Bristol Palin confirmed Thursday that she and ex-fiancé Levi Johnston now have joint custody of their 7-year-old son, Tripp.
"These babies are my world and I will always be doing what is best for them,"
Palin wrote alongside an Instagram picture of Tripp and her baby daughter, Sailor Grace, object of a different custody dispute with Medal of Honor winner Dakota Meyer.
"Every child deserves two loving parents, so I will continue to encourage that no matter what. I have never, and will never, keep them from having a positive relationship with their fathers. I did not "lose" any custody case — my son has always spent most of his time with me and he will continue to do so, he is happy, healthy, and knows both of his parents love him."
She concluded the post by citing "Matthew 5:11," which corresponds to the Bible passage, "Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake."
Palin's post seemed to clear up rumors that had sprung up in the wake of one of Johnston's Facebook post from earlier in the week.
"I’m so happy to have my son in my life, and to put all of this back in forth in the courts behind me," Johnston wrote on Tuesday,
according to Page Six. "It might have taken me 7 years and cost me around $100,000 in lawyer fees, spread out among 3 different lawyers, as well as a lot of patience, but it was all worth it."
"Although I do owe some back child support, altogether I have paid $50,000 in child support for Tripp, which is $600 a month, since Tripp’s birth so at the end of the day I know I have worked hard to meet my obligations as a father," he added.
Johnston's post led some to speculate about the nature of Tripp's custody arrangement moving forward.
Seeming to respond to Johnston's post, Palin initially posted two quotes to her own Instagram account: "The best security blanket a child can have is parents who respect each other," and, "Always be careful about what you hear about a woman. Rumors either come from a man that can't have her or a woman who can't compete with her."
In the end, Palin's lawyer, John J. Tiemessen, said everybody won with the new court outcome.
"Bristol and Levi's relationship has evolved and matured over the past eight years,"
he told People magazine.
"Although there were periods of time with sporadic contact while Levi matured, for several years, Bristol and Levi have shared legal custody; Bristol has primary custody with Levi enjoying liberal visitation rights."
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