Bristol Palin, Levi Johnston engaged
(CNN) - Bristol Palin and the father of her child, Levi Johnston, are engaged, the magazine Us Weekly reported Wednesday.
The couple told Us Weekly that former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin did not know about their plans until now.
"We got engaged two weeks ago," the magazine quotes 19-year-old Bristol Palin as saying. "It felt right, even though we don't have the approval of our parents."
Sarah Palin has not yet commented on the report.
"It is intimidating and scary just to think about what her reaction is going to be. Hopefully she will jump on board," the magazine quotes Bristol Palin as saying.
The two reconciled three months ago during custody discussions about their 18- month-old son, Tripp.
Johnston, 20, told the magazine, "I really thought we were over. So when I went, I had no hope. I think we both just started talking - and then we took Tripp for a walk."
"They opened up to us about how they had the baby so young and it was really hard for them to work together to raise Tripp," Us Weekly Senior Editor Lindsey Powers told CNN's "American Morning" on Wednesday. "But as they got a little bit closer, Bristol moved out of her parents' home to a condo in Anchorage, they got accustomed to parenting and as they worked out a custody plan, they started spending a lot more time together then started realizing they wanted to reunite."
Powers said the engagement "would fit in with (Sarah Palin's) 'family values' platform. What better than to have your daughter reuniting with the father of the baby and reuniting the family?"
Johnston sent Bristol Palin a text that said, "I miss you. I love you. I want to be with you again." and she was in shock, Powers told CNN.
"They realized that they're really in love and they're together. And she was thrilled when he popped the question with a one-carat diamond ring that you can see the photo of in the new issue," Powers said.
"They say they want it to be quick so, certainly, we'll see them walking down the aisle shortly."
Their teenage relationship fell under an intense public spotlight after Sen. John McCain picked Palin as his vice presidential running mate in August 2008. The couple broke off their engagement about two months after their son's birth in December 2008.
After the couple broke up, Johnston posed in Playgirl Magazine, and said on "The Tyra Banks Show" that they had been allowed to live together, a charge the Palin camp denied.
Johnston irked Sarah Palin last fall by claiming that she referred to her infant son Trig (who has Down syndrome) as "retarded." According to Us Weekly, she fired back, telling reporters that anyone who posed for Playgirl would "say and do anything for even more attention." Later, during an interview with Oprah Winfrey, she dubbed him "Ricky Hollywood" and called his "aspiring porn" career "heartbreaking."
During a nasty custody battle last year, Johnston asked that the case be conducted in public to protect him from Sarah Palin, whom he said was "powerful, politically ambitious and has a reputation for being extremely vindictive."
Bristol Palin said in the custody hearing that Johnston wanted a public case so he could "continue to make a spectacle of this custody dispute for his own self-promotion."
Bristol Palin noted in the court case that Johnston's mother, Sherry Johnston, pleaded guilty to a felony drug charge this year.
Bristol Palin asked that the paternal grandmother be barred from having any unsupervised visitation with Tripp. Her petition said she "may re-offend, keep medications around the house which could be accessible to the baby, have illegal drug users come to the house (or she could take the baby in her car during a drug sale)."
Johnston's response said his mother's "chronic pain condition is currently being managed in coordination with the Department of Corrections."
On July 7, Johnston publicly apologized to the Palin family in a statement to People Magazine, saying some of his comments about the family were not totally true.
"Last year, after Bristol and I broke up, I was unhappy and a little angry. Unfortunately, against my better judgment, I publicly said things about the Palins that were not completely true," Johnston told People. "I have already privately apologized to Todd and Sarah. Since my statements were public, I owe it to the Palins to publicly apologize."
From CNN Politics
- Former Vice President Pence on classified docs: 'Mistakes were made'
- 10 Cards Charging 0% Interest Until 2024
- Jan. 6 rioter who assaulted Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick sentenced to over 6 years in jail
- Blinken to visit Israel and West Bank with tensions high after outbreak of violence
- RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel elected to fourth consecutive term
- Fact check: Biden makes false and misleading claims in economic speech
Now that they've got the minor decisions (having a child) out of the way, they can concentrate on the really important decisions in life, like 'should we buy a couch? How about a big screen TV?'
I truly wish them the best as baby Tripp does not need fighting parents. Maybe both are maturing. Still, I can't get over wondering whether Levi would have apologized to the Palin family had Sarah not become so rich this past year.
