The Johnston's said they wanted to speak publicly because they are sick of the Palin family and the media tarnishing their name. They chose this particular forum — the Tyra show — to let everyone know that they are not "white trash." However, mom Sherry's weird non-answer when asked about her drug charges, and sister Mercede's (yep, it's "Mercede," singular) feud with Bristol over the fact that Mercede is friends with a bunch of other girls that Levi did not practice abstinence with, may make their case a bit flimsy. Actually, their problems — drugs, harassing texts, teen sex, "not bein' able to see my granbaby" — sounded similar to those of litigants on Judge Judy, most of whom, I'm quite sure, would certainly be classified by some as "white trash".

Whatever the case, Bristol released a statement via Sarah Palin's political team:

Which made absolutely no sense, seeing as how Tyra pointed out that no one gets paid to go on the Tyra show.

Apparently there's tons of acrimony between the Palins and the Johnstons, most of which seems to stem from Mercede, who is all up in the mix. (Why does she have such close relationships with all the people her brother frigs anyway?)

The Johnstons only get to see baby Tripp about once a month, and he is not allowed to leave the Palin house with them. There also seems to be some tension regarding taking pictures with Tripp, because the Palins fear that the Johnstons will sell them to tabloids.

Levi didn't do much talking during the whole interview, except to say that he thinks that Sarah Palin was aware that he and Bristol were doing it, and that she didn't say anything to them about abstinence.

The thing is, the Johnstons were supposed to be breaking their silence, but even though they were talking, they didn't really say all that much. And what they did say was kind of confusing. Case in point: Sherry's difficulty in expressing what's going on inside her head:

Sherry's run-in with the law began a few weeks after Sarah Palin — and by association, Sherry's son Levi — hit the national stage. She used the word "coffee" as code for Oxy, and according to the AP:

[In September authorities] intercepted a package containing 179 Oxycontin pills. That led to the arrest of the suspects, who agreed to be informants. According to the affidavit, Johnson sent a text message to one informant on October 1, writing: "Hey, my phones are tapped and reporters and god knows who else is always following me and the family so no privacy. I will let u no when I can go for cof." Ten days after Johnston said there wasn't enough privacy for a drug sale, she texted again to set up a meeting at a store, according to the affidavit. The document says the informant received $800 to make a purchase, meeting investigators later with 10 pills of 80-milligram Oxycontin. A second purchase was made the following day, authorities said. This time the informant wore a hidden camera and a microphone. A third purchase occurred Nov. 26. The informant was wired for the transaction and this time police videotaped the meeting.

Sherry is currently out on bail. Bristol's child was due December 20th, and the press-loving Sarah Palin has been uncharacteristically quiet in the past week or so. It will be interesting to see how the saga of Sarah plays out in the coming months.

Arrest Details On Mom Of Bristol Palin Boyfriend [AP via MSNBC]

