abuse.”
Jackson cited several alleged instances of violent interactions, but Palmer did not immediately respond to his accusations. Palmer’s restraining order was extended earlier this month after she and Jackson postponed a hearing. The order will expire in July when the pair appear in court.
Palmer’s legal situation didn’t keep her from starting the new year “on cloud nine.”
“I have never been so happy in my life!!” she captioned an Instagram post earlier this month of her swimming with a stingray. “Already 2024 has started off on the vibes I was looking for, more experiences and more enjoying what this beautiful world has to offer.”
