Yesterday we saw an interview with Levi Johnston, former potential son-in-law of former Alaska governor Sarah Palin, on The Early Show wherein he talked about all the potentially damaging secrets that he claims to know about Palin. In response, Palin issued a statement after Johnston‘s televised appearance denouncing his claims but before we get to that, let’s get to Part 2 of Johnston‘s interview on The Early Show. Here are a few caps from his second appearance on the show earlier today:

This part of the interview is all about Levi and his plans for the future … with the focus on his upcoming nude pictorial for Playgirl. Levi explains why he is dropping trou for the publication (and he will be showing it all … that means P33N people!) and explains that he is willing to do what it takes to care for his family since he has become the sole money maker for his family since his mother was incarcerated for selling prescription drugs. Hey, a guy’s gotta do what a guy’s gotta do. Johnston also reveals more dirt on Sarah Palin, including his claim that Palin tried to get Johnston and her daughter Bristol to hide their pregnancy so that she could adopt the baby herself. Yikes! After the jump, watch Part 2 of Johnston‘s interview on The Early Show and read what Sarah Palin has to say in response to his latest claims about her …

Levi Johnston, who gave a dishy interview to Vanity Fair magazine and will be appearing in the nude for Playgirl, made an appearance on The Early Show this morning to talk about all the things he could spill about his former almost-mother-in-law Sarah Palin (former Vice Presidential candidate and former Alaska governor) in a seemingly candid interview. Johnston reveals that he is hiding “huge things” about Sarah Palin that would really “hurt her” but out of love for his child (with Palin daughter Bristol) he has thus far refused to divulge. Here is a screencap from Levi‘s appearance on The Early Show today and some excerpts from PART 1 of his interview:

Levi Johnston says he’s keeping some “huge” things about Sarah Palin from the public. In Part One of a two-part exclusive interview with “Early Show” co-anchor Maggie Rodriguez, which aired Wednesday, the father of Palin’s grandson says, “There are some things that I have that are huge. And I haven’t said them because I’m not gonna hurt her that way. ” … I have things that can, you know — that would get her in trouble, and could hurt her. Will hurt her. But I’m not gonna go that far. You know, I mean, if I really wanted to hurt her, I could, very easily. But there’s — I’m not gonna do it. I’m not going that far.” Johnston says he’s referring to things Palin did while she was governor of Alaska. Asked whether those actions were illegal or immoral, he refused to elaborate. Johnston also told Rodriguez he’s been hearing a lot about his saying in a recent first-person tell-all in Vanity Fair magazine that Palin routinely referred to her baby, Trig, who suffers from Down syndrome, as “retarded.” “I was just in shock for the first time I heard it,” Johnston recalled for Rodriguez. “And then she’d say it regularly. And I think she was joking, but it doesn’t make it right.” Still, Johnston remarked to Rodriguez, “Those are just little … things I put in Vanity Fair. You know, all the big things I got, I’m keeping — you know, I’m keeping them in, and — you know, it’s just something that probably will never come out.” He added that he’s “sure Sarah’s got something … coming for me,” perhaps in her soon-to-be-released memoir, but, “I’m not worried about her saying anything about me. I’ve really never done anything bad. I don’t have anything to hide. So she can go on and say what she wants.” Johnston stood by his contention in Vanity Fair that Sarah and Todd Palin would not only regularly talk about divorce — they’d do it in front of their children, adding to Rodriguez, “I’m sure it really hurt their kids, you know. I didn’t like it. I wasn’t even their kid.” Spokespeople for the Palins deny the divorce assertion. Johnston told Rodriguez Palin’s daughter, Bristol Palin, the mother of his son, Tripp, did most of the mothering of Trig, because Sarah and Todd weren’t around much. Now an aspiring actor and model, Johnston is going for the ultimate exposure — in an upcoming issue of Playgirl magazine. He told Rodriguez the Playgirl spread will be done “tastefully,” saying, “I’m not gonna just go out there and get naked.” He expands on that in Part Two of the interview, which airs Thursday. The interview with Rodriguez is the latest in a he-said-she-said battle with the Palin family. Johnston burst onto the public stage at the Republican National Convention in August, the handsome boyfriend of vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin’s pregnant daughter. After the Republicans lost the election, Johnston and Bristol broke up. She had his baby in December. But he says the Palins shut him out of their lives. And that’s when the battle began, each side accusing the other of lying.

