Bristol Palin's Big Lesson: 'Never Lie to Your Mother'
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A poised and confident Bristol Palin sat down with Fox News’ Sean Hannity to discuss her new book, “Not Afraid of Life: My Journey So Far."
In the book, the daughter of former vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin discusses her relationship with former fiancée and father of her two-year old son, Tripp, Levi Johnston.
“You get very, very personal in this book,” Hannity said, asking the 20-year old if it was difficult writing about losing her virginity and her subsequent out-of-wedlock pregnancy.
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“It was hard to go back and relive all those moments by talking about them,” said Palin. “It was hard, but it’s so worth it because I know that it’s going to be helping other people.”
Palin admits that she lied to her mother for the first time in her life, sneaking out of the house to be with Johnston.
“Never lie to your mother—that’s the biggest lesson I learned,” Palin told Hannity. “I made a decision to go out, sneak out with my friends, get drunk and have sex for the first time. I own up to that mistake in the book—I talk about that being one of my biggest regrets.”
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Waking up alone, Palin learned of her first sexual experience from a friend’s text message. “I remember being with my friends by the campfire and then waking up in a tent by myself," she said. "It was a foolish decision that I made and I know a lot of young girls do make that decision and I know they regret it.”
Palin talked of her judgment being impaired from drinking wine coolers that night, but stopped short of accusing Johnston of rape.
“No, absolutely not—I’m not accusing Levi of rape or anything like that,” Palin told Hannity. “I’m just looking at that decision and that situation that I got myself in with older and wiser eyes."
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Palin also had to suffer the embarrassment of watching TV with her mother when the news of her pregnancy scrolled across the screen. “We were both pretty shocked, just because my close family hadn’t known about my pregnancy until a few days prior," she said.
Pregnant on the campaign trail with her mother, Bristol steadied herself for the attacks. “It was difficult, but we do have a really tough skin in our family," she said. "We got through it and it just makes us stronger.”
Hannity, for his part, seemed astonished that Palin was so open about her personal life. “I would never be this open in a book about how stupid I was then—and I was a lot dumber than you. I mean, I was dumb,” he said, calling Palin “brave” and “courageous” for telling her story.
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“I just feel like God has given me the strength to really come out in this book and say, ‘Look, these are the decisions that I made,’ and hopefully, others can learn from those mistakes that I made,” said Palin.
Palin giggled when Hannity brought up the “problems” she had with Meghan McCain, daughter of presidential candidate John McCain, on the campaign trail. “We come from two completely different worlds. Her dad’s a politician, my mom’s a politician—but that never defined me,” Palin said, adding, “We don’t talk, we’re not friends, nothing like that. We’re two completely different people.”
Hannity asked Palin what made the two different. “I do things for myself. I’ve had a job since I was really little and I don’t know if she does stuff like that," she said. "I don’t know if she goes out huntin’ and fishin’ and stuff like that.”
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Busy raising her son, Palin now plans on abstaining from pre-marital relations. “I’m definitely not going to have sex before marriage. I know what my life is now and I don’t want another kid and I don’t want to risk being a single mom (again)," she said.
Palin calls son Tripp a blessing. “He’s the love of my life,” she beamed.
Palin also likes the idea of her mom running for president, telling Hannity, “Of course, absolutely!”
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But Palin wouldn't answer the big question—whether or not mom plans on joining the 2012 presidential race. “We definitely discuss it,” said Palin with a knowing smile. “But what’s talked about at our kitchen table stays there.”