LOS ANGELES - Bristol Palin on Monday hit back at suggestions that she has reached the semifinals of "Dancing with the Stars" only because of her mother Sarah's popularity with voters.
Palin, 20, will dance the waltz and the paso doble on Monday for a chance at one of three places in the finals. Despite receiving the lowest scores from the contest's three judges for several weeks, the young, single mom has been kept in the competition by the votes of viewers.
"I'm so sick of 'Bristol has the Tea Party backing her. She's got the Republican Party'," Palin told Access Hollywood. "I don't think that's true at all."
"I've gotten so many people who just attack me everyday because of who my mom is, so it works both ways," she added.
Sarah Palin, a Tea Party favorite and the 2008 Republican vice-presidential candidate is expected to be in the studio audience on Monday to watch her daughter compete for a spot in the finals.
Bristol Palin said she had reached the semi-finals through hard work and viewers could see she was improving every week. "I work my butt off," she told E! News in a separate interview. "I can't believe it's been three months already. I'm pretty confident now."
Palin and her professional partner Mark Ballas are competing against "Dirty Dancing" actress Jennifer Grey, singer Brandi and former "That's So Raven" child star Kyle Massey. Three couples will advance to the finals next week.
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