What happened to child star Honey Boo Boo who rose to fame after reality show
Alana 'Honey Boo Boo' Thompson captured the hearts (and headlines) of millions when she first burst onto our screens in Toddlers & Tiaras over a decade ago.
But the child pageant queen we all remember for her larger-than-life personality and catchphrases is now all grown up, and her life has taken some dramatic turns since her days as a reality TV star.
Pageant history and reality TV debut
Alana made her TV debut during the fifth season of TLC’s Toddlers & Tiaras in 2012, where she stood out thanks to her fierce stage presence and her nickname 'Honey Boo Boo child'.
With her mum, June 'Mama June' Shannon, by her side, the pair quickly became breakout stars.
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Their popularity earned them a spinoff, Here Comes Honey Boo Boo, which aired the same year and followed the wild, unfiltered lives of Alana, Mama June, and her three sisters: Anna 'Chickadee', Jessica 'Chubbs', and Lauryn 'Pumpkin'.
Why was Here come Honey Boo Boo cancelled?
Despite its massive fanbase, Here Comes Honey Boo Boo was abruptly cancelled in 2014. The decision came after allegations emerged that Mama June had rekindled a relationship with Mark McDaniel, a registered child sex offender, which led to TLC 'reassessing the future of the series' (via ABC News).
“TLC has cancelled the series Here Comes Honey Boo Boo and ended all activities around the series, effective immediately,” the network said at the time.
“Supporting the health and welfare of these remarkable children is our only priority.”
Mama June denied any ongoing involvement with McDaniel, writing on social media: "I want to make a post trying to clear up the rumors remember you can't believe everything you read! It isn’t true. I promise my kids r #1 priority over anything else and I would never put them in danger.”
Honey Boo Boo's reality TV journey
Although Here Comes Honey Boo Boo ended, Alana remained a reality TV fixture. She appeared in various spinoffs centred around her mum, including Mama June: From Not to Hot, which documented June's weight loss journey, and later, Mama June: Family Crisis, which followed the family as they sadly said goodbye to sister Anna, who passed away after her cancer diagnosis.
In 2018, Alana swapped pageants for the dance floor on Dancing with the Stars: Juniors, where she was partnered with pro dancer Tristan Ianiero and mentored by Artem Chigvintsev, before finishing in eighth place.
“Everyone around me was so supportive,” she told PEOPLE. “Some days I would get super nervous and frustrated, but Artem and Tristan were supportive and told me I was going to be great.
"If you’re questioning your abilities - I mean, I thought dancing was going to be the hardest thing ever to learn and to do, but it wasn’t as hard as I thought once we got the hang of it.
"If you’re going to do something, don’t be afraid to do it and just do it!”
Mama June's custody battle and legal drama
Alana’s relationship with her mum became strained following Mama June’s 2019 arrest for drug possession alongside her then-boyfriend, Geno Doak. As the legal issues mounted, Alana’s sister Lauryn stepped in and was granted full custody of her in 2022.
According to E! News, Mama June was sentenced to 100 hours of community service, court supervision, and had to submit to random drug screenings. At the time, June's attorney Rod Giddens told the media outlet that 'she is doing everything required'.
June was allowed daily phone contact, but visitation was left to Lauryn's discretion. The court also ordered Mama June to pay $800 per month in child support until Alana turned 18.
“It’s gotten so low to this point, like, what more is there to do?” Lauryn said during a 2020 episode of their show. “What more can we physically do for her? I mean, we tried to send her to rehab. The network even gave her the opportunity that anybody in their right f*****g mind would take. She checked out within less than 24 hours.”
What is Honey Boo Boo’s relationship ship with Mama June now?
Despite their rocky past, Alana and her mum have had moments of reconnection. They teamed up for The Masked Singer in 2021, which was her first project with her daughter since getting sober.
“I realised the last time we were out there together doing a huge project, which was Dancing with the Stars, I was in my addiction,” she told PEOPLE.
The family reunited once more in 2023 for Mama June’s wedding to Justin Stroud.
“This was the first time the family had all been together since 2014,” she said in a press release. "So it was really special to get married in a place where my family and I have had so many memories!"
However, their relationship hit another bump in 2024 when Alana accused her mum of taking $35,000 meant for university fees.
In a interview with Entertainment Tonight, Shannon said she didn't 'really steal any money', claiming that she put 20 per cent into the Coogan account, which is a special account to protect child performer's earnings.
"Alana has around over $200,000 that she has access to but she is choosing not to have access to." she said. "She is making those decisions because she's 18. So there's more, there's definitely more money out there."
Where is Honey Boo Boo now?
Alana graduated from Wilkinson County High School in Georgia in May 2023, and both Mama June and Lauryn celebrated the moment on social media.
“I'm so proud of her… we was hollering the whole time WTG LANA,” June wrote, while Lauryn added: “Amazed at how much you've grown… how far you've come against all odds.”
Alana started studying neonatal nursing at Regis University in Denver that autumn.
“I'm just looking forward to helping people,” she told PEOPLE last year. “I want to work with little babies, I don't want to have no babies though. That's my motto.”
In April 2025, Alana announced her Lifetime biopic I Was Honey Boo Boo, which she will narrate herself.
“This film tells my story, the real one,” she wrote on Instagram. “Beyond the glitter, the pageants, and the catchphrases, there was a lot going on behind the scenes. I’m narrating the film myself because nobody can tell it like I can."
What about Honey Boo Boo’s love life?
Alana began dating Dralin Carswell in 2021, which sparked controversy due to their age gap, as she was 16 and he was 21 at the time.
"I don't care," she told Entertainment Tonight. “Because, like, 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.”
Lauryn echoed the support: “She’s not getting married, she’s not having a kid, she’s doing very good in school.”
Mama June has also previously support for the relationship, saying back in 2022: "Yes, I've met Dralin. They've been together for over a year. People need to realise that she's going to be 17 in August and that Pumpkin and Josh [Lauryn's now-ex-husband, as the pair filed for divorce in 2024] were the same age as they were.
"She is getting a lot of hate because she's in an interracial relationship, he is older. But at the end of the day, Alana's not that 6-7-year-old child y'all fell in love with 11 years ago. Alana has grown up, she's graduating high school next year, guys!"
In 2023, Carswell was arrested after a police chase in Georgia for allegedly driving under the influence, fleeing the authorities, as well as multiple outstanding warrants. Alana was in the car, but wasn’t charged.
According to the US Sun, he pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Despite the drama, the former child pageant star shared plans to have him join her in Colorado.
“I think he's more excited to move there than me,” she said. “He's ready to move out of our small town and experience something new, too.”
Topics: Reality TV, Entertainment, Celebrity
Lucy Sarret