BRISTOL PALIN TO APPEAR IN ABC FAMILY'S "THE SECRET LIFE OF THE AMERICAN TEENAGER"

Palin to Appear in ABC Family Hit Show That Deals With Serious Issues Including Teen Pregnancy

Burbank, CA (February 23, 2010) � Bristol Palin, eldest daughter of former Alaskan Governor and Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin, will make her acting debut on ABC Family's hit original drama series, "The Secret Life of the American Teenager." The episode will shoot in Los Angeles and air this summer when the series returns for its third season on ABC Family.

Said Executive Producer Brenda Hampton: "Bristol Palin is the most famous teenage mother in America. We're thrilled to have her join us, and I think she will bring additional attention to the issues facing teen parents that we've been exploring for a couple of seasons now."

"I am thrilled to be on this show and to be a part of a program that educates teens and young adults about the consequences of teen pregnancy," said Palin from her home in Anchorage, Alaska. Palin will be playing herself, as one of Amy's (Shailene Woodley) friends at a music program for teen mothers. "The Secret Life of the American Teenager" debuted to record ratings for ABC Family in June 2008 and continues to draw the biggest audience in the history of the network. "The Secret Life of the American Teenager" currently airs on Monday nights at 8:00PM ET/PT.

The heartfelt drama focuses on the relationships between families and friends and how they deal with teenage issues, including an unexpected pregnancy. Created and executive-produced by Brenda Hampton, the series stars Shailene Woodley, Molly Ringwald, Mark Derwin, India Eisley, Ken Baumann, Daren Kagasoff, Francia Raisa, Megan Park and Greg Finley.

The series has been hailed by critics for tackling sensitive topics with a sense of empathy, realism and consequences, including the Los Angeles Times, which proclaimed, "Teen dramas such as �Secret Life' that explore the weighty subject of pregnancy dramatize these statistics in a way that demonstrates that even the seemingly least likely person is at risk � even the Amy Juergenses of the world."

ABC Family has collaborated with The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy (http://www.TheNationalCampaign.org) on the development of an on-air PSA, as well as online content which offers teens and parents various ways to explore, discuss and learn about show-related themes.

Part of the Disney-ABC Television Group, ABC Family is distributed in over 98 million homes. ABC Family features programming reflecting today's families, entertaining and connecting with adults through relatable programming about today's relationships � told with a mix of diversity, dysfunction, passion, humor and heart. ABC Family's programming is a combination of network defining original series and original movies, quality acquired series and blockbuster theatricals. ABC Family is also the destination for annual Holiday events with "13 Nights of Halloween" and "25 Days of Christmas!" ABC Family. A New Kind of Family.