Now, because Johnston and Palin have been embroiled in a war of words you have to take what each side says with a huge grain of salt … that being said, if Palin really is guilty of “playfully” calling her child “my retarded baby” then I am truly disgusted. Considering that Johnston was pulled into the Palin household after he got Bristol pregs (in an effort to keep better media control of his person) it makes sense that he would be privy to some very embarrassing and damaging things about the family. Tho, the fact that he’s pimping his upcoming nude pictorial for Playgirl in the process does take a bit of weight away from his claims. After the jump, watch video of Part 1 of Levi‘s Early Show interview and judge for yourselves …

Last month we learned that Levi Johnston, babydaddy to Sarah Palin‘s grandchild, had signed a deal to pose NEKKID for Playgirl and it turns out that he has already begun work on bulking up his body in order to be in top shape before he strips down for the cameras. Earlier this week, Johnston‘s attorney leaked word to the media that Levi has been working out “6 days a week” to prepare for his nudie photoshoot … today, TMZ brings us photographic proof of Levi‘s work-out regimen:

We’re not sure if he’s gonna show his front or backside, but one thing’s certain: Levi Johnston wants to make sure both sides look good for his upcoming Playgirl spread just in case. Johnston’s handler tells us the 19-year-old father of one is preparing for the shoot by hittin’ the gym hard — at least six days a week for the last three weeks — with the help of a newly hired personal trainer. Levi agreed to pose for Playgirl last month for an undisclosed amount … but the real question is what he’s willing to bare. We’ll find out soon enough — the photo shoot happens sometime this month.

Yeah, it’s all nice and good that Levi is workin’ out his bod so that he can bare it for a few bucks … but can we talk about those chin pubes? The goatee needs to GO … nekkid or not, that shizz does not look good on him at all (and while he’s at it he should get rid of the cammo hunter’s cap, too!). It really looks like Johnston is taking the milking of his new found fame very seriously … as you may recall we got our first look at his first TV commercial earlier this week (for Wonderful Pistachios) and now we see him hard at work on his next money-making venture. At least he’s working! After the jump, check out a few more photos of Levi workin’ out for Playgirl …

Last month we learned that Levi Johnston, former Alaska governor Sarah Palin‘s nemesis, agreed to pose nekkid for Playgirl but as of yet, there’s been no word on what he’s gonna show in his pictorial (either the frontsies or the backsies) or when we can expect to see those photos. In the meantime, today we get our first look at Levi‘s first commercial job for Wonderful Pistachios. Levi is among the new spokespeople for the company’s new Get Crackin’ campaign … here are a few screencaps:

Hold on to your daughters, Palin “Baby-Daddy” Levi Johnson is making his television commercial debut today as part of Wonderful Pistachio’s “Get Crackin’” campaign. The Paramount Farms campaign is also a first for Levi’s co-stars, pistachios. “Get Crackin,’” the first-ever TV campaign for pistachios, features eight celebrities demonstrating how they crack open a pistachio, each in their own humorous, unique way. The commercials also include Olympic swimmer and record-setting medalist Dara Torres; Brady Bunch alum Christopher Knight and America’s Next Top Model wife Adrianne Curry; Jackass prankster Wee-Man; The Sopranos gangster Vincent Pastore; Miss South Carolina beauty pageant contestant and YouTube sensation Lauren Caitlin Upton; the Denny quintuplets; and a real-life dominatrix. The campaign also supports a YouTube video contest challenging aspiring film makers to create a video showing how they “Get Crackin.’” The winner’s ad will air on national TV and also earn them $25K – a pretty wonderful deal.

Lord … well, at least I suppose the kid should be commended for making money while keeping his clothes on. Oh believe me, I want to see the nudie pics as much as the next person but it’s nice to see that he has other talents at making money that don’t require him to take off his clothes. Good for him! After the jump, check out the commercial in full …

Earlier this month we learned that Levi Johnston, babydaddy to Bristol Palin‘s child and all around thorn in former Alaska governor Sarah Palin‘s side, was in talks to pose nekkid for either Playgirl (a nudie publication of men primarily for women) or Unzipped (a nudie publication of men primarily for gay men) and today we learn that Levi decided to go with Playgirl … the only problem is that he has yet to decide if she’s going to show full frontal or puss out and just show his bare ass:

Bristol Palin’s baby daddy Levi Johnston says he’s going to drop his pants for Playgirl — the only problem, he can’t decide which side to show off. We spoke to Levi’s handler — who is not Bristol — who told us he’s either gonna show “the front or the back” when he poses for the magazine sometime this month. We’re told Levi has been hitting the gym preparing for the shoot and has even hired a personal trainer to shape up … because spending that money on baby food and diapers would be too obvious.

