Levi Johnston Doesn't Feel Like a Father

He owes $38,500 in child support to Bristol Palin, hasn't seen his first son Tripp in four months, and has a second baby on the way with girlfriend Sunny Oglesby. 

Yet Levi Johnston does not consider himself a deadbeat dad.

'No, and I never will be,' he told The Insider’s Brook Anderson earlier today.

The 21-year-old Alaskan insists it's not his fault that he has not seen three-year-old Tripp, because the Palin family prevents visits.

'I love Tripp more than anything and he is my son but I don't feel like a dad to him. Not by choice …hopefully one day I can be,' he said.

When Bristol heard about the pregnancy, she was very upset and told In Touch her ex has always been free to see Tripp.

'I wish Levi would be like, "Hey Bristol, can I have Tripp for the weekend?" I would be so willing and glad to do that. He continues to lie,' the 21-year-old mother said.

According to Bristol, Levi -- who is currently unemployed -- once went an entire year without seeing Tripp. 

Sarah and Todd Palin have even spoken to TMZ and come to their daughter's defense.

'We have never hidden Tripp from Levi or discouraged Levi from spending time with him,' the Palin's said in a statement.

'We're disappointed that he continues to spread falsehoods to garner media attention.'

Levi and his schoolteacher girlfriend even say they hope Tripp will be be a big brother to the child.

'I'm tired of people thinking that my boyfriend's a bad father especially now that I'm having his baby,' Sunny told the Insider. 'I don't want people thinking that about him.'

The 20-year-old blonde continued to come to her man's defense: 'It's really sad, his image, because it's pretty much the complete opposite of how he is in real life. He's an awesome dad. And he tries to get Tripp all the time.'

Bristol's lawyer told TMZ that Levi hasn't made a child support payment since June 2010.

Levi is definitely aware that he is required to pay $1,750 a month, as he mentioned it on his Twitter during the Superbowl.

He wrote in February, 'patriots !"! come on baby !!! i got 2500 on your ass !! thats this month child support interest alone !!'

The new couple accidentally got pregnant when they forgot to bring birth control pills with them on a trip to their cabin.

'There was a time we went to the cabin and forgot the birth control pills and, you know, about a month later we found out we were having a baby,' Levi tells The Insider’s Brook Anderson in a new interview.

Levi believes that former Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin is ruining his reputation as a father with Bristol.

'Bristol looks up to her and that's a family and, you know I listen to my family, so I'm sure she does have some part of it, yeah,' he explained.

Sunny thinks people believe the Palin's over Levi because they are more famous.

'You know it's Sarah Palin and she has a lot of fans so everyone believes that,' she says, 'and Levi really doesn't have a chance against them.'

'Levi is a stranger to Tripp. He doesn't understand that Levi is his dad,' Bristol admitted.

 Palin goes on to say she is worried about the effect Johnston's affinity for getting young women pregnant will have on Tripp.

'I don't want him to go to elementary school with 10 half siblings,' she said. 'That would really affect him.'

This comment comes after  Palin claimed Tripp may already have a half brother in her book Not Afraid of Life: My Journey So Far.

In the memoir she alleges that Johnson cheated on her constantly and they broke up when he got another girl pregnant.

'I thought he had learned his lesson the first time.'

She continued: 'I hope this child is raised with two parents. He needs to step up to the plate and be there.'

Levi Johnston Trying To Make Money Off Second Baby

If you're going to cash in on reproduction, the media pays much better than a sperm bank -and nobody knows it better than Levi Johnston.

The bane of the Palin family’s existence is reportedly trying to make a buck - or thousands - on his latest pregnancy endeavour with current girlfriend Sunny Oglesby, whom he started dating after his second engagement to Bristol Palin collapsed in late 2010.

News of the pregnancy came Tuesday during Sarah Palin’s heavily talked-about Today show appearance - and those close to Johnston say that was no coincidence.

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Johnston and Oglesby have been dating since late 2010, several months after his second engagement to Bristol Palin crumbled

 Levi Johnston, right, plants a kiss on girlfriend Sunny Oglesby's lips during what looks like a hunting trip. Klassy

A Johnston pal tells The Huffington Post's Naughty But Nice Rob: "Of course he did it on purpose, to once again annoy Sarah.

'This was meant to be her big day, and instead we are all talking about Levi. Love him or hate him, I can tell you for sure that this kid is no fool when it comes to the media'.

