Bristol Palin's Acting Debut

Bristol Palin will make her acting debut on ABC Family’s The Secret Life of the American Teenager, the network announced today.

The daughter of former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin said in a statement, “I am thrilled to be on this show and to be part of a program that educates teens and young adults about the consequences of teen pregnancy.”

Bristol Palin herself is a teen mother; she became pregnant with her son Tripp while still in high school. She was briefly engaged to the baby’s father, Levi Johnston, whom she has recently taken to court in order to obtain full custody of their son.

On Secret Life, Palin, 19, will play herself as a friend to the show’s protagonist, Amy, at a music program for teen mothers.

Executive producer Brenda Hampton said in a statement, “We’re thrilled to have [Bristol] join us, and I think she will bring additional attention to the issues facing teen parents that we’ve been exploring for a couple seasons now.”

The episode will air this summer when the series returns for its third season.