Bristol Palin is suing her ex boyfriend, Levi Johnston, for child support. Levi has only given Bristol a total of $4,400 in child support since their son, Tripp, was born 13 months ago. In new papers filed with the court Bristol is asking for $1,750 a month retroactive to Tripp’s birth, or 20% of Johnston’s assumed income for 2009. The numbers are based on Johnston’s assumed income of a low six figures last year, although I doubt he made that much. How much did Playgirl pay Johnston for that sad, sheepish photo spread? Qweerty doubts that it was close to $100,000. It earned Playgirl plenty of publicity but he wasn’t worth $20,000 or more.
Court documents were filed by Bristol’s lawyer late Thursday afternoon in Alaska, demanding $1,750 a month in child support from Levi, retroactive to the birth of son Tripp on December 27, 2008.
According to the docs, obtained by TMZ, Bristol believes Levi has pulled in “in excess of $105,000 in 2009 through various media interviews and modeling related activities.” The $105,000 figure is significant, because under Alaska law a non-custodial parent must pay 20% of income up to $105,000 a year — which comes to $1,750 a month.
Bristol says in her sworn statement, “I have received limited and sporadic financial assistance from Levi.” Bristol says Levi has forked over only $4,400 over the 13 months of Tripp’s life — $3,000 on September 9, 2009, $1,400 on December 19.
Bristol’s request is for temporary support, pending a permanent child support order.
Levi Johnston’s manager, Tank Jones, tells TMZ Levi has paid Bristol more than $10,000 since Tripp was born. Jones also says Levi does not make money off of every interview he does, though he did not say exactly how much Levi has made.
[From TMZ]
I really doubt that Johnston has that kind of money to cough up. The kid isn’t in demand, and he’s probably spending everything he earns paying his manager and trying to promote himself. What else has he done besides Playgirl? He did a pistachio ad and was honored by Fleshbot with an award.
Bristol appeared on Oprah’s “Fridays Live” today in a joint interview with her famous mother, Sarah. Opra apparently had Sarah on to promote her new pundit gig on Fox News, although it’s probably more about the ratings Oprah scored the last time she featured the former Alaskan governor. (Fingers crossed that interest in Palin in waning and that she won’t become Oprah’s favorite go-to girl for a ratings boost. Her “We chose life” In Touch cover bombed at the newsstand at least.)
ET has the details of Bristol’s interview, and she told Oprah that from now on she’s going to wait until she’s married to have sex. She said “I think it’s a goal to have and other women should have that goal. It’s a realistic goal for myself.” How is that a “realistic goal”? It’s not like Bristol hasn’t had sex up until now. Just because she had a crappy boyfriend and ended up with a baby doesn’t mean she has to give it up entirely. There is another option and it’s called birth control. It’s not that difficult to figure out and it works if you know how to work it. It just goes to show how effective abstinence-only education is when they’re using a teen mother to promote it. I have respect for Bristol, though. She’s really refrained from talking smack about Levi and has taken the high road. Let’s hope she squeezes some more money out of the douche.
Bristol is shown on 5/6/09 at “The Candie’s Foundation Town Hall Meeting On Teen Pregnancy Prevention.” Credit: Patricia Schlein/WENN.com. Levi Johnston is shown on 11/18/09 at US Weekly’s Hot Hollywood 2009 Party. Credit: Adriana M. Barraza / WENN.com
Cue the violins. Bring on the waterworks. Levi has very little to give Bristol. She needs her tubes tied.
Vowing chastity now? Isn’t that like closing the barn doors after the horse has gotten out?
Ok, lets get this out of the way first. I’m 24 and this chick is 18. we are in the same age range, therefor considered peers.
I think this chick is a fucking idiot. Stupider-than-Taylor-Momsen kind of stupid. And I can say that, you know why? Not so long ago I was her age and I managed to not get knocked up by a loser. Granted, I have amazing taste in men and some fucking common sense goes a long way to my advantage. And I don’t believe a fucking word out of this tool’s mouth. She the worst kind of woman. Cut from the same cloth as her self entitled mother. I dont feel sorry for this stupid hoe in the least. What a dumb bitch.
As much as I dislike Sarah Palin, I like Bristol Palin. She’s entitled to child support and it’s reasonable and responsible that she get it. And if she’s all for abstinence from here on out, good for her, if that’s what she wants. Or says she wants. It’s no one’s business, except that everyone keeps asking her, like she’s something other than a 19 year old girl, forced into the public spotlight, who looks like never really wanted it but is making the best of it. Best of luck to her!
