In what seems like straight out of a plot line for Teen Mom, Bristol Palin says she wants Levi Johnston to sign over all his parental rights. In an interview this morning with an Alaska radio station, Bristol confirmed she is seeing a pipe fitter. Let the double entendres begin. In the same interview she says that since Levi is not paying child support she wants him to give up his parental rights. Why would he do that? I am not sure how much child support an unemployed guy should be paying, but hopefully he can get a job soon. That reality thing is not on anymore is it? Anyway, what do you think? Should he give up his parental rights?
Never noticed it till now but Bristol looks like Roseanne in that pic
ReplyDeleteHell no.
ReplyDeleteAnd I'm ashamed to ask this question, however doesn't he still do public appearances? Isn't that some sort of income?
Regardless, IMHO the surrender of paternal/parental rights is a bad idea in this situation.
Could we not, with the Palin rumormill? I want off this ride.
ReplyDeleteJust a humble and non-partisan request.
Absolutely not.
ReplyDeleteWhat man gives up rights to his son? Oh wait. My ex did. What a tool.
ReplyDeleteWow. Nice family values, there. That's the father of her child. Sure, he's a douchebag. But she picked him in the first place, no one made her get knocked up. The fact that Levi's a loser doesn't make it OK for her to try to alienate him from his son. It's called consequences. Living with past decisions and making the best of it. God, I can't stand this twat and her whole narcissistic family.
ReplyDeleteEven if Levi may be a deadbeat, terminating parental rights is overkill.
ReplyDeleteIf Levi is a deadbeat and doesn't share in the care of his own son, he should just make it official. It would relieve him of any financial burden as well as legally allow his son to someday have a real father.
ReplyDeleteSperm may make you a father, but it can't make you a daddy.
That's ridiculous. Why do I suspect this is yet another attempt at publicity from the Palin family?
ReplyDeleteTermination of parental rights is usually done when the parent volunteers, is unfit, guilty of child abuse, or fails to provide support. I doubt Levi is guilty of child abuse, but the failure to provide support - probably. He's not interested in being a father unless there's a publicity photo shoot and he's getting paid.
ReplyDeleteBut I do think she deserves full and total custody if he's basically abandoned that child. She should be able to make educational, medical, and overall welfare decisions for that child without having to consult the deadbeat father.
This particular issue should not have been discussed in an interview. Not a Palin fan/basher. Sometimes it is better for children if a parent gives up parental rights/sometimes its not. Her kid is going to someday read this. Being a parent means acting like an adult. I wish more people would get that clue.
ReplyDeleteSeveral years ago I was on vacation with relatives in Florida. At the beginning of my visit I read a newspaper article about how governors were pledging to leave no deadbeat dad unturned in the search for money. At the end of my visit I read a different newspaper article in which private collection agencies, assigned the deadbeat accounts, were writing off 90% plus as uncollectible. The conflict between these two stories caught my attention. Frankly I have a low opinion of collection agencies but I have a high opinion of how motivated they are to collect. If they can't collect the money isn't there. After looking into this I basically came to the conclusion that the deadbeat dad problem was primarily an issue of the working poor. Please note I said primarily because there are many situations of couples who hate each other, live beyond their means, are trying to support two or more families etc. I can cite a few from personal acquintance but I know many more where the system works. That is largely because they are middle class, have steady income, some assets to tide them over, access to lawyers etc. Most of the writeoffs were from the working poor; people with high unemployment, fluctuating income, no assets when they were married much less after divorce, limited access to lawyers etc. Nothing in the system (i.e. wait six months for a court date) is really set up to deal with this variability. When they fall behind there are few ways back.
ReplyDeleteDid she use the words "parental rights" or "custodial rights"? Does she understand the difference between the two?
ReplyDeleteI read that she wants to change her son's last name to Palin and can't unless Levi terminates his rights. Which he isn't agreeing to. And for the kid's sake I hope he doesn't.
ReplyDeleteIF the guy has no contact with the child and not paying child support why continue the charade..
ReplyDeleteI'm not up on parental law but doesn't it mean he just isn't involved in decisions - like where they live/school/medical - not that he won't be able to see his child if he chooses to?
ReplyDeleteShe needs to go after him for back child support. Yes, his dumb ass was riding the publicity baby daddy train for a while and truth be told, he probally thought that he was set for life getting her pregnant. However, once the shine wore off that penny, and once people kind of caught onto his schtick, the money wore off. I cannot see him doing anything publicity wise other than judging a wet tee shirt contest at a bar outside of Anchorage. He needs to get a JOB, pay the support or terminate rights. He is no different than the hundreds of thousands of dead beat dads (and moms) in this Country who do this different every day.
ReplyDeleteTime will tell, as to what type of a parent he'll be. Right now he's a kid and shouldn't do anything he might regret later.
ReplyDeleteOkay, I'm biased, but from personal experience, I bet he just doesn't want to pay, but also still wants to control her life. I can still hear the judge saying, "Defendant stated he would not get a job so that 'she' wouldn't get any money. Defendant has also changed council again (fourth time) so any ruling must be delayed to allow the new council to get up to speed." Yada yada yada. Six years later...
ReplyDeleteSomehow, I have a feeling Levi sees this as a way of not having responsibility but still being in charge; if Bristol is dealing with this, she is still involved with him. Having said that, I still think this is on her, any person you sleep with, you could produce a child with. If you choose to have the baby, and then keep it, this is at least 21 years of involvement. Think of it that way and it's scary, but this mess was predictable.
he' still the father and just cuz you don't like him or he doesn't have any money doesn't change that.
ReplyDeletemaking the child a bastard isn't going to exactly help either.
this is a clever ploy to get the kid on TV,something I don't think Levi wants....and controls.
