ATLANTA, GEORGIA - APRIL 29: (L-R) Keke Palmer, Leo Jackson, and Darius Jackson attend the "Big Boss" Closing Night Screening during the 2023 Atlanta Film Festival at Rialto Center for the Arts at Georgia State University on April 29, 2023 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images)
If Darius Daulton plans to “move on” from Keke Palmer, you can bet he didn’t speak to the media about it. At least, that’s what Daulton revealed on Friday (Aug. 18) via X (formerly Twitter).
“I haven’t spoke to anyone about anything or gave permission to anyone to speak for me. So all these sites & post about me making type of statement is false,” he wrote.
His clarification comes after PEOPLE quoted “a source” last Wednesday (Aug. 16) who claimed Darius Daulton has “moved on.” Multiple outlets subsequently picked up the story, making it go viral on social platforms.
Daulton’s denial also came weeks after social media users flamed the young father for his reaction to Keke Palmer’s outfit at an Usher concert. In early July, he tweeted, “It’s the outfit tho…you a mom,” in response to a video of Keke dancing and fangirling over Usher as he serenaded her.
Amid the initial backlash, Darius clapped back at critics, saying he has “standards and morals,” and his comments are about his “family and representation.” Soon after, he temporarily disabled his X account.
In the days after, Keke seemingly dubbed his outfit comments. Instead, she followed up with additional praise for Usher and his performance abilities and MORE photos of her concert ‘fit.
Then, last week, Keke announced that Usher tapped her to star in his “Boyfriend” music video. Though she didn’t play the role of his bae–just a rendition of Usher himself–the video feature and a jokey joke she told at the beginning of the video about being “a mom” got social media going! She thanked the R&B superstar for the opportunity in an Aug.16 video.
“Usher! I remember when I was 12 and auditioned for “In The Mix.” You have been killing it all my life. As a true lover of the arts, your talent and craftsmanship are a rare combination that I aspire to achieve as a performer,” Keke wrote. “You are a living legend who is worthy of awe! Thank you for encouraging me and seeing me as the entertainer I am. I know I’m a gUrL, but when I watched your videos, I never wanted to be the girl in them, I wanted to be YOU. Thank you for making a dream come true.”
Amid Darius’ clarification, Keke shared a message about language and communication. She cited her sister’s professor’s studies had what she’s taught her about “experienced reality.”
Palmer wrote:
“The idea around words helping us to express our feelings being the very thing that warps what we feel is so interesting. Because no matter the language we agree on, no matter the labels or boxes, our perception of those words are still based on our INDIVIDUAL understanding. This is why actions and feelings are so important. Sometimes words simply aren’t enough because they reduce things or expand them. This is why I love to perform, experiencing a wide range of feelings through creative expression. That’s what is real to me. How it’s perceived is subjective, such is life!”