$1750 a month for a NEWBORN? does that baby have gold pacifiers because no baby I know cost that much money a month. Thats mostly profit on bristol’s side if she wins. Levi will probably never make the kind of money he made this last year again, unless he gets a degree and i hope the judge realizes that before handing down an unrealistic child support ruling.
Am I the only one that doesnt think levi is as big of a douche as everyone else does?
Umm…that ship has sailed. She’s a mother and an adult now. I’m not saying to go banging around like crazy, but who cares if she’s celibate? Chaste is really kind of a younger person, virginity thing, isn’t it?
If she is living her life as a responsible adult, taking care of her son, going to school, working, or whatever, and she meets someone nice, and has a relationship what is the big deal? She’s not sixteen.
I tend to be more conservative, but this is where this Sarah Palin loses me. This is probably at her urging, and its just not realistic. And I bet if she does meet a nice guy the chastity thing goes right out the window.
What has Bristol done to deserve admiration? Get pregnant? Have and keep the baby? She’s a spoiled kid who’s getting a free-ride on her mother’s coat-tails and is now suing her baby daddy for a ridiculous sum in child support (that she doesn’t need considering the Palin’s wealth).
This isn’t about child support, it’s the Palin legal team trying to paint Johnston as a dead-beat dad so Bristol gets full custody of the kid and any future revelations Johnston comes forward with on Sarah or the rest of the family can be labeled as “sour-grapes”
Both parents to show some responsability for a child? Absolutely right.
Bristol Palin declaring to now be chaste? Absolutely irrelevant.
@Jess – no offense, but do you have children? The cost is pretty incredible…not just feeding and clothing a child, but medical care, child care, etc. There are VERY few women who “profit” from child support.
I personally can’t stand Sarah Palin, but Bristol isn’t her mother, and seems to have handled most of this frenzy with class. She does lose me a bit with her plan to be chaste going forward, and I’d much prefer that she talked birth control & safe sex…but that’s probably not ever going to happen unless she’s on her own, and not being managed by her mother’s career aspirations…
Just my $.02 =)
If he really made that much money, that is not a ridiculous amount to pay in child support. And sarah palin’s wealth and finances, does not excuse a father from supporting his child. Period.
As long as she puts herself out there and gets on the covers of magazines and take interviews then she is opening herself up to any and all kinds of criticism. She wants very badly to be in the public spotlight or else she would have faded away. I wish she would go away and take care of her baby and shut up. Lol @ having not having sex before marriage as a GOAL in her life. She is seriously deluded also quite smug to think that other woman could benefit from her advice on chastity or anything else. Seriously, it’s time for this girl to worry about herself and her baby and that’s it.
Man it’s like knee jerk with most people isn’t it? Here are the Palin’s bring on the hate! I find it amazing that no matter who you ask on an individual basis they will say that all people have the inherent right to believe what they want and to express those beliefs without being trashed..disagreed with certainly but without being personally trashed…not true in the case of people who have a more conservative opinion. This person has every right to live the way she chooses..as for the barn door being locked after the horse escapes, isn’t that like saying if you indulge in underage drinking then say you have decided to stay sober until you are of legal age (and therefore more mature or maybe just because for no reason) that there is no sense in that because you have already tasted alcohol? Weird how people project onto others but I love this site and all the opinions expressed here, even the ones that disagree with mine!
I feel bad for Levi. There is no way he’s got that kind of money; if he somehow made that much from Playgirl, it was a one-time figure.
Bristol is welcome to be as chaste as she likes, although it’s not like she can get that virginity back so I don’t really see the point in publicly declaring it… it’s easy to say you’ll be celibate when you aren’t seeing someone and you have a baby to take care of. In a year or two, though, we’ll see. I just wish she’d SHUT THE F* UP about what “other women should” do. Grrr. We’ve been over this, Palins… Other women don’t want you to tell them what they should do with themselves, thanks.
He absolutely should be paying child support. I’m sure the judge will determine the appropriate amount. But yes, he absolutely has a legal and moral obligation to pay for any children he helps to create.
A little late for Lenny.
yeah, because abstinence worked so well for bristol in the past.
How is abstinence not a realistic goal now? It is hard work being a teenage parent. It is probably pretty reasonable for her in her circumstances. I commend her for it.
For instance, I live up here and my children go to school close to where she works. It is not a glorious high paying job. It is hard work and crazy hours. She is doing her job. She is not wrong to want live her life the way she is.
