Bristol Palin is growing up. The 21-year-old mother of one and former contestant on Dancing With the Stars now has her own reality show in the works, and a new boyfriend, to boot. The Lifetime network will film Bristol and boyfriend Gino Paoletti as they struggle with the daily ins and outs of living together in the home she bought last year. We all know that Bristol's made some questionable decisions when it comes to matters of the heart (Levi Johnston, anyone?) but it sounds like this "trial marriage," as some people are calling it, isn't such a bad idea after all.
Don't get me wrong, going on a reality show and putting your life, baby, and relationship out there for everyone to see is a TERRIBLE idea, but that aside, I think she's smart not to rush down the aisle with Gino.
Her first engagement went up in major flames, so Bristol's probably learned that waiting is better than hurrying. Well, I mean, she didn't learn the lesson entirely since she and her boyfriend are moving in together, but baby steps. She got one thing down -- a ring on your left hand is not only not a solution, it can cause a whole lot of other problems, as well.
It's up for debate whether or not living together before getting married is good for a relationship -- there have been studies that say that cohabitating before saying "I do" is pretty much a relationship death wish -- but couples have to decide for themselves what they are and aren't ready for. Making a commitment to live together is certainly a big step, but it's not the biggest one. There's some real leeway when all you're sharing is a bed, and not a tax return.
We'll see, on TV, how this sitch works out for Bristol and her boyfriend. At least she can take comfort in the fact that it can't be any worse than her relationship with Levi, who, by the way, is expecting another child with another lady friend.
Do you think it's a good idea to live together before getting married?
Photo via timparkinson/Flickr
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Comments 12
it worked for me and my husband... we lived together for almost a year before getting married, and we've been married 11 years. On the otherside of that, we met when we were 14, and while we did date on and off, we always maintained a deep friendship, so my perception may be a little off.
...Doesn't living together before marriage increase the risk of divorce?
Like mother, like daughter. Bristol is selling herself in any form or fashion just like Sarah, to make that money. Talk about some successful capitalists- all body and no brains. See what they’re willing to do for the cash at http://dregstudiosart.blogspot.com/2011/06/ecstasy-of-sarah-palin_15.html
Yeah. Real smart to take $$$ doing abstinence speeches while Gino has been porking her all along. Smart like Mommy that is. This boy knows which side his bread is buttered on apparently. Stick with Bristol Hollywood and you just might get on tee veee...that's the ticket!
I thought Bristol already did the "trial marriage" thing with post-Levi boyfriend Ben Barber right after she bought that Anchorage Alaska condo, which was 6 months after her profitable Candies abstinence gig in mid-2009 and selling several stories to People Magazine.
Then after she dumped Ben Barber, she went on another Candies abstinence tour, and signed on to live the Hollywood lifestyle with Dancing With The Stars. Gino Paoletti followed her down to LA when she did the DWTS appearances, and stayed with her in the Maricopa Arizona house she bought with her DWTS money.
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2010/07/15/bristol-palins-ex-boyfriend-ben-barber-slams-levi-johnston.html
http://www.realitytea.com/2010/12/27/bristol-palin-purchases-new-home-in-arizona-see-photos/
http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/stars/bristol-palin/page-4.html
So Gino Paoletti has shared living quarters with Bristol since November 2010, and overall, all three of the young men have shared living quarters with Bristol since just before Christmas 2009. Isn't that THREE "trial marriages"?
It's no wonder Levi Johnston was in a state of constant confusion between his abduction from the hunting trip he was on in August 2008, and finally being kicked to the curb AGAIN after Bristol's orchestrated re-union fake engagement in mid-2010.