I would presume that he will be posing without his child but I wouldn’t be surprised if he used hunting props, etc. for his photospread. My guess is that Levi will try to get away with showing off as little as possible (ie. just his ass) but if Playgirl throws enough money and insistence his way, we might be seeing what the fuss is about up front. I’m of the mind that if you’re gonna pose nekkid, pose nekkid. Pulling a Heidi Montag (ie. a barely PG-13 spread in Playboy magazine) would be incredibly lame … and isn’t he already lame enough? Johnston has few opportunities to make a real splash in the public eye … and wouldn’t nekkid photos of her almost-son-in-law’s wang practically kill Sarah Palin? Do it for your country, Levi! Show us the p33n!!

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After causing a sensation on the red carpet at the 2009 Teen Choice Awards Sunday evening on the arm of comedienne Kathy Griffin and then causing a stir as the pair walked out of a dinner date hand in hand afterward, we learn that Levi Johnston gave a short interview to RadarOnline to discuss his opinions on why former Governor Sarah Palin quit her job as the Alaska Executive. Earlier this month, AlaskaReport blogged that the Palins are planning to split due for various reasons, not the least of which was marital infidelity on both sides … while Johnston doesn’t make that claim in this new interview, he does insists that marital problems were part of the reason for Sarah Palin‘s decision to quit her job as governor — and money was the other reason:

Sarah Palin’s marriage has been in trouble from the beginning, says Levi Johnston, the father of their grandson Tripp and ex-fiance of daughter Bristol. What’s more Levi told RadarOnline.com in an exclusive video interview that he believes marital problems were behind Palin’s decision to resign as governor of Alaska. When we asked if the couple had marital problems, Levi responded: “Oh yeah. There have been from day one.” RadarOnline.com then asked if Levi thought marital problems were the reason she stepped down from political office. Levi answered, “Oh yeah I do.” He didn’t stop there. He also told RadarOnline.com that he thinks Palin will be chasing an even bigger paycheck now that she’s out of public office and on the speaker circuit. “She took the money,” he said. “That’s what she’s talked about, that’s what I’m gathering and I think that’s what she’s doing.” He did add that he did not believe cheating was a factor in Sarah and Todd’s marriage.

While I contend that a 19 year old kid isn’t really the best source for this kind of information, it should be noted that Levi Johnston lived in the Palin home for many months last year and was privy to personal interactions that no one outside the family was privy to. Does the kid look like a famewhore? Yes. Does that mean that he doesn’t know what he’s talking about? No. My personal belief is that he is using true facts that he knows first hand in the hopes that he can parlay that information into a name for himself … Ricky Hollywood, I believe is what he’s going for. I’ve always been of the mind that Where there’s smoke, There’s fire. I don’t expect this is the last we’ve heard from Ricky, er, Levi Johnston … not by a longshot.

[Photo credit: Wireimage; Source]

Here’s the real WTF?! of the day … fiery comedienne Kathy Griffin was spotted on the arm of a hot young buck here in LA over the weekend as the pair walked out together from dining together at Katsuya — after they attended the 2009 Teen Choice Awards together. It turns out that the “hot young buck” in question was none other than Levi Johnston — who wants to be known by the new name Ricky Hollywood and is babydaddy to Bristol Palin‘s baby! Here are the photos:

When last we heard from Mr. Johnston Ricky Hollywood, he was dishing to the press about things he overheard from former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin while he was living with the Palins during “happier” times when he and Bristol were still together, raising their child. Now he’s playing toyboy to Kathy Griffin? I suspect that this hook-up is nothing more than a ploy by Griffin to whip up some publicity … after all, she previously stepped out with former photog/Britney Spears boyfriend Adnan Ghalib after Britney cast him aside as well as with Paris Hilton for a shopping trip on Robertson Blvd. We’ll prolly be hearing about/seeing this date on her Bravo reality TV show My Life on the D-List (cuz you don’t get more D-List than Levi Johnston). Truth be told … these two make a cute couple … perhaps this really wasn’t a publicity ploy and the couple are really involved. It would be a boon for both their careers … don’tcha think?