This is the biggest mistake of their lives, if she had not gotten pregnant they would of had their teenage tryst and got on with their lives. These marriages almost never work out because they are getting married for the wrong reason, Love is the strongest bond to hold a marriage together, these kids are getting married because they probably think it's the right thing to do for the baby. Wrong!!!!
Re: Bristol and Levi's engagement
If anybody thinks that this engagement was a secret then they are from another planet. Once again this was a plan. A plan to clean house to sweep the dirt under the rug. A plan to get in the media on a daily,if not weekly basis for favorable opinions and political status. A plan to keep increasing the income in the Palin household. And a lot of you are falling for it. Next thing you know, Levi's mother will be pardoned and become part of the family. Yes, Sarah, you planned it well, beginning with your exit as governor in Alaska. But be careful, though, sometimes, things can backfire.
Judy
Virginia Beach
I believe that was the right thing to do. Even though they had a falling out previously, it brought them together again and hopefully their engagement will lead to a marriage. Bristol is of age and doesn't need her mother's consent to marry. Although Bristol had her baby out of wedlock she is not the kind of girl that went with different men. Levi knows that he was the only man in her life and it appears they both love each other. It took Levi a falling out to realize that she is the one for him. He seen what was on the outside and that brought him back to Bristol.
Well, in the soap opera that is politics, does this really surprise anyone?
I'd rather have the wrath of media than the wrath of Palin.
I wish them every success. It's difficult enough for young folks, add in a child and the surrounding drama. They need all the luck they can use.
I believe ANGLER is either in the throes of menapause or is just NUTS!
Kinda like an episode of "trailer park boys"
suprise,suprise, Even an Alaska education lets you know a CASH COW when you see it.Piltiful Palin will need all those dollars she is taking from honest people to keep that CREW intact until she gets her Rump kicked in a legitimate election . Go for it LEVI!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
That wacked out woman needs to stay out of these young peoples way and let them live their own lives.
Can you CNN spare us all with the Palin family of what they are doing???? Its really a joke to see these kids, one day they are together and the following day is a different story. What comes first, the baby or the engagement? It is really an entertainment which, with all problems we are facing, we do not need at the moment!
I hope they chose a summer wedding in Alaska. Me and my wife would be honored to attend. Plus, we could see Russia from our seats.
I hope these kids can truly make a go of it. They've learned some difficult lessons about selfishness, but seems like they're now finally thinking of their child and what's best for him. May God bless them with a long and happy marriage!
It says a lot about Sarah Palin when your own child feels intimidated and scared about telling her own mother about this engagement.
Very apparent that Sarah Palin continues to raise her family in a dysfunctional way. Very apparent, also, that money has taking over her life and will say anything and everything to pursue that goal.
Just leave them alone and leave Ms. sarah out of it......she's such an opportunist she'll make some big political/religious/right wing thing of it!
YUCK!!!
I hope Palin congradulates them on their engagement. After all, he did apologize to the Palin family and now they can all move forward. Sometimes it takes differences of opinions and go separate ways to bring people back to each other like Bristol and Levi. Good luck to them and I am sure their marriage will be a lasting one.
This is great news...hahaha
Can't wait to see Sarah flipping out
Normally I don't believe a parent should ever disown their child but in this case I'd make an exception.
I knew where to find this story and I want right to CNN.
Hey CNN you and the rest to the media just got played by this liars.
Sara Palin, Bristol Palin, and Levi Johnson just pull off a Publicity stunt and desired their own Reality shows. I now believe this was all an act on all their part to stay in the news because I don’t believe this is a accident that this story of Bristol and Levi getting back together and Sara Palin Presidential Campaign “The Grizzly Bear” in the same month. They all wil do what ever to help Sara Palin win the Presidential Republican Nominee for 2012. This whole family is a big joke and need to be stop at their trap.
And who really cares?
Big gigantic "who cares".
Slow News Day? Who cares about this crap?
the no.1 republican family more like a comedy show [don,t tell sarah]
Who cares, I'm pretty sure everyone is sick of seeing anything about anyone involved with a Palin. They will either not get married or get married and he will cheat.
Three reactions to this story:
1. Levi, WTF are you thinking?
2. I give this engagement two weeks before Mommy Dearest manages to muck it up.
3. Why is this considered newsworthy?