No. That's stupid, unless he is being an outright crappy dad.
ReplyDeleteAt the same time, he should be contributing to child support. If his attempts at fame whoring aren't working any longer, HE SHOULD GO GET A REAL JOB.
And somebody's gotta start saving for this kid's therapy fund.
unless he's abused his son, whether he gives up parental rights is up to him, not her.
ReplyDeletehe needs a JOB. and they both need to grow the fuck up.
don't know. don't care. frak'em all.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely not. He is still the father, and despite his shortcomings, there is no reason why he shouldn't have a say of any kind regarding his child. She also mentioned that she would like to change his name to Palin. Just what we need - another Palin.
ReplyDeleteMoosefan mentioned that he was riding the publicity train and probably thought he was set for life. But isn't she doing the exact same thing? The only reason we are aware of her is because of who her mother is. And when the two of them broke up, I remember Bristol made a comment along the lines of "he loves the limelight or Hollywood too much." Just before she announced her decision to go on DWTS. Pot. Kettle. Black.
Really, what has she done to deserve her fame? She was a pregnant teen of a famous mother. She got to go on Dancing With The Stars because of her notoriety - not because of anything she had accomplished in her life. All the other contestants were either athletes, actors or singers.
I know my rant sounds harsh, but I really do wish them both well. I just think they both need to step away from the limelight for a while.
If he doesn't love his son, doesn't spend any time with him whatsoever, doesn't call to talk to him to see how he's doing, then fine. It's obvious he just doesn't care, and their child will grow up and figure that out. But if he still has contact with him and he felt devastated by this request, then no way.
ReplyDeleteSole custody is different from giving up parental rights, isn't it?
I believe in this same interview Bristol said that Levi had seen his son a few times since DWTS. Not enough time in her opinion, but since she's been living in CA for DTWS and now has a house in AZ, how much access does he have?
ReplyDeleteWasn't she getting around $2K per month when Levi was doing the reality stuff and she was going to school? I thought he was trying to reduce the amount now because he doesn't make that kind of money anymore.
She may not like him, but he will always be Levi's dad. She needs to grow up and stop talking about name changes and terminating parental rights. It's a bit extreme at this stage.
It's not like she needs child support from him anyway.
ReplyDeleteYeah, Levi's a douche for not paying child support (assuming that's true), but Bristol's a douche for relocating from Alaska to Arizona, thus guaranteeing that Levi will find it next to impossible to develop a relationship with his child.
ReplyDeleteNext time, Douchette, pick another way to hit back at your parents. Getting back by getting knocked up only hurts the child you made.
I thought nobody was ever going to mention the moving to AZ thing. Judges look askance at that sort of thing, moving off to another state without the blessing of the other parent. Could this be why Levi hasn't exercised his right to visitation?
ReplyDeleteThis girl is a nothing. She managed to get herself pregnant, dragged the father into it as long as it helped her mom's campaign, then dumped him and now she wants the kid all to herself and wants him to have her family name. She disgusts me. Hope the pipe fitter is smart enough to keep his pipe wrapped.
@Syko -- I totally agree. Bristol is nothing. And she is now living in Arizona, far away from Alaska. She totally disgusts me, too. (Ditto for the rest of the Palin family). I actually feel sorry for Levi in this one.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely not!! How awful to suggest even a doofus not get to be the father of his own child.
ReplyDeleteThis is because Levi doesn't kowtow to Bristol's Mommy. She was with him, broke up, got back, broke up, Bristol doesn't know what she wants. Bristol needs to get out from under her mother's thumb and get a life. Levi will never abandon his kid to that family of grifters.
ReplyDeleteDefinitely a face made for radio.
ReplyDeleteIn California, child support is determined by a complex calculation that basically takes both parents' incomes and divides it in half for the kid--so if one parent made $30,000 last year and the other one made $300, 000, that would make a pot of $330,000. Figuring that the kid should get a third, the kid's share is $110,000. So--the parent that made $30k gets $55k from the other parent (half of the 110k).
ReplyDeleteMy guess is that Bristol's income from DWTS was far greater than her baby daddy's income from Playboy and guest appearances at truck stops. There's probbly a reason he's not paying child support--she probably OWES him!
Giving up parental rights is a far different issue--ridiculous, unless he has abused the child in some way, or completely abandoned him. This woman needs to start caring about her kid enough to keep private matters out of the news. In the end, her son will suffer for her immaturity and lack of insight.
Speaking from experience, sometimes it's better to get them to sign over rights. If they spend no time, no effort, no money, what do they contribute?
ReplyDeleteIt's about the child, maybe the kid needs a father and not a donor. Would any of you not give your child a dime? Or not do whatever it took to see them? He's a tool that has used his kid to promote himself as a celebrity.
I don't know their entire situation, and am loath to believe everything she is saying here.
ReplyDeleteI'll assume that she is making more money than he is--she was on DWTS and makes money doing abstinence talks and such. And she moved far away, out of the state (I'm assuming he still lives in Alaksa).
So, if it's true he's unemployed, he needs money for child support AND travelling to see his child? Did he have any say in her decisions to move the child far away?
And if/when he does get a job, what is he qualified for? A $10.00 an hour grocery stocking job isn't exactly going to be worth much to her. And it's not exactly buying air fare for every other weekend visits.
Don't get me wrong, I think deadbeats are awful. But I have a feeling he is partly a victim of her selfish choices and am not going to label him a deadbeat just yet. Deadbeats are bad, but a parent who makes selfish decisions and makes it hard on the other parent is bad as well.
This is just my read on the situation. I could be wrong, but I'm not going to label him a deadbeat just yet.