[Photo credit: Splash News]

Levi Johnston, the 19-year old dude who knocked up Bristol Palin and now wants to make a career for himself in Tinsel Town by changing his name to Johnny Hollywood, claims to know the real reason why Alaska Governor Sarah Palin decided to quit her job. As you may recall, Palin called a press conference late Friday afternoon (on the day before 4th of July weekend) to announce, without adequate explanation, that she would be quitting as governor of Alaska. According to Johnston, who lived with the Palin family last Winter and was privy to personal family conversations, the Palins need money and, apparently, her paycheck as governor isn’t enough anymore:

The former fiance of Gov. Sarah Palin’s 18-year-old daughter says he thinks he knows why the Alaska governor is resigning – concerns over money. Levi Johnston, 19, whose wedding to Bristol Palin was called off earlier this year, says he believes the governor is resigning over personal finances. Johnston says he lived with the Palin family from early December to the second week in January. He claims he heard the governor several times say how nice it would be to take advantage of the lucrative deals that were being offered, including a reality show and a book. “I think the big deal was the book. That was millions of dollars,” said Johnston, who has had a strained relationship with the family but now says things have improved. Palin has a book deal, but compensation details haven’t been disclosed. The governor has said she is facing more than $500,000 in legal fees. “It is interesting to learn Levi is working on a piece of fiction while honing his acting skills,” Palin family spokeswoman Meghan Stapleton said in an e-mail to The Associated Press. Johnston made his comments at a news conference Thursday at the office of his attorney, Rex Butler. Johnston came forward, Butler said, because Alaskans want to know why Palin has decided to resign. She made the announcement last Friday. Johnston also is pursuing his own book deal. He is working as a carpenter while also pursuing a movie deal.

Now, not that Levi Johnston is a bastion of truthful knowledge but his assertion that the Palins are after the big bucks does make sense. He lived with the family for quite some time while Bristol was pregs, so I absolutely believe that he was privy to this sort of family information. I think it makes sense that Sarah Palin would quit her responsibilities to the people of Alaska in order to ghost write a book that would make her millions. Depending on your feelings on Sarah Palin, you may or may not believe this assertion by Levi … to me, it makes sense and is very plausible. What do y’all think?

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Um … HAHAHAHAHAHA … OK … let me try and compose myself for a moment here … ahem … So, it turns out that Levi Johnston, the guy famous for pissing off Alaska Governor Sarah Palin after he knocked up her 17 year old daughter Bristol Palin right around the time that Palin was running for Vice President of the United States last year, is trying to make a name for himself in Hollywood as an aspiring “model and actor”. Except, the name that Levi is trying to make famous is not his own … on the advice of a man named Tank Jones (an Anchorage private investigator and press rep) Levi will now be known as Ricky Hollywood. BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. Sorry, I’m having a difficult time restraining myself from the ridiculous hilarity of this “news”. Levi, er I mean, Ricky Hollywood‘s arrival in Hollywood was photographed by The Daily Beast and People magazine has all the deets on his quest for fame:

