Former Abstinence Ambassador Bristol Palin Announces Pregnancy Weeks After Calling Off Wedding; Says News Is 'Huge Disappointment to My Family'
Bristol Palin, the 24-year-old daughter of former Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin and former abstinence ambassador, announced in a blog post Thursday that she's pregnant, just weeks after calling off her wedding to 2011 U.S. Medal of Honor recipient Dakota Meyer.
The single mother sparked controversy during her mother's 2008 White House campaign with former presidential candidate Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., when it was revealed that she was expecting a baby with her then boyfriend, Levi Johnston. She was reportedly paid $262,500 in 2009 after the birth of her son, Tripp, 6, to become the abstinence ambassador for the teen pregnancy prevention nonprofit Candie's Foundation.
The announcement raised criticisms about her mother's conservative values at the time and in a blog post yesterday Bristol, who is no longer engaged, acknowledged that news of her second pregnancy might be "a huge disappointment to my family." She went on to point out, however, that "there's nothing I can't do with God by my side."
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"When life gets tough, there is no other option but to get tougher. I know this has been, and will be, a huge disappointment to my family, to my close friends, and to many of you," wrote Bristol. "At the end of the day there's nothing I can't do with God by my side, and I know I am fully capable of handling anything that is put in front of me with dignity and grace."
She ended: "Tripp, this new baby, and I will all be fine, because God is merciful."
The former reality TV star made no mention of who the father of her unborn child is and Meyer, who she was set to marry on May 23 in Kentucky, has not publicly commented on the news. The pair met last year and got engaged in March.
On May 18, Bristol's mother, Sarah, shocked fans when she announced on Facebook that her daughter's wedding to the 26-year-old Marine had been canceled.
"Bristol and Dakota couldn't be more thankful for the love and support of family and friends over the past months while preparing for their wedding," the former Alaska governor wrote in a statement. "They have informed loved ones that unfortunately the announced celebration will not be held."
The wedding cancellation came amid reports of an alleged secret marriage Meyer had previously, although Bristol denied this was the cause of her broken engagement.
"Regarding salacious headlines in recent days about 'secret wives,' Dakota and I discussed our past relationships prior to our engagement. Dakota was legally divorced years ago, as any good reporter could and should have disclosed to readers," Bristol asserted in a statement on her mother's Facebook page.
Bristol's broken engagement comes five years after she and Johnston ended their engagement in 2010.
Earlier this week it was revealed that Sarah Palin, who signed on as a contributor at Fox News in 2010, has cut ties with the conservative news network.
