Keke Palmer is looking fantastic in Usher’s new music video for his song, “Boyfriend.” For a seasoned actress like Keke, starring in a music video may seem like no big deal. But for those of us up to date on pop culture, we know there is a much *pettier* reason she took on the part. (And we love that for her!) I’ll bring you guys up to speed on why this music video might be the biggest power move we’ve seen in years!
GIRLS WEEKEND GONE WRONG?
The video was released just three days ago, about a month after Palmer attended Usher’s concert in Las Vegas. In a sheer black ensemble, she looked absolutely stunning at the concert. There was an abundance of positive feedback on this outfit from fans. To the world’s surprise, she received quite a bit of backlash from the person you would least expect. Her then-partner and father of her newborn child, Darius Jackson, took to Twitter to publicly critique her outfit choice.
In February 2023, after nearly two years of dating, Keke Palmer and Darius Jackson welcomed a baby boy together, Leodis Andrellton Jackson. The two met in May of 2021 at a Memorial Day party where their relationship took off. Palmer is known for her acting work, along with her singing career, while Darius Jackson played football at Fresno State University and is currently a fitness instructor at Inspire Fitness Studio.
What seemed like a lovely partnership went wrong so fast. Just days before, the couple lovingly exchanged social posts and posed together as a family. How did everything unravel?!
Usher’s Las Vegas Show
Palmer attended Usher’s Las Vegas residency in July, about five months after giving birth to her son. Palmer was joined by her friend Nora at the concert, where they were seen enjoying themselves and having tons of fun. Keke was then personally asked by Usher to join him on stage, where she was promptly sung to and danced with.
A beautiful moment was quickly ruined by Darius Jackson’s comment on Keke’s outfit. Backlash from the public soon followed Jackson’s tweet, as people felt the public response was highly inappropriate, especially considering Palmer is the mother of his child. As a way to backtrack and try and “explain himself”, Jackson followed up with:
“We live in a generation where a man of the family doesn’t want the wife & mother of this kids to showcase booty cheeks to please others & he gets told how much of a hater he is…”
Keke Palmer stayed generally quiet despite this public display of disrespect and chose to make her statement much more significant than just a tweet.
Keke’s Response
Although Keke Palmer chose initially to lay low on the matter, recognition of Jackson’s comment appeared in the “Boyfriend” video. It opens with Keke Palmer and two other girls in a hotel room, drinking and having fun, which is then followed by a series of clips including Palmer dancing and enjoying herself. At the end of the video, Palmer is shown waking up to a phone call where she promptly looks at the camera and states:
“I’m a mother, after all.”
How THIS SCANDAL SPARKED A SOCIAL COMMENTARY
What could have been a private moment between a couple, turned into a polarizing debate worldwide. His comment definitely struck a chord in both men and women alike. This one tweet really hit the nerve on so many issues: body image, mom shaming, power dynamics, control issues, and the list goes on. As a public figure, Jackson’s blatant criticism against Palmer was taken as highly disrespectful to fans. Many viewers took to social media to express their opinion on the scandal, with comments ranging from support for Keke’s dig at Jackson to negative reactions.
Some came to the defense of Derius who claim he did nothing wrong and was simply upholding traditional family values. Whereas the majority seemed to side with Keke, agreeing that Derius’ tweet was a gross attempt of control, manipulation, and public shaming.
Whichever side of the debate you fall on, I think we can all agree that success is the best revenge! Keke remaining quiet and then popping out starring in the music video of the man who caused all of the drama to begin with? I couldn’t imagine a better comeback if I tried!
So, what do you think? With enthusiasm from fans on every social media platform, perhaps it’s safe to say that Keke Palmer has solidified her stardom. You can listen and watch “Boyfriend” here to see for yourself!
