Honey Boo Boo Today: How The Child Star’s Life Has Changed After End Of Beauty Pageants & Reality TV Era

May 02, 2025 by apost team

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Born on Aug. 28, 2005, Alana “Honey Boo Boo” Thompson first rose to fame on “Toddlers & Tiaras,” quickly becoming a fan favorite for her bold personality and catchphrases such as “A dolla makes me holla.” Alana’s upbringing was not typical of a child beauty pageant contestant. 

In detail, she was raised in a small town in rural Georgia by her mother, June Shannon, also known as Mama June, who had four daughters by different fathers. Her family struggled financially, and Mama June’s relationship with Alana’s father, Mike “Sugar Bear” Thompson, was unstable.

Her popularity led to the spinoff “Here Comes Honey Boo Boo,” which premiered in 2012 and followed Alana and her family’s everyday life. The show was canceled in 2014 after two seasons due to controversy surrounding Mama June’s alleged association with a convicted sex offender – claims she denied. Despite the cancellation, the family remained in the public eye. 

She then starred in “Mama June: From Not to Hot” on WEtv in 2017, documenting her weight-loss journey. The show has since been rebranded multiple times, now airing as “Mama June: Family Crisis.”

Alana continued to make occasional TV appearances, including a stint on “Dancing with the Stars: Juniors” in 2018, where she placed 8th. She described the experience as nerve-wracking but rewarding, thanks to the support of her dance partners.

In March 2019, Mama June was arrested on drug-related charges along with her then-boyfriend, Eugene “Geno” Doak. Both accepted plea deals. Mama June received community service and court supervision; Doak was sentenced to probation and addiction treatment.

Now older and having stepped away from her early TV image, Alana has taken on a project narrating the Lifetime biopic “I Was Honey Boo Boo,” offering her own perspective on growing up in the spotlight.

After Mama June’s 2019 arrest, her daughter, Lauryn “Pumpkin” Efird, was granted legal custody of Alana. By 2022, according to Georgia court documents obtained by Page Six, Efird had sole custody. Mama June was allowed daily phone contact, while visitation was up to Efird. Mama June was also ordered to pay $800 per month in child support until Alana turned 18.

On “Mama June: Family Crisis” in 2020, Efird expressed frustration with her mother’s struggles. She said:

“What more can we physically do for her? I mean, we tried to send her to rehab…” Efird continued: “She checked out within less than 24 hours.”

Despite tensions, Alana and Mama June reunited for “The Masked Singer” in 2021 – their first project together since Mama June got sober.

“It was a great experience,” Mama June told PEOPLE.

In 2023, the family came together for Mama June’s wedding to Justin Stroud. In a WEtv press release, the happy bride said:

“It was the first time the whole family was together since 2014.” 

But by 2024, her relationship with her daughter was strained again after Alana accused her mother of stealing the $35,000 she needed for college. Alana graduated from Wilkinson County High School in 2023, with both Mama June and Efird celebrating her achievement on Instagram. That fall, Alana enrolled at Regis University in Denver to study neonatal nursing. She told PEOPLE in 2024:

“I want to work with little babies, I don’t want to have no babies though. That’s my motto.” 

Alana has been dating Dralin Carswell since 2021, drawing criticism due to their age gap as Alana was 16 at the time while Carswell was 21. However, nothing seemed to deter the couple, who appeared very much in love. On the criticism the couple has received, Alana told Entertainment Tonight in July 2022: “I don’t care.”

On Apr. 10, 2025, Alana announced the May 2025 release of the Lifetime biopic “I Was Honey Boo Boo,” which she narrates herself. She wrote on Instagram:

“This film tells my story, the real one.” 

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From reality TV fame to real-life struggles and triumphs, Honey Boo Boo’s journey is nothing short of remarkable. Where do you think life will take her in the next couple of years? Let us know, and then pass this along to the fans of reality television stars!