"Mine empowered me": Keke Palmer

Actor Keke Palmer is a mother, first and foremost, the Chicago native said on Instagram, seemingly in response to the online drama brought on by her boyfriend Darius Jackson's outspoken criticism of her for being a mother while also donning a black bodysuit and sheer dress during Usher's Las Vegas residency, reported People.

"One thing is certain and one thing is true, IM A MOTHA, through and through!," the 29-year-old actress wrote in the caption of a post that showed the actress singing a rendition of Stevie Wonder's "Isn't She Lovely" to their son, 4-month-old Leodis "Leo" Andrellton.

"To all my mom's out there, how did your baby change you??," she wrote, adding, "Mine empowered me! On such another level, my perspective changed because when my baby is good I'm GREAT! Look at that face! Gratitude galore."

According to People, the video included adorable photos of baby Leo in different outfits and the mother and son duo spending quality time together. In her post, Palmer also announced she would add new merchandise to her online storefront, including the text "IM A MOTHA" and "Stevie to the bulls---."

The drama stems from a Twitter post on Wednesday night when Jackson quoted a tweet showing a video of Palmer dancing with the "Confessions" singer alongside the text, "It's the outfit tho.. you a mom."

In a second tweet elaborating on his stance, he wrote, "We live in a generation where a man of the family doesn't want the wife & mother to his kids to showcase booty cheeks to please others & he gets told how much of a hater he is."

"This is my family & my representation. I have standards & morals to what I believe. I rest my case," he added.

Jackson temporarily deactivated his social media accounts on Thursday before turning them back on Friday. Observant fans observed that Palmer's Instagram account had no recent updates. None of the new parents are following the others on that platform.

Jackson briefly deactivated his social media accounts on Thursday before returning Friday. Observant fans observed that Palmer's Instagram account had no recent updates. The new parents are no longer following each other on that platform, either.

Amid the backlash, Usher, 44, took to the comment section of Palmer's Instagram post featuring photos of the outfit in question to write, "The Big Boss!! Thank U for coming."

The couple welcomed baby Leo in February. Palmer first opened up about her relationship with Jackson during an appearance on The Tamron Hall Show in November 2021.

"It became more difficult to hide," she said of choosing to post photos with Jackson at the time, adding, "We spend all this time together, and he really is my closest friend, so it just becomes a thing where I'm not gonna hide something that makes me happy", reported People.