Alana Thompson is turning 16-years-old on Saturday and therefore is retiring her Toddlers & Tiaras nickname "Honey Boo Boo." Alana was first introduced to reality TV viewers in 2011 when she appeared alongside her mother, June Shannon, on the famed TLC series. Alana's consistent victories in children's beauty pageants gave the young star a lot of screen time, which gave viewers a front row seat to the mother-daughter's unmatched personalities and drama. Since then, the southern family has carried two spin-off series, Here Comes Honey Boo Boo and Mama June: From Not to Hot.
With sudden success came sudden tragedy as the family often caught themselves at the center of numerous controversies. One of their most memorable scandals to date includes the moment Mama June told viewers she rekindled her relationship with the man who previously molested one of her daughters. The shocking news forced TLC to cancel their first spin-off series, Here Comes Honey oo Boo, stripping the family of earning any royalties from syndication. Years later, the family got another shot at reality fame on WeTV with a series that followed Mama June's weight loss journey. The series aired two seasons before she and her longtime partner Eugene Doak were arrested for felony drug possession.
Despite a quick appearance on Dancing With The Stars: Juniors, Alana has been hiding from fame and living with her 20-year-old half-sister, Lauryn Shannon. Three years later and Alana is back in the spotlight, telling Teen Vogue the reason she wants to change her public persona. "My mama did not name me Honey Boo Boo. My name is Alana," she said. "They are completely two different people. I would say that I do like this Alana now, rather than the younger Alana." A lot has changed since viewers last saw the younger Alana on their television screens. The teenaged star now goes to public school, has a boyfriend, works on the weekends and wants to be a neonatal nurse. And though she isn't starring in her own series at the moment, she does stay active on social media and ignores the criticism of living a normal life from her prior fans. "I guess people still expect me to be little Honey Boo Boo, and I'm not anymore," she explained. "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. 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."
On the same note of ignoring trolls, Alana has a new sense of her love for her body. "I feel like my generation is probably make it worse. Everybody's all about body positivity, body positivity, until they see a body they don't like. I don't understand why people think this way. Just because I got a little bit of extra meat on my bones, you want to hate me? I'll never get body shaming," Alana said. "Like, I know I'm beautiful, and I know I got a banging body, so... I don't care." Growing up in the limelight has made Alana weary of trusting new friends, so she admits that her boyfriend is really the only friend she has. "To be honest, I do not have many friends at all because I feel like folks are so much like, 'Oh, my God, I'm friends with Honey Boo Boo.' I don't trust nobody really, so I don't have friends."
It seems as every child star has a traumatic story that either lands in triumph or tragedy. It's nice and refreshing to hear that though Alana is still dealing with the mess of Toddlers & Tiaras and Here Comes Honey Boo Boo, she's rising above the challenges and growing every day. As for her fans, if they're real, they'll support her decision to step away from the money and fame and chase her dreams of becoming a nurse.
Source: Teen Vogue