Keke Palmer loves her latest role as a first-time mother.
The beaming actress could not help but light up with excitement when she spoke about the precious moments she shares with her and her boyfriend Darius Jackson’s son, Leodis Andrellton Jackson.
While speaking with “Entertainment Tonight” at the Los Angeles LGBT Center Gala on April 22, where she was the recipient of the Vanguard Award, Palmer gushed about some of her most cherished moments with Leo.
“Man, my favorite part, I think, is our mornings. Our alone time together. You know what I’m saying? I really love that moment,” the 29-year-old revealed.
The “Big Boss” further elaborated on what makes the start of the day such an enjoyable experience. “We do a little singing a song and talking. He’s laughing. He’s smiling, and he’s a little sleepy, so I don’t have to hear them cries. You know, it’s just a little bit of everything,” she added.
Two days after the big push, Palmer revealed that she had given birth with an Instagram post on Feb. 27. She shared a handful of photos and videos that gave fans a glimpse at the sweet and wild times she and Jackson were already experiencing as new parents.
She and Jackson have been together since 2021. Elsewhere in the interview, she beamed with gratitude when acknowledging what a wonderful father the fitness instructor is. “I think he’s just so attentive,” said the “He’s Everything” singer.
Since announcing her pregnancy on stage during “Saturday Night Live” earlier this year, Palmer has continued to maintain a busy schedule. Her seemingly never-ending energy is no surprise to fans, who affectionately and playfully have nicknamed her Keke “Keep a Job” Palmer.
And even with only two months of motherhood under her belt, she does not plan on slowing down. In fact, she has found a way to get the entire family involved in her endeavors.
“Leo might be a little actor as well. We’ll have to see what’s going on. Just stay posted for the whole family,” said Palmer as she teased an upcoming project.
The “Akeelah and the Bee” star added, “Mama’s gotta work! I want my son to have everything, so I have to stay booked and busy.”
Last year, in a revealing interview, Palmer opened up about her own experience of being a child actor.
“I think you get really quickly into being a people-pleaser and trying to be everything that everybody wants you to be. And so I think a lot of that, you end up being misunderstood. When you’re not always being agreeable, you’re a brat,” she told People magazine in April 2022.
In another interview with Variety, she went into even greater detail about how her celebrity status robbed her of a chance to enjoy a Nickelodeon cruise with her family. At the time, Palmer was at the height of her adolescent fame with her hit show “True Jackson, VP.”
“I felt like I was walking around in a SpongeBob suit that I couldn’t take off,” she told the outlet. “I was trapped. I couldn’t leave my room without someone coming up to me calling me True Jackson. What you are, to everyone, is just a character.”
If little Leo does in fact follow in his famous mom’s footsteps, there is no doubt she will be there to help him bypass some of her early pitfalls. But, for now, he should be able to get away with stealing her shine with adorable appearances on social media.
