Teen mom Bristol Palin will play herself on the ABC Family show "The Secret Life of the American Teenager," making her acting debut as a pal of the main character.
"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," Palin, 19, said in press release from the network.
Palin, daughter of former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin, makes friends with the show's protagonist, Amy, at a music program for teen mothers. The show focuses on how Amy's family and friends deal with her unexpected pregnancy, familiar territory for Palin, who came up pregnant just as her mom, the formmer governor of Alaska, was running on the GOP ticket with John McCain.
"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," "Secret Life" executive producer Brenda Hampton said in a statement.
Bristol Palin was in high school when she became pregnant. She was briefly engaged to the baby's father, Levi Johnston, but now they are locked in a legal battle over custody and child support for son Tripp.
Bristol recently appeared on "The Oprah Show" to defend her pledge to abstain from sex again until she gets married.
