Honey Boo Boo Is All Grown Up
Honey Boo Boo is all grown up. The world came to know and love Alana "Honey Boo Boo" Thompson after she made all of our cheeks ache with laughter during her time on television. You might recognize the hilarious youngster from her days on TLC's Toddlers and Tiaras, or perhaps from her own show, Here Comes Honey Boo Boo. Thompson became known for her famous one-liners like, "If you fart 12 to 15 times a day, you can lose a lot of weight," and "I just look good 'cuz I wanna look good."
But the reality TV child star is all grown up nowadays, though she's just as funny as a teenager as she was when she was a little spitfire. Gone are the days of her "famous Daisy Duke routine," as Thompson is up to a whole lot more than beauty pageants these days. She's moved on to more meaningful pursuits, like getting good grades in school, being the best aunt she can be, sorting out family drama with her mother and father, and even running her own business. Read on to see where Thompson is today, because Honey Boo Boo has grown up quite a bit.
Honey Boo Boo first rose to fame on TLC's Toddlers and Tiaras
We first got glimpse of Alana "Honey Boo Boo" Thompson when she was just a child on season 5 of TLC's Toddlers and Tiaras, according to E! News. Toddlers and Tiaras, which hd some controversial moments, chronicled the everyday lives of children from various backgrounds who compete in the beauty pageant circuit. They all went for the gold, but it was Thompson who stole the hearts of viewers everywhere with her sass and witty jokes.
Thompson became the show's breakout star thanks to her sheer confidence and total bluntness on camera. She was never afraid to speak her mind, and was always dropping now-famous catchphrases like "redneckonize" and "a dolla makes me holla!" to help her stand out.
Clearly Thompson was more than just an adorable little girl in a tiara. At just 6 years old on the show, she had more attitude than most grown women. It was...equal parts hilarious and cringe-worthy, and yet, somehow, oh so respectable.
TLC gave Honey Boo Boo her own spinoff show, Here Comes Honey Boo Boo
Alana "Honey Boo Boo" Thompson was so lovable on Toddlers and Tiaras that she caught the attention of TLC execs. That's right: TLC ultimately gave Thompson her very own reality show, Here Comes Honey Boo Boo, according to E! News. The show, which had a solid run for three seasons, was about Thompson's home life in Georgia with her wacky family. It featured her mom, June "Mama June" Shannon — who's undergone a stunning transformation — her dad, Mike "Sugar Bear" Thompson, and her sisters Lauryn "Pumpkin" Shannon, Jessica "Chubbs" Shannon — here's what you don't know about Honey Boo Boo's sister — and Anna "Chickadee" Shannon. Of course, the family had plenty of drama that made watching the show addictive. Sometimes, it was so bad it was good.
While Here Comes Honey Boo Boo was a major hit with fans of the young pageant queen, it was eventually canceled after reports circled that Thompson's mom was involved with a convicted criminal, according to the The Washington Post. Regardless of what happened with her family, however, viewers still love Honey Boo Boo in all her glory.
Honey Boo Boo stole hearts for speaking her mind and doing whatever she pleased in interviews
Alana "Honey Boo Boo" Thompson is so well-known, largely because of the totally random, stomach-creasing things she tends to blurt out all the time. While on TLC, she was always sharing deep, critical thoughts like, "I wish I had an extra finger — then I could grab more cheeseballs." Likewise, she was constantly spreading optimism and girl power, with lines like, "Miss Georgia 2011 is very pretty, and I don't think she farts." The kid always spoke her mind, never holding back her blunt and often unsolicited opinions.
Thompson's frankness landed her plenty of interviews, but her impulsive actions and misbehavior during those interviews only brought her more fame. Like the time she pretended to sleep while Dr. Drew was interviewing her. Or the time she just started singing during an interview on CNN. Or when she couldn't sit still with Jimmy Kimmel. No matter who was interviewing her or why, she was always up to something — something other than answering questions.
Honey Boo Boo was "sa-happy" to stop filming
Alana "Honey Boo Boo" Thompson is no longer filming her show Here Comes Honey Boo Boo on TLC. The reason? The series was canceled soon after news started cycling that her mother, June "Mama June" Shannon, was allegedly involved with a convicted child molester, according to the The Washington Post. "TLC has cancelled the series Here Comes Honey Boo Boo and ended all activities around the series, effective immediately," a network spokesperson said. "Supporting the health and welfare of these remarkable children is our only priority. TLC is faithfully committed to the children's ongoing comfort and well-being."
