The 'Nope' actress, who has requested sole legal and physical custody of her 11-month-old son Leodis, realizes that it 'takes a village' to raise a child.
- February 1, 2024
AceShowbiz - Keke Palmer wants to give her son "proper role models." The 30-year-old actress, who obtained a domestic violence restraining order against former partner Darius Jackson in November 2023 and has requested sole legal and physical custody of their 11-month-old son Leodis, believes it "takes a village" to raise a child and she's keen to keep her little boy surrounded by people she "knows and trusts."
She told Teen Vogue magazine, "The village is really important... It's more about keeping Leo insulated with the people that I know and trust, that don't just love him, but love themselves. That's really big. It's important that he has good examples. He observes everything. It's about giving him the proper role models and making sure my family is around."
The "Password" presenter lives with her sister and her siblings children "by design" and her parents are moving to California soon to be closer to their grandchildren, as that was how she and her cousins grew up. She noted, "Tradition is a big part of the village as well."
Keke is thankful she can be "more patient" and parent the way she wants because she has financial security. She said, "I 100% feel like money doesn't buy you happiness. I'm not always happy because of my money. But the [financial] security I have with my son is a stress reliever. I'm not saying that a mom that is struggling isn't patient, because I know that they are. But if they're not, it's like, 'I get it, Miss Lady….' So when I look at the position that I'm in and the kind of parent that I am or that I'm becoming, I think it's remiss [not] to say that I have a lot of help."
The "Nope" actress acknowledged that life hasn't always gone the way she'd hoped, but she has faith that things will be OK in the end. She said, "I think life is bittersweet in that way. How I feel about life is that you go through so many different things and it always ends up somewhere beautiful. Sometimes we don't get what we want, but it all will make sense if you give it a chance. It'll make sense because God doesn't forget. It all comes back around."