Maybe abstinence isn’t realistic for some people but this is her life. She has every right to choose this path for herself.
and we care about her because…
Does Bristol want a medal for deciding to be chaste until marriage, or should we move straight on to Sainthood? She probably thinks her “virginity” will miraculously grow back.
@ kelly:
“Vowing chastity now? Isn’t that like closing the barn doors after the horse has gotten out?”
Well said!
Note to Bristol: We don’t want to know about your sex life! Keep it to yourself.
Ricky Hollywood better find a job… but Bristol had better too. Don’t take after your mother and play the victim, girl.
Can’t stand Sarah, but always thought Bristol seemed OK, and that she should have been off limits during the campaign – she was a kid, and not the one who chose a public life. Not sure why now she’s doing so much media, you’d think after everything she went through, she’d welcome anonymity again. Instead she’s talking about her sex life on Oprah? She’s not obligated to discuss that with anyone, and I doubt anyone wants to hear it!
Totally should get child support from Levi, who does seem like a dbag, but I doubt has any money. Even if he did make some recently, it’s not going to last. He needs to go home, get a real job, and be as good as dad as he can.
@ Jess:
“Am I the only one that doesnt think levi is as big of a douche as everyone else does?”
No. I agree. He has horrible baby momma and baby grandmomma drama!
He’s a kid trying to assert himself the best way he knows how. I do think the Palins are trying to squeeze him out because he decided to speak out about Sarah. Limiting his time with the baby and seeking full custody is all about revenge — not what’s in the best interest of the child. They don’t want to work things out. As we saw with Troopergate, Palin will go far to carry a grudge..
He’s a douche and needs to pay up… he is making a lot with his spreads. he has done more than playgirl ie all of the stuff in GQ and other mag stuff. They pay a lot more than we want to believe. If this were any other girl wanting child support people would be all over this saying she deserved the money. Now that it’s the Palin’s it’s like she doesn’t deserve support…I don’t get it, I don’t even like the Palin’s but fair is fair. As for her sexual chasity, who cares. I’ve seen people do it though and it works for them. People do it all the time after something like this. More for religious reasons i think. (i dont agree with it bu whatever) I think the weird Sherri Shepard was or is after having her kid.
How much money did she make doing t.v appearances,magazine interviews & covers? She has repeatedly denied him access to his child and her mother seems to forget that Tripp has 2 parents and she is not one of them.
@Jess and Iggles: I agree, in that I think Levi is less of a douche and more of an idiot. Based on what we’ve been allowed to see of his parents, it’s pretty evident that the kid didn’t have a chance when it came to intelligence.
@michelle my boyfriend has a 2 year old. i understand that children are expensive. however, bristol is on record as breastfeeding, so no formula money, and there is NO WAY that kid goes through $1750 a month in necessities. Im 22 and can support MYSELF on that amount (granted-barely) and that includes rent, food, power, heat, car, insurance etc… also, she is responsible for part of taking care of the baby as well so $1750 wouldn’t even be the whole amount the baby supposedly needs. I’m sorry but my boyfriends ex keeps trying to pull the same shit with him that bristol is doing to levi and its not fair.
Jess is right. As a mother of a 22 month old I can tell you they don’t cost much at all unless you’re insisting on projecting your excessive materialism onto them and/or using child care as a revenge mechanism.
@michelle: a lot of us have children, and it didn’t cost us $1750 a month to care for a newborn.
I think that both Levi and Bristol have been very careful to not bash each other; that doesn’t necessarily apply for their comments about the extended family or the extended families comments about them. As for him owing child support, as the father he obviously does and is not trying to deny that fact, how much he owes is up to the courts to decide once they have determined his income.
If Bristol chooses to stay away from having sex again until marriage that is her choice, but it seems that she could help so many more young people by advocating for use of birth control and safe sex education for teens as a better way to prevent teen pregnancy and the transmission of STDs. But hey, be it right or wrong in my opinion, it is ultimately her choice no one elses.
@everyone… Bristol is not being greedy by asking for the amount REQUIRED by law. Child support is not negotiable.. the laws of each individual State sets the standard, and if it’s 20% in Alaska, that’s what she should get, regardless of how much a newborn should or does cost. I’m sure she stated the amount high based on her best estimate of what he made, however, the court will determine the appropriate amount once he supplies his 2009 earnings. Should she let him see his child? Of course! But, child support cannot be withheld because the other parent is withholding visitation. He should be using the court the same way she is and demanding he be allowed to see his kid, if she isn’t letting him!
She doesn’t need Child Support. She’s living with Mom and making more money than him and trying to deny him custody. Bottom line, the kid is screwed up with either of them.