 

Later on Tuesday, Johnston, 21, confessed to TMZ that it came as a surprise when Sunny Oglesby, a 20-year-old schoolteacher also from Wasilla, Alaska, found out she was expecting a child.

Although the pregnancy was not planned, Johnston said he was 'excited' about the news and  tentatively talked of the couple's future.

The news that Johnston was becoming a rather again came as Sarah Palin hosted the Today show in New York with (left to right) Al Roker, Ann Curry and Matt Lauer

He told TMZ on Tuesday: 'Sunny and I are looking forward to raising the [new] baby together and maybe eventually getting married or something'. Things happen and we are both happy with what came of it'. 

If Johnston does sell the story, it wouldn't be the first time he earned some coin off the media. 

In 2010, Us Weekly reportedly paid about $100,000 for the exclusive news that Bristol and Levi were rekindling their romance, a charge the magazine denied.

Johnston was an 18-year-old high-school hockey player in Wasilla, Alaska, when he was thrust into the spotlight after Sarah Palin was selected as John McCain's running mate back in 2008.

Bristol's pregnancy was revealed to the Republican Party convention just days later.

He and Bristol, 21, who were engaged, broke up shortly after the birth of their son Tripp in December 2008.

 Johnston was twice engaged to Sarah Palin's daughter Bristol, before and after the birth of their son Tripp

Johnston claims bad blood between him and the Palins have resulted in limited visits with his son.

He told TMZ that he loves Tripp 'more than anything but unfortunately I don't get to see him a whole lot.'

He also alleged that Bristol repeatedly lied to him that she had taken Tripp out of town to avoid letting him see his son.

Bristol later became a loud and proud advocate for abstinence - reclaiming her virginity and vowing not to have sex again until she's married.

Johnston claims his sour relationship with the Palins has resulted in limited visits with his son

In 2009, he stripped off for Playgirl magazine. That same year, Johnston struck up a friendship with comedienne Kathy Griffin, and accompanied her to the 2009 Teen Choice Awards. Johnston also appeared alongside Griffin in an episode of her Bravo reality show My Life on the D-List, when she travelled to Wasilla and the two tried such activities as ice fishing together.

In a 2010 interview with People magazine published just before he and Bristol got back together, Johnston issued an apology to the Palin family, proclaiming that he 'said things about the Palins that were not completely true'.

However, after their relationship fizzled again several months later, he recanted the apology.

In his memoir Deer in the Headlights: My Life in Sarah Palin’s Crosshairs, published last year, he claimed that the former Alaska governor had a 'cougar crush' on him while he was dating Bristol.

Other allegations in the book include the claim that Mama Grizzly owns a tanning bed, can't load a gun, loathes the outdoors and that she and husband Todd barely speak.

Bristol fired back in her own autobiography, Not Afraid of Life: My Journey So Far - claiming Johnston 'stole' her virginity after she got drunk off a few wine coolers.

She also claimed Johnston of spread 'false accusations against our family' and said his Playgirl spread made her want to 'puke'.

In 2011, Johnston announced he would run for mayor of Wasilla, the position held by Sarah Palin before she became the state's governor.

Six weeks before the election, however, he abandoned the campaign.

Last month, market research firm E-Poll listed Johnston ninth among the top 10 most overexposed celebrities, just ahead of Khloe Kardashian.

He was portrayed by actor and model Justin Gaston in the controversial HBO film about the 2008 Republican campaign, Game Change.

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Levi Johnston To Be a Dad Again

Levi Johnston and Sunny OglesbyCredit: Courtesy of TMZ

After fathering son Tripp, 3, with ex-fiance Bristol Palin, the news-making Alaskan, 21, is going to be a dad again, his rep confirmed to Us Weekly on Tuesday.

The mom-to-be is Sunny Oglesby, Johnston's girlfriend of over one year; TMZ first broke news that Oglesby, a 20-year-old teacher who now lives in his hometown of Wasilla, Alaska, was expecting.

Johnston and blonde, blue-eyed Oglesby (a native of Seaside, Oregon) went public with their romance in December 2010.

Johnston and Palin, 21, the eldest child of former Alaska governor Sarah Palin, welcomed son Tripp in late 2008; the couple called off their engagement in March 2009, got engaged again in July 2010, but finally called it off for good three months later.

"Bristol wanted to have a baby," Johnston (who famously posed for Playgirl) sniped to E! News in Septebmer 2011. "It all happened on purpose, and I was dumb enough just to roll with hit."