Bristol Palin revealed that she has reunited with her son Tripp following his move to Alaska to live with his dad.
The 35-year-old TV personality – who recently shared an update on her facial paralysis battle – jumped to her Instagram stories on Saturday to celebrate her eldest child’s 17th birthday.
Along with throwback photos of the teen over the years, she also uploaded a short clip to show that Tripp seemingly traveled down to Texas to ring in the milestone with his mother.
He held a smile on his face before blowing out candles that were placed on cupcakes topped with sugary frosting.
In text added over the reel, Palin typed out, ‘happiest 17th birthday to my @tripp.easton!!!’
The public speaker shares her son with ex Levi Johnston – whom she previously had an on-and-off engagement to until their final split in 2010.
Bristol Palin, 35, revealed that she has reunited with her son Tripp following his move to Alaska to live with his dad
The TV personality jumped to her Instagram stories on Saturday to celebrate her eldest child’s 17th birthday
Palin is also mother to daughters Sailor, 10, and Atlee, eight, whom she welcomed with ex-husband Dakota Meyer.
The special reunion comes a little over one year since she announced that Tripp had made the decision to move to Alaska to reside with his father and finish out his high school years there as well.
‘This has been the hardest ‘first day of school’ yet with one of the biggest pieces of my heart missing,’ she penned on Instagram in August 2024.
She then added that her son – who was 15 at the time – made the choice ‘to finish out high school in Alaska to be closer to his dad and our entire family.’
The mom-of-three admitted that it was difficult ‘to come to grips with his decision’ but voiced her support for the teen.
‘He’s almost 16 years old and that relationship with his dad is a lot more important than my own selfish desires of having him with his mama forever!’
She added, ‘I can’t talk about it yet without crying, but selfishly praying for a quick year and easy transition for us all.’
That same month, Palin offered insight into the way Tripp told her that he was moving to Alaska.
‘He just texted me and was like, “Hey Mom, I’m not coming back.” At first I’m like, “I’m coming up to Alaska. We’re not doing this.” I was so mad, so mad,’ she said on the Sex, Lies, And Spray Tans podcast with Cheryl Burke.
In text added over the reel, Palin typed out, ‘happiest 17th birthday to my @tripp.easton!!!’
The public speaker shares her son (seen in a throwback photo) with ex Levi Johnston – whom she previously had an on-and-off engagement to until their final split in 2010
The special reunion comes a little over one year since she announced that Tripp had made the decision to move to Alaska to reside with his father and finish out his high school years there as well
The star emotionally expressed how ‘gut wrenching’ it was to her as she opened up about the close bond she has with her son.
‘It’s been just Tripp and I, and then I had my girls, but it’s always been Tripp and I. It’s changed the dynamic of so much.’
Palin had been 18-years-old when she welcomed Tripp to the world.
Her pregnancy had been publicly announced at the 2008 Republican National Convention when her mother Sarah Palin was running as vice presidential nominee.
After her separation from Johnston, the pair entered a lengthy custody battle – which came to an end in 2016 with the pair gaining joint custody of Tripp.
The daughter of former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin later tied the knot with Dakota Meyer in 2016, but their divorce was finalized two years later.
Back in July of this year, Palin also revealed whether her son has plans to attend college after his high school graduation.
During an Instagram Q+A session at the time, a follower questioned whether the teen is interested in going to university to which she wrote in response, ‘I’d never push college.’
‘He just texted me and was like, “Hey Mom, I’m not coming back.” At first I’m like, “I’m coming up to Alaska. We’re not doing this.” I was so mad, so mad,’ she said on the Sex, Lies, And Spray Tans podcast with Cheryl Burke
The star emotionally expressed how ‘gut wrenching’ it was to her as she opened up about the close bond she has with her son; mother and son seen in an undated throwback photo
Last month in November, Palin spent the Thanksgiving holiday with her two daughters – where she also gave an update on her facial paralysis
She continued, ‘He wants to work – he already works actually. He’ll go into a trade and will have his hand in some sort of real estate/development I’m sure!’
Last month in November, Palin spent the Thanksgiving holiday with her two daughters – where she also gave an update on her facial paralysis.
The star first opened up about her battle earlier this year in January after being diagnosed with a form of Bell’s palsy.
In a video uploaded to her Instagram stories, both she and her daughter Sailor could be seen showing off their outfits for the holiday.
‘Black skinnies, black long sleeve, same denim shirt I wear all the time, vintage Louis Vuitton,’ the former Dancing With The Stars competitor said.
The mom-of-three then added, ‘And still a crooked face.’
Eight months after opening up about her condition, Palin shared a positive update in August by revealing that her face is ‘slowly getting better.’
