Bristol Palin’s Son, Tripp, 15, Is Moving Back To Alaska To Be With His Dad

Bristol Palin, daughter of former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, revealed that her 15-year-old son, Tripp Johnston, has moved back to Alaska to live with his father and complete high school.

Palin, 33, shared the news on Instagram, describing the decision as bittersweet. “This has been the hardest ‘first day of school’ yet,” she wrote, explaining that Tripp’s move was motivated by a desire to be closer to his father, Levi Johnston, and other family members.

The teenager, who gained fame as a contestant on Dancing with the Stars: Juniors, is an avid outdoorsman. Palin acknowledged her son’s passion for hunting and fishing as factors in his choice to return to their home state.

Despite the emotional toll, Palin expressed support for Tripp’s decision, emphasizing the importance of his relationship with his father. “It’s truly not about what I want,” she stated, adding that she prioritizes Tripp’s needs over her “selfish desires of having him with his mama forever.”

Tripp’s relocation marks a significant shift in the family’s living arrangements. Palin, who works as a real estate agent, moved to Texas in 2017 with Tripp and her two younger daughters from a previous marriage. The move followed her divorce from ex-husband Dakota Meyer, with whom she shares custody of daughters Sailor Grace, 8, and Atlee Bay, 7.

The custody arrangement between Palin and Johnston has been contentious in the past. Their relationship, which began in their teens, ended shortly after Tripp’s birth in December 2008. In 2016, Johnston announced on social media that he had been granted joint custody after a lengthy legal battle, reportedly costing him around $100,000 in legal fees.