Sarah Palin is ready to move on with her life.
After three decades of marriage, the former Alaska governor divorced Todd in 2020 and is now dating retired New York Rangers player Ron Duguay.
In a new interview with The New York Post, Palin, 58, describes her divorce as “earth-shattering.”
“It was the most earth-shattering, bizarre thing I could have ever imagined, and it kind of remains so,” she told the Post.
Palin revealed in a 2019 interview that she found out her husband was filing for divorce through an email from his attorney. They have five children together. However, the former couple appears to have moved on, with Palin telling the Post Todd now “spends his time with his girlfriend, whom he’s had for some time now.”
However, Palin appears to be moving on, as she is now focusing on her new romance with Duguay, 64, who was formerly married to supermodel Kim Alexis.
Palin told the source that the friendship blossomed after an old friend, Duguay, sought guidance about her defamation battle against The New York Times.
While the lawsuit was eventually dropped, her relationship with Duguay — which she describes as “safe and comfortable” — has evolved. During the trial, Duguay served as her tour guide in New York.
“In my spare time, he would walk all over New York and show me what he and the Rangers used to do, or at least where they used to do it.”
Palin also told the Post, “Ron is the first person I’ve ever even talked to about a lot of this personal stuff.” So it’s been useful and invigorating to have Ron to talk to about things other than politics since he’s got more common sense in his little finger than the collective in DC.”
Duguay has also been a vocal supporter of Palin’s congressional campaign. The former Alaska governor announced earlier this month that she is running for Congress, hoping to fill the seat held for decades by Rep. Don Young, who died in March.
“Today, I’m announcing my candidacy for the U.S. House seat representing Alaska,” Palin said in a statement, having already received the endorsement of former President Donald Trump.
“Public service is a calling, and I would be honored to represent Alaskans in Congress, as Rep. Young did for 49 years. I recognize that I am stepping into extremely large shoes, but I intend to honor Rep. Young’s legacy by sacrificing myself in the name of service to the state he loved and fought for because I share his passion for Alaska and the United States of America.”
Sarah Palin Opens Up About New Love and Pain of Divorce: ‘Earth-Shattering’
The former Alaska Gov. divorced her husband Todd in 2020, after three decades of marriage
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Sarah Palin is getting personal about her divorce from ex Todd in 2020 after three decades of marriage — and her newfound relationship with retired New York Rangers player, Ron Duguay.
In a new interview with The New York Post, 58-year-old Palin described the divorce as “earth-shattering.”
“It was the most earth-shattering, bizarre thing I could have ever imagined and it kind of remains so,” she told the Post.
Palin said in a 2019 interview that she had learned her husband was seeking a divorce via an email from his attorney. The two share five children.
The former couple has seemingly moved on, however, with Palin telling the Post Todd now “spends his time with his girlfriend whom he’s had for some time now.”
The former Republican vice presidential nominee, meanwhile, has her own new relationship with 64-year-old Duguay, who was previously married to supermodel Kim Alexis.
Palin told the Post that that the relationship was sparked when she called Duguay, an old friend, to seek advice about her defamation trial against The New York Times. (She sued the paper for libl, over a past editorial that falsely linked her political group’s statements to a mass shooting.)
While the suit was ultimately dismissed (a federal judge said Palin failed to prove the Times acted with “actual malice”), her relationship with Duguay — which she described to the Post as “safe and comfortable” — blossomed.
Amid the trial, Duguay acted as something of a New York guide, she added. “On my free time, he would walk all over New York and he would show me what he and the Rangers did back in the day, or at least where they did it.”
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Elsewhere in the interview, Palin told the Post: “Ron is the first person that I’ve ever even talked to about a lot of this personal stuff. So it’s been helpful and refreshing to have Ron to talk to about not just politics, because he’s got more common sense in his little finger than the collective in DC, but just about life.”
Duguay has also been along for the ride for Palin’s latest venture: a run for Congress.
Earlier this month, the ex-Alaska governor announced that she is running for Congress, joining the pool of dozens of candidates hoping to fill the seat held for decades by Rep. Don Young, who died in March.
“Today I’m announcing my candidacy for the U.S. House seat representing Alaska,” Palin, who has already earned an early boost in in a very crowded field from former President Donald Trump, said in a statement. “Public service is a calling, and I would be honored to represent the men and women of Alaska in Congress, just as Rep. Young did for 49 years. I realize that I have very big shoes to fill, and I plan to honor Rep. Young’s legacy by offering myself up in the name of service to the state he loved and fought for, because I share that passion for Alaska and the United States of America.”
