Keke Palmer already knows exactly what kind of sports mom she’s going to be — and she is not even a little bit sorry about it. In a new Keke Palmer interview with PEOPLE published this week, the 33-year-old actress and singer admitted that when her 3-year-old son Leodis “Leo” Andrellton Jackson eventually starts playing sports, she will be the loudest person in the stands by a mile.
“I’m going to be going off, it’s actually going to be an issue,” Palmer joked with a laugh, adding that people will likely have to tell her she can’t act like that at a children’s game — and she won’t be able to help herself, because “that’s my son.”
The Keke Palmer interview everyone is talking about
The exclusive interview, by Nicholas Rice for PEOPLE, came as Palmer partnered with Sanofi to promote Beyfortus ahead of RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) season. But it was the motherhood talk that stole the show. Palmer said she is genuinely counting down to her sideline mom era and is “excited for when I am going to be at his games and screaming from the stands.”
Leo, whom she shares with ex-boyfriend Darius Jackson, was born in February 2023. And while the toddler is still years away from team sports, his mom has already mapped out his athletic future. “I’m ready for Leo to be like Michael Phelps, okay?” she said. She also said she would be open to “a little Tiger Woods moment” on the golf course, or even a hockey phase — whatever Leo loves, she’ll be there supporting him at full volume.
Why her swimming comments struck a chord
The throwaway joke about Michael Phelps carried a serious point. “We need some more Black boys up in the swimming leagues,” Palmer said — and she’s right. Competitive swimming has one of the lowest rates of Black participation of any Olympic sport, a legacy rooted in decades of segregated pools and unequal access to swim instruction in the United States.
The sport’s history makes each breakthrough visible. Cullen Jones became the first Black American to hold a swimming world record as part of the 4x100m freestyle relay team at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Eight years later, Simone Manuel became the first Black woman to win an individual Olympic swimming gold in the 100m freestyle at Rio 2016. Those moments inspired a generation of young swimmers — and Palmer’s joke reveals she’s thinking about representation even in her daydreams about her son’s future.
Keke Palmer as a mom: a quick timeline
- February 2023: Palmer welcomes her son Leodis “Leo” Andrellton Jackson with then-boyfriend Darius Jackson.
- 2023–2024: She balances new motherhood with a packed career, including her Big Boss album and her KeyTV digital media platform.
- June 2026: Palmer joins UCLA’s School of Theater, Film and Television as an artist-in-residence for five years, where her platform KeyTV will distribute student projects through the “From Blocking to Broadcast” program.
- October 2026: In the PEOPLE interview, she opens up about her sideline-mom dreams and the emotional side of raising Leo — including her worry that “everybody’s not going to be kind to my baby,” which she calls every mom’s worry.
What’s next for Keke Palmer
This Keke Palmer interview shows Palmer in full multi-hyphenate mode. Between her UCLA residency, KeyTV’s expansion, and new brand partnerships, the Emmy winner is building a media empire on her own terms — all while raising a preschooler who may or may not become the next Michael Phelps.
For now, though, Palmer seems content to enjoy the present. She told PEOPLE that remembering how resilient kids are — “very resilient, strong and capable, and they’re good on their own” — helps her navigate the anxieties of parenthood. And when Leo finally does take the field, one thing is certain: nobody will miss it.
For more on how Keke Palmer balances fame and family, see her UCLA artist-in-residence announcement and the original PEOPLE exclusive interview via Yahoo. Also read our coverage of Sydney Sweeney’s new Novig ad and the Shane Gillis SNL F-bomb moment for more of today’s celebrity news.
