The little girl who won over audiences on Toddlers and Tiaras with zingers like "A
dollar makes me holler," "The last time I had a salad was never," and "I don't need
the drama" is now a teenager. But despite her catchphrases, Alana "Honey Boo Boo" Thompson
has had more than her share of drama in the years since she left the child beauty pageant circuit.
Her mother, "Mama" June Shannon, and her new boyfriend developed a meth and crack addiction
that emptied her bank account and led to her arrest in 2019 for drug possession.
The Shannon family matriarch admitted to Access Hollywood that she dished out nearly $1 million
to feed her addiction, leaving just $1.75 in her account when she decided to turn her life around.
By that time, she was living out of a car. She told Us Weekly,
"I texted the girls, I texted my production company. And two days later we were on a plane."
Alana was sent to live with her older sister Lauryn , aka "Pumpkin", herself the mother
of a toddler, while June did her time and went into rehab. Now, viewers are tuning in
to see how Alana and her family are faring in TLC's new series Mama June: Road to Redemption.
We don't know yet how — or if — Mama June reconciles with her youngest daughter;
the first episode showed her unsuccessfully trying to reach out. But the troubled matriarch
recently made it very clear that she won't stand for anyone hating on her Honey Boo Boo.
Like most teen girls, Alana likes to post selfies to Instagram.
In many of them, she's wearing mega-long lashes and equally long acrylic nails.
Alana writes with a defiance natural only to teenagers in one post.
"Can't stand me, take a seat,"
Fans have criticized her look, saying it's inappropriate for a 15-year-old. Some have
even seen it as a reflection of her being raised by her sister, Lauryn.
June isn't having any of that. In a recent interview with In Touch Weekly, she pointed out
that Alana is a veteran of the pageant circuit, where girls as young as 2 are expected to go
full-on glam with spray tans, hair extensions, and full-face makeup. In fact, Toddlers & Tiaras drew
plenty of attention to — and hatred of — the child pageant industry for just that reason.
June told the tab, pointing out that the family has been
posing for the "public eye" for nearly a decade.
"[P]eople gotta realize that she's 15 ... she's been wearing acrylic nails since she was like
eight. These stripper lashes that I like to call [them] ... you know,
she's just being Alana, she's expressing herself."
June also defended Lauryn's skills as a caregiver. She said,
"Even though [Lauryn] didn't have to step up, she did,
and you know, in our family ... we've always stuck together."
Adding that "addiction or no addiction," she has
diligently kept up with her daughters through their social media accounts.
When Alana Thompson isn't sparking controversies with selfies sporting Dolly Parton-style
fingernails and impossibly long eyelashes, she's looking to make a little spending money. Well,
celebrity-style spending money. Thompson recently hopped on the Non Fungible Token
wagon with her own cryptocurrency, and is selling a music video on Rareible . She's
also got her own "Back It Up Boo Boo" clothing line, in neon-pink of course.
And, for $30.00 a minute, you can book a video chat with her on Real Talk Live.
Fans can also expect to see a softer side of Honey Boo Boo as Mama June: Road to Redemption unspools
this season. In one clip that Thompson posted to Instagram, her sister Lauryn begs Alana to clean
up after herself. Honey Boo Boo, still in bed on her phone, retorts "don't be so cranky!" In
another trailer clip, Alana tearfully confronts her mother about not being there for her.
"You don't know how many nights I cried myself to sleep."
If you, or anyone you know, is struggling with addiction issues,
help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
(SAMHSA) website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).