A special primary election for her state’s only seat in the House of Representatives is scheduled for June 11, followed by a general election on Aug. 16.
Speaking to the Post, Palin said Duguay — who she called “really handsome” — was with her in Alaska while she worked on the campaign: “He came to help me get my yard and property in order because he knows how busy I am with bustling down the campaign.”
This is Palin’s first bid for office since she left politics in 2009 when she resigned as governor of Alaska; she was previously the mayor of Wasilla. She publicly weighed a run for president in 2012 but decided against it.
What is Sarah Palin up to now? The controversial ex-Alaska governor has since backed Donald Trump, run for congress and appeared on The Masked Singer, maintaining her millions with Cameo earnings
Sarah Palin was once one of the world’s most polarising political figures. Now, almost two decades after the former beauty queen became Alaska’s first female governor, Palin still attracts a strong crowd.
The Donald Trump supporter makes money from sharing her political views via personalised recordings, and attends rallies to promote conservative Republican views. She’s also dabbled in reality television in between.
Here is how she remains relevant, years later.
The “Take Our Border Back” rally
The war between Texas governor Greg Abbott and US President Joe Biden over control of the border – an extension of the fight over immigration rights – continues to rage.
In February this year, Palin, 59, told crowds gathered at the “Take Our Border Back” rally in Dripping Springs, Texas that they would “take our country” back after the state’s National Guard took control of the border from federal agents. Per the New York Post, Palin said the federal government had allowed the “invasion”.
Despite stepping down as governor of Alaska in 2009, Palin still demands a loyal following, and her appearance at the rally resulted in increased media coverage over the border control fight.
Her “earth-shattering” divorce
Sarah and her husband of more than 30 years, Todd Palin, split in 2020. Per People magazine, she said the divorce was “earth-shattering”, explaining that she found out about it through an email from her then-partner’s lawyer. The couple met in high school and eloped in 1988. They have five children together.
Sarah Palin is a Donald Trump supporter
Palin has been outspoken about her loyalty to Trump, claiming that the former US president is being attacked for no reason. According to the Daily Beast, while responding to Trump’s arrest in Georgia in 2023 over charges that he and 18 others took part in an illegal scheme to overturn the results of the 2020 elections, Palin said, “Those who are conducting this travesty and creating this two-tier system of justice, I want to ask them: what the heck?”
The former Alaska governor then added, “Do you want us to be in civil war? Because that’s what’s going to happen.”
She appeared on The Masked Singer
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In 2020, Palin shocked TV viewers when she was revealed to be Bear on The Masked Singer. Per Entertainment Weekly, Palin said she decided to take up the gig as a message to “haters” that she could do “whatever I want”.
The politician, who also dabbled in reality TV with her show Sarah Palin’s Alaska, has never been afraid to face the cameras in unconventional ways. In 2008, she appeared on SNL as herself. Comedian Tina Fey’s skits of Palin on SNL – which continued till at least 2016 – became instant hits, contributing to Fey’s success on the show.
Her slow political moves
After stepping down as governor of Alaska in 2009, Palin announced that she was running for congress in 2022, to fulfil Alaska’s US House seat after the death of Don Young. She lost to Democrat Mary Peltola. She ran for the position a second time in November – but was again defeated by Peltola.
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In an interview on Newsmax’s The Balance, Palin described the ideal qualities of a vice-president: “Trump needs to choose somebody who, like him, has nothing to lose. What more can they do to that person personally or verbal attacks or anything else on family?” When asked if she was describing herself, she glibly responded, “Not necessarily.”
How does Sarah Palin make her millions outside of politics?
Palin has an estimated net worth of US$8 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth. But how does she continue to fund her life without a fully paid job in politics? Business Insider reported that, in 2021 alone, she made around US$211,500 from Cameo, a platform where personalised videos can be bought. She also made money from speaking fees and a bus tour via her marketing company, Pie Spy LLC.
Her daughter, Bristol Palin, stepped into the spotlight through her mum too. As Sarah was announced as the Republican vice-presidential nominee in 2008, she confirmed her then-17-year-old daughter was five months pregnant.
Bristol has since had two more children and has found minor fame, appearing on Dancing with the Stars in 2010, her own reality show Bristol Palin: Life’s a Tripp in 2012, and Teen Mom OG in 2018.
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