Earlier: Wasilla's Finest

• "It's not like she's asking him for details, but she's thrilled at the prospect of him moving on. It makes things easier for everybody," says a source. Meanwhile, Madge is trying to keep a "low profile" on her "friendship" with A-Rod. [MSNBC]
• Don't count on Reese Witherspoon tying the knot with Jakey G. any time soon (you were waiting for this with bated breath, we assume): Reese says she's not sure she'll ever get married again. "I don't know [if I'll get married again]. I don't think about it much. At the moment, I am not far enough out of being married to think about doing it again," she says. [ Daily Mail]
• Rumors are rampant that Russell Crowe is clashing with director Ridley Scott on the set of the film Nottingham. A source tells Page Six, "Ridley is the only one who is willing to stand up to Russell and tell him he's too fat and that he can't show up four hours late to the set…[Russell] wants someone he can control." Russell plays the Sheriff of Nottingham in this new version of the Robin Hood tale. [Page Six]
• Though initial speculation was that Levi Johnston's mother, Sherry, was involved in selling meth, she was actually apprehended for selling oxycontin, otherwise known as "hillbilly heroin." She's currently out on bail. [McClatchy]
• Eric Dane is still not over the fact that ex-ladyfriend Lara Flynn Boyle was dating Jack Nicholson while she dated Dane in the 90s. "My take on the whole thing was, I'm 30. He's 70. This is not going to go down like this. I couldn't comprehend a 35-year-old woman gravitating toward a 70-year-old man . . . I walked away," Dane says. [Page Six]
• Sam Ronson's Lilo love has been quite lucrative: since the pair got together, SamRon's DJ fee has gone from $1,500 to as much as $25,000 per event. “While Sam never contractually agrees that Lindsay will show up to her shows, promoters, owners and publicists all know that if you book Sam, there’s a high likelihood Lindsay will also show,” an "insider" tells the Daily News. However, the couple apparently bickers constantly. [NYDN]
• Sad news for Led Zep lovers! Robert Plant has said that he does not want to do a reunion tour. "I still see Jimmy [Page] quite a lot and he's very complimentary and supportive of what I'm doing," Plant says. "But we are in different places now and you have to go on to do different things." Then he added, "Do you know how long it took me to climb up onto the stage here - and it's only four steps!" Aw. We've got a whole lotta love for Robert. [Telegraph]
• Tom Hanks is literally the nicest guy in Hollywood: to help raise money for a failing independent book seller called Village Books in Pacific Pallisades, Hanks "sat at at a small table in the back signing everything put in front of him…He stayed a half-hour beyond his scheduled two-hour appearance." The store is now catching up on back rent thanks to Hanks' generosity. Love!!! [Page Six]
• All the British tabs have photos of a no longer skeletal Amy Winehouse frolicking on the beach in St. Lucia. Some are speculating that she is really getting off drugs this time: fingers crossed. [The Sun — Link NSFW]
• "She's keeping it fresh for her customers. I wanted to do nipple rings, and (Aronofsky) said, 'I love it.' And I knew we were on the same page. They pinched them on and used eyelash glue. My breasts got a lot of attention that day." — Marisa Tomei on her role as a stripper in The Wrestler. [ USA Today]
• Paris Hilton's mom, Cathy, had this to say about the recent burglary of $2 million worth of jewelery from Paris's Hollywood Hills home: "I'm just happy that she's okay. But you can't be possessed by your possessions. Those are just things. And I'm happy that she's okay." [E! Online via Yahoo News]
• Unlike her mama, Paris is not so happy-go-lucky about the robbery. "I am devastated. I cannot believe someone broke into my home. They took items that had such sentimental value that no one will ever be able to replace," she says. [Extra]
• A recording of John Lennon drunk and singing a cover of the Lloyd Price song "Just Because" in 1973 was purchased for $30,000. A spokeswoman from the auction house said, "It was six minutes, 16 seconds, and John singing very drunk and with John ad-libbing his own lyrics into the song — so it's actually a fun song to listen to." Hear that people? Start recording your drunk ass singing, it might be worth tens of thousands some day! [CNN]
• A new biography of the King of Pop claims that Michael Jackson is gravely ill. “He needs a lung transplant, but may be too weak to go through with it. He also has emphysema and chronic gastrointestinal bleeding, which his doctors have had a lot of trouble stopping. It’s the bleeding that’s the most problematic part. It could kill him," says biographer Ian Halperin. Halperin alleges that Jackson has "an inherited condition called A1AD — alpha-1 anti-trypsin deficiency. Sufferers lack a protein which protects the lungs." Yikes! [The Sun]
• There will be no strollers allowed at Obama's inauguration, but not because they're a nuisance — but because they're a security risk. Thermoses, backpacks, and chairs will also not be allowed on the inauguration route. [TMZ]

Sherry was just arrested and charged with "second-degree misconduct involving a controlled substance — generally manufacturing or delivering drugs — as well as fourth-degree misconduct involving controlled substances, or possession." [ADN]