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Bristol Palin disputes report that ex-fiance Levi Johnston barely gets to see infant son

By RACHEL D'ORO | Associated Press Writer

4:14 PM CDT, March 12, 2009

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — Bristol Palin, the 18-year-old daughter of Gov. Sarah Palin, disputes a report that she makes it nearly impossible for her ex-fiance to visit their infant son as much as he'd like, a family spokeswoman said Thursday.

Bristol Palin and 19-year-old Levi Johnston recently broke off their engagement. The couple had a baby, named Tripp, in December.

"Levi sees the baby whenever he wants, the family sees the baby whenever they want," Palin family spokeswoman Meghan Stapleton said. "Bristol is not preventing anybody from seeing Tripp at any point in time."

Stapleton was referring to a Star magazine report this week that quoted Levi's sister, Mercede, as saying Levi tries to visit his son every day but Bristol "makes it nearly impossible."

The sister also was quoted as saying the baby is not allowed at the family's Wasilla home because Bristol "doesn't want him around 'white trash.'"

A phone message left by The Associated Press at the Johnstons' home was not immediately returned.

Bristol Palin was devastated about the report, according to Stapleton.

Levi Johnston told The Associated Press on Wednesday that the breakup was mutual. He declined to elaborate but said the Star report was riddled with inaccuracies.

Stapleton also slammed the story for implying Bristol is a high school dropout. The teen is a senior at Wasilla High School and plans to graduate in May, Stapleton said.

She speculated money was involved in the tabloid interview with Mercede Johnston, whom she referred to as Sadie.

"The fact that it is a tabloid and a soft interview, there could be an incentive to say things," Stapleton said. "We have seen a lot of that, especially on the tabloid side. We don't even know if Sadie said that."

Martin Gould, senior executive editor of the New York-based magazine, declined to say if Mercede Johnston was paid to speak to the Star. But he said the report was accurate.

"We spoke to Mercede and she told us that, so we stand by our story," Gould said.

Sarah Palin revealed Bristol's pregnancy three days after being named John McCain's running mate on the Republican presidential ticket. Palin said in December that her daughter and Johnston "are committed to accomplish what millions of other young parents have accomplished, to provide a loving and secure environment for their child."

The Star story says the couple broke up before an interview that aired on Fox News last month, when Bristol Palin said her fiance saw the baby every day and described him as a "hands-on" dad.

Stapleton said she has "no idea" when the couple parted ways.