Mama June Says 17-Year-Old Alana Is ‘Grown’ Enough To Date 20-Year-Old ‘First Love’

Jun 01, 2022 by apost team

Alana Thompson, aka Honey Boo Boo, became an overnight sensation when she first appeared on "Toddlers & Tiaras" at just 5 years old. She skyrocketed to fame as one of the series' standout stars, eventually landing her own show. She's continued to work since then, even appearing on "Dancing With the Stars: Juniors," but she's also maintained a balance between her private and public lives.

Her early years were full of the glitz and glam of the pageant world. However, things took a turn for the worse during her teen years when her relationship with her mom, June Edith "Mama June" Shannon, deteriorated following Shannon's battle with drug addiction.

But in the last year or so, Thompson has been showing the world that she's thriving again. Today, at 17 years old, the teen has moved in with her older sister Lauryn Elfird after her relationship with her mom got rocky. Meanwhile, Teen Vogue featured the TV star in 2021.

In the accompanying interview, Thompson revealed that she's got a boyfriend. However, it was leaked by another publication who her beau is, and it turns out he's a 20-year-old college student, with some people skeptical of their age difference.

But it seems Thompson's boyfriend, whose name is Dralin Carswell, has gotten the approval of her family, with all three of her sisters following him on Facebook. One member of Thompson's family who didn't appear to be following her new boyfriend was her mom. Let's take a look at Thompson's new Teen Vogue interview, the photoshoot and the details of her new college-age boyfriend.

“My mama did not name me Honey Boo Boo. My name is Alana,” Thompson says in an Aug. 25 Teen Vogue profile.

“They are completely two different people,” Thompson tells Teen Vogue. “I would say that I do like this Alana now, rather than the younger Alana.”

Part of Thompson’s transformation, or at least her unwillingness to be pigeonholed by her audience, is that she speaks her mind and is unafraid of setting the record straight. When she receives negative comments on Instagram, telling her that her nails or lashes are too much, she explains that she’s not the “little Honey Boo Boo” anymore.

“Just because I'm from the South, people expect me to be all country bumpkin, out riding four wheelers all the time, but that's not really how it is,” Thomson says in her interview with Teen Vogue. “There are so many folks on my Instagram that do not like my nails or my eyelashes. But I do not care. As long as I like myself, I'm good.”

“I don't ever look at people and I'm like, ‘Oh, I wish I was like her,’” Thompson adds. “Because I don't ever wish to be like nobody. I am my own person.”

Thompson also tells Teen Vogue that she often deals with fat shaming on social media, though she is skeptical of the body positivity movement that Gen Z has embraced.

“I feel like my generation is probably making it worse. Everybody's all about body positivity, body positivity, until they see a body they don't like,” Thompson says.

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“I don't understand why people think this way,” the reality TV star continues. “Just because I got a little bit of extra meat on my bones, you want to hate me? I'll never get body shaming.”

Beyond internet trolls and body shamers, Thompson also has to deal with the fame she’s acquired after years of being a television icon — and remember, she’s still a teenager.

“To be honest, I do not have many friends. At all,” Thompson tells the magazine, adding that her only friend is her boyfriend.

It sounds like Thompson's boyfriend doesn't really care about her former reality TV persona. Carswell seems to have been accepted by Alana's sisters, and that's all the approval one needs. The 20-year-old changed his Facebook status in March, confirming that the two have been an item since then. And it seems that their four-year age difference doesn't bother her family, according to The Sun.

Having a boyfriend and a personal life outside of the spotlight is likely something that Thompson has craved for a long time. 

In her interview with Teen Vogue, she explained that rather than treating her like a normal person, some people she meets call her Honey Boo Boo to her face, while others assume that she’s rich and will pay for them.

While Thompson clarifies that she isn’t exactly wealthy, she does admit that being a reality TV star is certainly a smart business decision and one that she’s happy with.

“I want to have a life, you know? I want to be able to support my kids when I do have kids and stuff like that,” she says. “It’s definitely something that is good for the time being, (and) good for later on in life.”

Born Alana Thompson on Aug. 28, 2005, the child star is the youngest child of June Edith "Mama June" Shannon and her ex-husband, Mike "Sugar Bear" Thompson. At a young age, Thompson began taking part in amateur child pageants before landing her big break on the TLC series "Toddlers & Tiaras."

She first appeared on the televised pageant alongside her mother and became a popular contestant on the show, seemingly gaining massive fame overnight. She proved popular with viewers for her bold and confident manner, which included catchphrases such as "redneckonize" and "a dolla makes me holla." 

Following her run with "Toddlers & Tiaras," Thompson got signed to star on the reality show "Here Comes Honey Boo Boo.'" The show featured the whole family, including her mom June "Mama June" Shannon, father Mike "Sugar Bear" Thompson and her three sisters: Lauryn "Pumpkin" Efird (nee Shannon), Jessica "Chubbs" Shannon and Anna "Chickadee" Shannon. 

It followed Thomspon and the rest of the self-proclaimed "redneck" gang as they navigated life in McIntyre, Georgia. The show proved to be a hit from the get-go, becoming TLC's highest-rated in its first season. However, the show was eventually canceled by the network in 2014.

Despite the hardship of growing up in the spotlight, Alana Thompson appears to be doing well and keeping a positive attitude. Now a teenager, she regularly posts photos and updates to social media. One of her most recent television appearances was in 2021 on the reality competition show "The Masked Singer." She and Mama June also appeared on "Mama June: From Not To Hot's" fifth season this year.

Were you a fan of Alana Thompson in "Honey Boo Boo"? What do you think about the now 17-year-old's Teen Vogue feature and the news of her older boyfriend? Pass this on to those you know so they can find out about it too!