Levi Johnston is now officially an aspiring actor and model. And according to his new manager Tank Jones, he is getting closer to a clinching a deal that will help him support the baby son he fathered with his former girlfriend, Bristol Palin. “There’s offers on the table for a little bit of everything – sitcom appearances, a reality show, some modeling,” Jones tells PEOPLE. “We haven’t signed anything, but there’s offers.” Jones declined to give specific details. Johnston’s interest in a show business represents one of the few viable careers open to him, Jones adds. A high-school dropout passionate about hunting and hockey, Johnston, 19, “is going to go and take the test and finish school and enroll in some college courses,” his manager says. “[But] it’s not like he can go and get a normal job now. Because of all the publicity. The whole interviewing thing, and red carpet and paparazzi – he still hasn’t gotten comfortable with it, but what else does he have? Can he go work at McDonald’s? … He wants to take care of his son financially.” Jones, an Anchorage private investigator and press rep, is counseling his oft-rumpled young charge to think about a more glamorous look and has urged him to assume a playful new identity – a.k.a “Ricky Hollywood” – when it comes to style and attitude. “We came up with an alter ego,” explains Jones. “As in, ‘Ricky Hollywood would iron his shirt.’ ” Last week, Jones accompanied Johnston – who has appeared on the Larry King and Tyra Banks shows and in GQ – on a trip to Los Angeles, where he was a special guest at the launch party of actress Jennifer Murphy’s GoGirlWorldwide.com, which describes its mission as the empowerment of women. “I thought this was a great opportunity for him to show that he supports women and the empowerment of women,” Murphy says. “I could tell he was a little overwhelmed. He made a comment about how there were beautiful girls everywhere he looked and said, ‘It isn’t like this in Alaska!’” It was at Murphy’s party that Johnston and Jones hit it off with Renata Espinosa, a columnist for The Daily Beast Web site who invited them on a June 12 shopping excursion through downtown L.A.’s wholesale fashion district. Trying on yellow sequined jackets and pink fedoras, Johnston told Espinosa, “My boys are gonna be so mad at me when they see me in this stuff. My dad is going to make fun of me.” Espinosa, a fashion writer, tells PEOPLE, “Obviously he’s a kid who just wants to wear flannel and Carrhart work shirts. He was just a very casual, shy kid who’s saying to himself, I’m getting this attention, so how do I use it to help support my family?” Jones tells PEOPLE that Johnston and his former fiancée, Bristol Palin, 18, have put their formerly bitter child support and visitation disputes behind them and are harmoniously working together to parent their 6-month-old son, Tripp. “All that stuff has been worked out,” says Jones. “Levi goes and picks Tripp up and takes him places. All of that.” As for his relationship with Bristol, “They talk about the kid. As parents. There’s no ‘relationship’ relationship.” Johnston told The Daily Beast that Bristol’s feelings – and those of her younger sister, Willow, 14 – were his biggest concern in the recent dust up between Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin and David Letterman over his off-color jokes about the Palin family. “I don’t think he was trying to be malicious. I just think the joke maybe went too far,” Johnston said. But, he added, “I don’t like to see anybody hurt, especially if it got to the girls and their feelings were hurt.”

This is just … ridic. While I was marginally charmed by Johnston‘s appearance in GQ magazine last month, I’m wholly grossed out by this ploy to make Ricky Hollywood a star. It sounds like the plot of a bad TV movie. That being said, if we’ve learned anything about the new crop of celebs that exist these days it’s that anyone can be a “star” if they put themselves out there enough. If Ricky Hollywood really wants to make a name for himself, he should dump this Tank Jones guy and hire someone like … Spencer Pratt. If anyone can make this kid a “celeb”, it would be someone like Pratt. UGH … the mere thought of that just sickens me, tho. Levi should just go back home to Alaska, finish his education, get a job and take care of his son that way. If any of y’all are interested, you can read about Levi’s adventures with The Daily Beast HERE.

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Levi Johnston, the Alaskan teen who got semi-famous last Summer after he got the teenage/unwed daughter of Alaska governor Sarah Palin pregs while Palin was running for Vice President of the United States of America, is featured in the pages of the new issue of GQ magazine. Shirtless and in daddy-mode, Johnston poses in his first photoshoot for a major publication and talks to the mag about his life with the Palins and his subsequent expulsion from their presence. Here is a beefcakey photo of Levi changing his son Tripp in all his shirtless glory (er, both of them):

I took the liberty of covering up baby Tripp‘s genitals mainly cuz the kid’s gonna have enough embarrassing drama in his life already … why add fuel to the little guy’s fire? To be quite honest, I didn’t read his entire GQ article … cuz it goes on for 17 pages! I did skim it tho and there is a lot of information. The mag tried to put a Biblical spin on the tale (using Biblical language, most likely cuz the guy’s name is Levi) and goes into great length about Johnston‘s life … and bear hunting skills. To be honest, it reads as if GQ knows that no other publication will ever tell his tale … ever … so they are trying to cover as much ground as possible. It should come as no surprise that it wasn’t the interview/article that drew my attention … but why Levi decided to post shirtless with his child in a men’s magazine, I’ll never know. Not that I mind. After the jump, check out a few more pics from Levi‘s GQ photoshoot — yes, he’s a lotta bit Country and seems happy to show it off …