@Michelle:
I have children. 4 of them. They don’t cost me $1750 a month. And they eat and don’t go to school naked, trust me.
As for the “I think [chastity]’s a goal to have and other women should have that goal”. Bwahaha!! Try to settle your own life first, little Bristol, then we can talk.
Oh, and Levi should pay (a reasonable amount of) child support AND have acces to his child. You can’t cut the father from the child’s life and expect him to pay. That’s to easy
Great googly moogly! Its a little late to get all preachy about abstinence.
Bristol- STFU. You look like the whiny teenager you are. No one is impressed or feels sorry for you.
He reminds me of a young Regis in that bottom photo.
I have two children both under the age of 4 and it does not cost $1750 a month to raise them. That is a highly inflated number.
Maybe if they lowered to something more reasonable he would be able to pay it. Instead of suing they need to get together AS PARENTS and reasonably discuss an amount that would work for both parties.
oh my. i am 24 not 22. not sure what i was thinking when i typed that!
I understand that 20% is required in Alaska, but this poor kids income is not stable. now that his novelty has worn off, he probably wont be making $1750 a month, let alone being able to pay it in child support.
bristol cannot try to cut levi out of THEIR childs life and then expect him to pay up.
Now I’m wondering if that whole “I’m forming a PR corporation” thing wasn’t so that she could claim a lower level of Personal income, ask for higher child support, and keep Levi’s paws off her revenue.
I wouldn’t put it past the Palins. The older parents never heard of a dollar they didn’t love.
“Let’s hope she squeezes some more money out of the douche. ”
yeap that about sums it up. i’m no fan of palin family, but this sleazeball needs to be taught a lesson or two about what responsibility means.
@ Jess
He should be paying child support regardless whether she does or doesn’t allow him to see his son.He should take responsibility for his actions, he had sex with her and the child was the result of this end of story. It’s his responsibility to pay 20% whether it’s a lot of money or not does not matter.
A man should take responsibility for his actions and for the women he was ina relationship with and the child ofcourse. If he can’t do it the he shouldn’t have had sex in the first place!
No birth control is 100 % effective. The sequence of sex can be pregnecy, it’s for adults if you can’t take that responsibility don’t have sex. Makes your life hell of a lot easier.
You know what? It’s really NOT that hard to not get pregnant, as long as you’ve had a comprehensive sex education.
I don’t understand peole having an issue with the amount of child support that is being asked for.
It is pretty standard practice for child support to be granted as a percentage of the income of the non/semi-custodial parent. If he doesn’t have that much money to give, the burden is on him to prove it.
And she DOES have a job. That doesn’t me he shouldn’t have to pony up.
@snapdragon — my exact reaction!
Hey, he owes child support. He probably can’t afford that much after this year, and it can be reduced by their courts.
Actually, as a single mom I’d like to vouch for younger kids actually being the most expensive kids to have — child care while you’re working is very expensive and baby care is the most expensive. I paid about $800/month in Houston 9 years ago. And Alaska has a much higher cost of living. If you’re single you HAVE to work. When my kids were small, child care used up ALL my child support and quite a bit more. Then there are diapers, baby gear, clothes they outgrow monthly, etc.
Bristol needs to get a job and stop whining. The amount of money she should get should be based on how much is needed to raise the baby between both of them, not on how much he makes because he def won’t make that much in the future years when his 15 minutes are up. The baby’s (ahem, Bristol’s) life style will change a lot by that and that doesn’t make sense. Just get what you need and work for your own money too.
what happened to abstinence not being “realistic”? She seems like a decent person. I hope her mother has not brainwashed to think she’s some kind of evildoer for having sex. makes me so sad when people turn something that is natural (like desiring sex) and make it into something dirty.
@Kathie, most of the times when somebody drinks underage, a baby isn’t conceived. Someone can say they won’t drink again until they reach legal age, but will they have to worry about child care, medical expenses, proper rearing until old enough to take care of itself, most of the time, no.
Bristol has a right to child support because it takes two to make a baby. She can be a poster child for abstinence, but not in a positive way, in my opinion.
Levi is not the best role model of a father and I’ve seen pictures of him and that looser Jon Gosselin but asking that much money is silly especially since she doesn’t work and is living off her parents. I don’t think it’s the grandparents job to raise the kid but she should make an effort too, there are a lot of single parents out there that do not get any child support and are able to provide for their children just fine. Besides, if my mother was Sarah Palin, I wouldn’t want my kids to be near that crazy woman and have her idiotic ideas influence my kids in any way
BAHAHAHAHAHA! Best laugh I’ve had all day…I wonder if she can spell F R A U D and H Y P O C R I T E. She is the poster child for why ‘abstinence’ is such a laughable stance…talk to your kids, be realistic and above all make sure they have ready access to birth control.
