Alana 'Honey Boo Boo' Thompson at 16: On drugs, body shaming, no friends
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
Updated August 25, 2021 4:46pm
This child star is growing up fast and shedding her girlhood identity.
"My mama did not name me Honey Boo Boo. My name is Alana," Alana Thompson, who will turn 16 Aug. 28, told Teen Vogue in a profile about how she's changed since gaining international fame starring in TLC's "Toddlers & Tiaras" in 2012.
While the tot beauty queen once seemed to proudly embrace the nickname, she now filters out friends based on who still chooses to call her by it.
"I feel like folks are so much like, 'Oh, my God, I'm friends with Honey Boo Boo,' " she said, adding that she feels people still expect her to embrace and embody the rambunctious, Southern childhood identity for which she became famous. They also assume she's become rich as a result of it. All of that makes it difficult to let classmates at her public high school — or anyone beyond family, really — get close to her.
Alana "Honey Boo Boo" Thompson now wants to be known only be her birth name. Peyton Fulford/Teen Vogue
"To be honest, I do not have many friends. At all," she candidly admitted. "I don't trust nobody really, so I don't have friends."
Previous1 of 3Next The child star turns 16 this month. Peyton Fulford/Teen Vogue Despite numerous obstacles, her relationship with her family remains strong. Peyton Fulford/Teen Vogue Growing up a child star has made it difficult to trust people, she admitted. Peyton Fulford/Teen Vogue
With her blood relatives, however, she remains extremely close, despite many challenges: Her mother, June Shannon, was arrested for possession of a controlled substance and drug paraphernalia in 2019, leading to legal guardianship of Thompson being passed to her 21-year-old sister, Lauryn "Pumpkin" Shannon.
"A lot of folks in this world do not realize how many people are actually really affected by drug and alcohol [use] … It's very, very hard. It's something I'd wish on nobody, for real," Thompson reflected. "When my mama got real bad with her [drug use], I didn't know where I was going to end up. I'm proud of myself for how far I've come."
Not only has Thompson managed to remain strong in the face of child stardom and her mother's addictions, but she's also come away from the incessant fatphobia she's dealt with for years with a deep sense of self-love.
"Just because I got a little bit of extra meat on my bones, you want to hate me? I'll never get body shaming," she said. She also receives — but seemingly shrugs off — a lot of negative Instagram comments for her nails and eyelashes. "I do not care," she said. "As long as I like myself, I'm good."
Previous1 of 2Next Her journey of fame and online haters has taught her nothing if not to love herself, she said. Peyton Fulford/Teen Vogue Whether people call her Honey Boo Boo or not has become a trust test of sorts. Peyton Fulford/Teen Vogue Read More
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Hey, it is as good as anything you know who posts...
Better, actually.
Never cared for that show and can honestly say that after less than halfway through one episode, I never watched another. In my eyes it was child exploitation pure and simple. My late wife liked it though.
I can honestly say I have never watched one episode. The only reason I know anything about is from the promos from other more quality shows I watch...like Law and Order
The only other show I watched even less of was Game of Thrones. Never watched one single episode for some reason.
Good show but the books were better. More back story and the characters were fleshed out more. Of course, the books haven't ended supposedly....
I don't know how difficult it would be to fit stuff in and stay truer to the books, but I think Lady Stoneheart would have made the series better, as well as the ghost of high heart. Been so long since I read them, I can't remember anything else off of the top of my head. I'll say this, my oldest finally watched the series. He was as disappointed as I was with the final season.
It sounds like she has her shit together and it looks like she was dragged in to be beaten up.