Here comes Honey Boo Boo: she’s 19, a college student, and getting ready to share her story in a biopic about her family’s struggles and life as a child beauty queen.
Alana Thompson rose to fame at age six after appearing on the TLC child beauty pageant show Toddlers & Tiaras.
The dynamic with her mother, “Mama June” Shannon, captivated viewers so much that the network created a spinoff series dedicated to the family. It premiered in 2012 and featured Thompson’s sisters: Anna “Chickadee” Cardwell, who passed away from cancer in 2023, Jessica “Chubbs” Shannon, and Lauryn “Pumpkin” Efird.
Alana “Honey Boo Boo” Thompson became famous at age 6 on the TLC reality show Toddlers & Tiaras
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But the spinoff was short-lived. Here Comes Honey Boo Boo was canceled after two seasons following allegations that Shannon was involved with Mark McDaniel, who had been arrested in 2004 and convicted of aggravated child molestation.
In a statement to People magazine, TLC said: “Supporting the health and welfare of these remarkable children is our only priority. TLC is faithfully committed to the children’s ongoing comfort and well-being.”
Shannon denied the allegations in a Facebook post.
“It isn’t true i promise my kids r #1 priority over anything else and I would never put them in danger period over this or anything else they r my life this is my past I left him 10 yrs ago for it and I wouldn’t go back.”
Image credits: Noel Vasquez/Getty Images
After cancellation, the series was rebranded as Mama June: From Not to Hot on We TV, and later as Mama June: Road to Redemption and Mama June: Family Crisis.
In addition to appearing in the spinoffs, Thompson competed on ABC’s Dancing with the Stars: Juniors in 2018.
The following year, the family faced a severe crisis when Shannon lost custody of her daughter after being arrested and charged with possession of a controlled substance and dr*g paraphernalia.
The 45-year-old was allegedly found carrying coc*ine and a pipe.
The spinoff, Here Comes Honey Boo Boo, featured her family, including sisters Anna, Jessica, and Lauryn, and “Mama June” Shannon
Image credits: TLC
Her then-boyfriend, Eugene “Geno” Edward Doak, was charged with third-degree domestic violence, possession of a controlled substance, and possession of dr*g paraphernalia.
Shannon was sentenced to 100 hours of community service, court supervision, in addition to other conditions, including random dr*g screenings, E! News reported.
Thompson was ultimately placed in the care of her older sister, Lauryn Efird, who gained sole legal custody of her in 2022.
Image credits: Max
Shannon was reportedly allowed to contact Thompson by phone every day, but she could not visit her unless Efird allowed her to.
Additionally, she was ordered to pay Efird $800 per month in child support for the next two years until Thompson turned 18.
In 2019, Shannon was arrested for possession of illegal substances and lost custody of her daughter
Image credits: Max
In an episode of her mother’s reality show, Efrid said the family has “tried to send her to rehab” and that the network “gave her the opportunity” to do so, but she checked out after less than a day.
Thompson and Shannon appeared to have strengthened their relationship in the years since the arrest.
In 2021, they appeared on The Masked Singer, which Shannon said marked their first project together since she got sober.
Thompson and her sisters also attended their mother’s wedding to Justin Stroud.
Image credits: Max
However, the mother-daughter pair hit a rough patch last year when Thompson accused Shannon of stealing $35,000 from her Coogan account, a trust where parents of child stars are legally required to deposit a percentage of their earnings.
“Alana is the reason you’re Mama June. Give her her money back and be a decent human being,” Efird implored in an episode of Mama June: Family Crisis.
After her graduation from Wilkinson County High School in McIntyre, Georgia, Thompson began studying at Regis University in Denver, Colorado, where she is pursuing a degree in neonatal nursing.
“I’m just looking forward to helping people,” the 19-year-old told People magazine. “I really want to be a neonatal nurse, so I want to work with little babies. I don’t want to have no babies though. That’s my motto.”
Lauryn “Pumpkin” Efird, Thompson’s older sister, gained custody of her in 2022 until she turned 18
Image credits: Paul Redmond/Getty Images
Image credits: Pumpkin
Alana has been open about her relationship with Dralin Carswell, whom she began dating in 2021 when she was 16 and he was 21.
Addressing the commentary surrounding her boyfriend, particularly the age gap between them, she said, “In our relationship, the two most things that everybody is always talking about is our age gap and definitely because he’s Black and I’m White, and we’re an interracial couple.”
She stated that she “didn’t care” about the concerns or criticism. “Because, at the end of the day, my sister approves, his mom approves, and we’re happy, so what fans got to say or what haters got to say, I don’t really care.”
Thompson has been dating Dralin Carswell since 2021, who is five years older
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Image credits: Entertainment Tonight
In March 2023, Dralin was arrested for allegedly driving under the influence, fleeing police, and outstanding warrants after a three-mile car chase. Alana was a passenger in the car and was not charged.
The reality star is preparing to unveil all the ups and downs of her career and family life in the Lifetime biopic I Was Honey Boo Boo, set to premiere on May 17.
“This film tells my story, the real one. Beyond the glitter, the pageants, and the catchphrases, there was a lot going on behind the scenes,” Thompson shared on Instagram.
The 19-year-old narrated a Lifetime biopic about her life titled I Was Honey Boo Boo
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“I’m narrating the film myself because nobody can tell it like I can. From family struggles and hard truths to finding my own voice, I Was Honey Boo Boo shows the side of child stardom the cameras didn’t always catch.”
I Was Honey Boo Boo is the newest biopic in the network’s I Am/I Was franchise that reveals a deeper look into some of pop culture’s most fascinating figures, including I Am Elizabeth Smart, I Am Victoria Gotti, I Was Lorena Bobbit, and I Was Octomom.
People were surprised to see how much Alana Thompson has changed
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