What Happened to Todd Palin? A Look at His Accident, Divorce, and Where He Is Now

For years, Todd Palin was best known as Sarah Palin’s husband, an extreme sports enthusiast, and Alaska’s unofficial “First Dude.” He was there through Sarah’s political rise, from governor to vice-presidential candidate. Following his high-profile divorce and a serious accident, Todd seemed to disappear.

Now, people are wondering: Where did he go? Is he still in Alaska? What has he been up to? If you’ve found yourself asking these questions, you’re not alone. Here’s what happened to Todd Palin and where he is today.

In 2019, Todd filed for divorce from Sarah, citing “incompatibility of temperament” after 31 years of marriage. That’s a formal way of saying they just weren’t working anymore. The divorce was finalized in early 2020. Just like that, one of Alaska’s most famous couples officially split.

After the divorce, Todd didn’t do what a lot of public figures do — no tell-all interviews, no big media appearances. Instead, he did what he’s always done best: He kept to himself. While Sarah stayed active in politics and media, Todd stepped out of the public eye almost entirely.

He still lives in Alaska, spending time on his longtime passions — commercial fishing and snowmobile racing. If you’ve followed Todd over the years, this isn’t surprising. He was always more comfortable on the back of a snowmobile than in front of a camera.

Todd has kept his personal life private, but Sarah mentioned in 2022 that he had been in a long-term relationship. While there’s no public confirmation that he has remarried or even who the mystery woman is, it seems he’s moved on from his previous marriage and continues to keep his personal life out of the spotlight.

Years before his divorce, Todd was involved in a life-threatening snowmobile accident in March 2016. If you know anything about him, you know he wasn’t just a casual rider — he’s a four-time champion of the Tesoro Iron Dog, the world’s longest and toughest snowmobile race. He’d spent years racing across frozen landscapes. He was far from an inexperienced rider.

The crash left Todd with broken ribs, a broken shoulder blade, a broken clavicle, and a collapsed lung. It was serious. He was rushed to the hospital and placed in intensive care, with Sarah canceling a scheduled appearance to be by his side.

He eventually made a full recovery, but people close to him noticed a shift. While he still participated in outdoor sports, he became noticeably more private in the years that followed. Whether the accident changed his outlook or if it was just a coincidence, Todd started to fade out of the public eye.

Since his divorce and recovery from his accident, Todd has lived life far away from the spotlight. He’s still believed to be living in Alaska, spending time outdoors and avoiding media attention. While Sarah occasionally posts about their adult children, Todd stays off social media and away from the spotlight.

For a guy who once found himself in the headlines next to his high-profile wife, he has done a pretty impressive job making himself nearly invisible. So, it only makes sense that people would wonder where he is or what happened to him from time to time.