Bristol, Levi renew plan to wed

JUNEAU, Alaska – The tumultuous relationship between Bristol Palin and Levi Johnston took another surprising turn Wednesday, when the couple announced they were back together and recently got engaged.

The abrupt reunion between Sarah Palin’s daughter and the father of her toddler son felt like a flashback to 2008, when the couple shared the spotlight at the Republican National Convention. The romance later devolved into a messy tabloid drama as Johnston posed for Playgirl, trashed Sarah Palin in interviews and fought with the Palins over custody.

In this week’s celebrity glossy Us Weekly, 19-year-old Bristol Palin and 20-year-old Johnston say they’re engaged, marking a rapid turnaround for the couple that just months ago was fighting over child support and Johnston’s critical comments about the family.

The two are on the cover with their 18-month-old son, Tripp. The lead-in tease: “The reunited couple reveal their sudden, secret engagement – and why they hid it from Sarah.”

They tell the magazine they reconnected while working out a custody plan and got engaged two weeks ago. Bristol Palin said she found the idea of telling her mother about the engagement “intimidating and scary” but hoped she’d “jump on board.”

“It felt right, even though we don’t have the approval of our parents,” she said.