Keke Palmer is still recovering from her toxic relationship with her baby’s father, Darius Jackson. Keke sat down with PEOPLE for an exclusive interview ahead of her new book “Master of Me”, due out Nov. 19.
“Now that lady has a story to tell,” Palmer says of herself during her PEOPLE cover shoot at her Los Angeles home.
READ ALSO: Keke Palmer Drops Restraining Order Against Darius Jackson
Palmer, 31, said her abusive relationship with Jackson brought her to her knees.
“It got so out of control. The only way I knew how to bring order was through the court,” she tells People.
Their seemingly happy life unraveled after Jackson wrote a social media post criticizing a dress she wore to an Usher concert. He reminded her that she was a mother now – and Palmer took offense.
Then she accused him of beating her and endangering their son.
After court-ordered mediation, Palmer and Jackson settled on a joint custody agreement.
Looking back on the relationship, she writes, “I wish I could say he was terrible the entire time or that I was … but it wasn’t that black-and-white and that was the problem.” She continues, “I didn’t want my son to think his father is a monster, because I don’t.”
Palmer said “having a baby was a big stressor,” on them, as was her fame. “Not just with my romantic relationships, but with family and friends, [fame has] always become a burden. Too many voices get in. It can make everybody else not trust you. It’s hard to explain.”
