Bristol: Sarah Palin Disapproves of Engagement
Bristol Palin told Us Weekly mom "doesn't really approve" of engagement.
July 22, 2010— -- Bristol Palin revealed in an interview that her mother, Sarah Palin, "doesn't really approve" of Bristol's recent engagement to former fiancé and one-time Playgirl model Levi Johnston.
"She's apprehensive and concerned about this," the teen mother told Us Weekly in an interview published Wednesday. "She doesn't want to see me get hurt again."
Bristol Palin first told Us Weekly about the engagement last week and announced it to the world by posing with Johnston on the cover of the magazine, under the headline "We're Getting Married!"
Former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin reportedly didn't know about the engagement until Bristol called her after the article and photo shoot were already completed.
To anyone who's followed the Johnston-Palin family rollercoaster relationship, an icy reception from the former Alaska governor is not surprising. After the couple split in March 2009, a feud developed between Johnston and Sarah Palin.
"I have things that can, you know -- that would get her in trouble, and could hurt her," Johnston said of Sarah Palin in October 2009. "But I'm not gonna go that far. You know, I mean, if I really wanted to hurt her, I could, very easily. But there's -- I'm not gonna do it. I'm not going that far."
Bristol Palin told Us Weekly that the reunion was somewhat unexpected.
"It's surprising how right it felt when we got back together, but it was right," she said. "It's been a fast process. I want to get married soon just so that we can live together and be together all the time."
In an exclusive statement to "Good Morning America" last week, the former Republican vice presidential candidate wished her daughter, future son-in-law and grandson the best but expressed reservations about the couple's maturity.
"As parents, we obviously want what is best for our children, but Bristol is ultimately in charge of determining what is best for her and her beautiful son," Sarah and Todd Palin said. "Bristol believes in redemption and forgiveness to a degree most of us struggle to put in practice in our daily lives."
"We pray that, as a couple, Bristol and Levi's relationship matures into one that will allow [Bristol and Levi's son] Tripp to grow up graced with two loving parents in his life," they said.
Johnston told Us Weekly he went to the Palin home to apologize for statements he'd made in the past.
"I said I was sorry to Sarah and Todd and she was really nice to me," he said. "I went over there and apologized and I thought things went well. It was important for me. I know it was important for Bristol and for my son. So you know, I felt that I wanted to do it."
Thought Sarah Palin was apparently less than enthusiastic about the recent developments, Bristol backed her new beau.
"I think Levi's actions will speak louder than words and I think that him stepping up and getting his education and supporting us emotionally and financially and whatnot -- then I think she'll accept it. She'll be happy for us. Because it is in the best interest of Tripp, and so yea, she's definitely OK with that," Bristol told Us Weekly. "I hope we can all come together as a family."
Bristol Palin Announces Engagement to Levi Johnston
More than a year after their breakup and public feud, Sarah Palin's daughter, Bristol Palin, and the father of her baby, Levi Johnston, made the announcement last week.
"We got engaged two weeks ago," 19-year-old Bristol Palin told Us Weekly. "It felt right, even though we don't have the approval of our parents."
In June, Bristol Palin told "GMA" that she was reuniting with Johnston for the sake of their 1-year-old son, Tripp.
"I am doing my best to raise a happy, active and healthy boy," Palin said. "I believe that wherever possible, if the parents can cooperate and co-parent in a positive way, the child will benefit. Levi and I are turning a new page here as co-parents to this wonderful boy and putting aside the past because doing so is in Tripp's best interest."
The couple reportedly reconnected three months ago while working out a custody plan for their son.
Johnston, Palin Feud Played Out in Headlines
Following the breakup, the couple followed different paths. While Bristol Palin went on to be a spokeswoman for teen abstinence, Levi Johnston posed for Playgirl and is reportedly developing a reality show.
In Harper's Bazaar, Bristol said her ex-boyfriend "is a stranger to me."
"I don't want to get into it. It's just dirty laundry," she said.
Johnston has also criticized Sarah Palin, telling "Insider" that the former vice presidential candidate "doesn't do anything unless she gets something big from it."
Money woes put even more of a strain on the estranged young parents. In February, a judge ordered Johnston to pay child support and retroactive back payments estimated at more than $10,000 for Tripp's care following a lengthy court battle.
Johnston has publicly accused Palin of calling her son Trig "the retarded baby" and also said the Palins were on the verge of divorce -- accusations that Palin denied in a November interview with ABC's Barbara Walters.
"He's a kid. He's misguided," Sarah Palin said of Johnston in November. "I can't wait until he comes back on that right road of wanting to be part of the family and Tripp's life. It's going to be good."