Does Sarah Palin have a new boyfriend? Although she hasn’t put a label on it, it looks like the former Alaska governor is getting close to none other than retired New York Rangers player, Ron Duguay! The 64-year-old NHL star hasn’t mentioned that Palin is his girlfriend directly, either, but he does appear to be very protective of the 58-year-old politician.
Duguay recently jumped to Palin’s defense when a photographer reportedly ambushed her with questions while they were dining at Elio’s on the Upper East Side just a few days after she announced that she had once again tested positive for COVID-19. (She previously caused controversy for dining at the same Manhattan eatery, as the restaurant requires proof of vaccination for indoor dining, and as we all know, Palin is famously against vaccination!) According to reports, Duguay allegedly asked the inquisitive photographer, “Are you looking for trouble?” before seemingly knocking his camera out of his hands. Yikes!
According to Page Six, Duguay and Palin have reportedly been together since the end of last year, but Palin simply told The New York Post that Duguay is "my buddy," when asked about him. She also added that they "have hockey in common" but didn’t go into further detail. According to People, an insider tried to downplay the rumored romance and suggested that the pair are "just friends" who "met through hockey." We've heard that "just friends" line before!
If Duguay and Palin are indeed an item, it will be the politician's first relationship since her husband, Todd Palin, filed for divorce in August 2019 after 31 years of marriage. He cited an "incompatibility of temperament between the parties such that they find it impossible to live together as husband and wife." Duguay was previously married to Sports Illustrated model Kim Alexis between 1993 and 2016.