You think Sarah is crazy? Really?
Check our Levi;s mother – Google: Sherry Johnston – and then THINK about with whom you would rather have your child spend time!!
Good to see the Palin initiative of encouraging reproductive ignorance in women is still in full force. *eyeroll*
Ugh. If you don’t want to have sex don’t have sex. It’s really very simple. It’s about the most uncomplicated thing in the world.
But abstinence only education can kill someone. And I’m not saying that to be all hyperbolic. But AIDS kills. Hep C kills. Even Syph can kill if you leave it long enough.
These diseases are deadly and serious. Even smaller, curable diseases can have life long consequences like sterility.
To act as though sex education is not important makes my brain explode. To promote something idealistic with a 90% fail rate is just fucking dumb.
Condoms. Condoms, condoms, condoms (and back it up with a secondary birth control).
It really is that simple.
CONDOMS.
Bottom line:
1) Levi is responsible to pay child support as determined by a court of law based on the amount of his income. It does not matter if Gramma is wealthy; Gramma is not the baby’s Mom or Dad.
2) Child support is not an option for the absentee parent; pre-marital sex IS. We do not reward irresponsible breeders for their behaviour by not enforcing child support laws.
3) Just as support may not be legally withheld if visitation is withheld, visitation may not be legally withheld is support is not paid.
And I’ll not even dignify the abstinence claim with a response.
Look around you Peach, we’ve had sex ed. and birth control being pushed by health services and schools since the 1970’s, I know because I remember it being introduced in (sex ed. that is) in my catholic school in 1973. That’s not working,I wish I could bring some of you to work with me one day so you could see all the teenage mom’s who know ALL ABOUT birth control and have had sex ed. since grade school. The problem is deeper than that, believe me. To think more sex ed, more condoms, more ed., more condoms is delusional.
I just think bristol is Damn hot, a very yummy mummy 🙂
What kind of name is “Bristol”? Sounds like some sort of cleaning agent. Now I hear the word “Palin”, and I just want to cringe.
I saw Levi Johnston in an interview and he looked like a jerk. He might have had a bad day, because he couldn’t articulate well at the time, he looked like he had strain himself to express himself clearly, and it looked like while Palin must have been a complete witch with this guy, his manner was dull and slow. He posed for Playgirl, so he looked more like an opportunist.
Bill Maher did an absolutely hilarious stint while Bristol was still pregnant. He was starting a “Free Levi” movement telling him it’s not too late to run for the hills and the Palins would just add that baby to the others and name it some idiot redneck name like Truck, Tripp, . . . Was she stupid enough to watch this show and decide to take one of the names? Hysterical!
Does anyone else find it a little weird that a mom would parade her single teenage mom daughter on the most widely watched talk show in America as the poster child for abstinence? Isn’t it a little creepy that the entire country knows about this young girl’s sex life or lack thereof? The worst part is, Sarah Palin and the family are the ones forcing this stuff on the public. Why? Is the invasion of young Bristol’s privacy for the sake of political dogma that important to her? It should be Bristol’s own business and no one else’s. I’d say “leave her alone” but she’s the one putting herself out there…or is it her mom putting her out there? Why am I getting this creepy “pageant mom” vibe from Mrs. Palin?
I felt a little bit sorry for Bristol during the elections, but she is proving that she is following in her mother’s ignorant footsteps. Who believes the whole “but I want to be abstinent now” spiel when she already had sex several years ago as a teen resulting in a 13 month old child? Yes, Levi should pay child support, have proper visitation, and he’s made some questionable decisions too, but what about Tripp’s best interests and parenting him? If Palin was really serious about her family’s privacy and the media attacking poor Bristol, then she would quit making Bristol use Tripp as a weapon against Levi, and marketing tool for Sarah’s political and money-making ambitions. MSAT has a point, Sarah is acting like a pageant mom – maybe they both really believe that abstinence will bring about world peace. They could spend more time taking care of their family and better educating themselves, but instead choose to spew to the free world about Bristol’s sex life, or self-imposed lack of one, and how that is better for everyone else. Nothing like a little hypocrisy…barf! Now I just feel sorry for Tripp, Trig and Willow, they are too young to do anything about keeping the “adults” off the stage.
Okay everyone involved in this whole drama…GROW THE HELL UP and focus on helping the child, not holding him hostage