In the wake of the cancelation, Thompson told the Oprah Winfrey Network that she was "sa-happy," to stop filming Here Comes Honey Boo Boo, and kiss her reality TV life goodbye for some time. "When we stopped filming the show, I was kinda happy about that — and, at the same time, I was sad," she said. "So, I guess I was sa-happy."
Honey Boo Boo tried her hand at stand-up comedy
It's no secret that Alana "Honey Boo Boo" Thompson is one seriously funny girl. She had viewers cracking up with laughter for years, so it only makes sense that she try her hand at stand-up comedy, right? Well, she's (shocker) pretty darn good at rehearsed comedy!
Specifically, Thompson had a comedy club howling with laughter when she took the stage during an episode of Mama June: From Not to Hot. As it turns out, the child star can also be totally hilarious when she's actually trying to be, and not just messing around. "How many dancers does it take to install a lightbulb — you ready?" she asked the crowd at a comedy club. "Five, six, seven, eight! You get it?"
If Thompson's career as a reality TV star ever falters, at least she now knows that she could take up stand-up comedy gigs as a back-up plan.
Honey Boo Boo also stars on her mom's television show
Though Alana "Honey Boo Boo" Thompson's child star days on TLC are behind her, she's still a reality television star. Her mother, June "Mama June" Shannon, got her own show called Mama June: From Not to Hot on WE TV, and Thompson makes appearances on it.
The spin-off of Here Comes Honey Boo Boo first premiered in 2017. It shares the story of Shannon's weight loss journey and how she went from "not to hot." She shed pounds, got a new boyfriend named Geno Doak, and seemingly turned her life around. However, Geno was cheating on Shannon, stealing from her, and allegedly mentally, emotionally, and physically abusing her, according to the show.
Subsequently, Mama June: From Not to Hot has a much different vibe from Here Comes Honey Boo Boo. Additionally, Thompson is more complex on the show, often taking viewers on an emotional journey. Instead of being silly all the time, we get to see a more mature, real side of Thompson as she navigates life as a young kid in a broken family.
Honey Boo Boo had to leave home due to legal drama with her mom
On Mama June: From Not to Hot, Alana "Honey Boo Boo" Thompson's mother, June "Mama June" Shannon, got herself involved in serious drama — so much so, that Thompson has to move in with her older sister.
The reason? Shannon ended up having to go to rehab after getting arrested for possession of crack cocaine. She was detained by authorities with a pill bottle with crack cocaine inside, a number of needles, a glass pipe with a white residue, and a marijuana bong outside of a gas station in Alabama, according to TMZ. Meanwhile, her boyfriend, Geno Doak, was charged with domestic violence of the third degree for allegedly threatening Mama June's life.
Clearly, it was not the best idea for Thompson to remain in her mother's home. On the show, she tries to have an intervention with Shannon, begging her to take a step back and look at how her relationship with Geno is breaking up the family. "It's not about choice," she says of staying with her sister.
Honey Boo Boo is getting good grades in school
Sometimes with kids, bad grades and poor behavior in school can be a sign of trouble at home. But even though Alana "Honey Boo Boo" Thompson is going through a lot of family drama on the show Mama June: From Not to Hot, that hasn't stopped her from being a good student. On the series, Thompson tells her older sister Lauryn "Pumpkin" Shannon that school is "good" and that she has all As and Bs in her classes. Shannon replies that she's happy to see that Thompson is thriving in her academic pursuits, in spite of her rocky family situation.
Additionally, in an Instagram Q&A, Thompson told her followers that life is good. "[I'm] making good grades, have amazing friends, honestly can't complain," she revealed (via TV Shows Ace). It seems that the former pageant star isn't just a beauty queen; she has beauty and brains. Besides, school probably offers a much-needed respite from the chaos of her home life.
Honey Boo Boo has it pretty rough with her mom, Mama June
Alana "Honey Boo Boo" Thompson has had a pretty rough run with her mom, June "Mama June" Shannon. While the pair had a close relationship on Toddlers and Tiaras, when Shannon put her daughter through childhood beauty pageants, things have gone down hill as Thompson has gotten older.
Mainly, Thompson has had to watch her mother spiral with substance abuse while in a toxic relationship. Sadly, Thompson said her mom doesn't seem to be the same person who raised her, according to Access. "I don't even know who she is anymore," Thompson confessed in an episode of Mama June: From Not to Hot. "I don't know if things will really go back to normal because, as long as Geno is around, he is just going to keep manipulating mama and everybody else," she added.
Meanwhile, Thompson is trying to cope with the whole situation the best way she knows how: by using humor. But not everyone is laughing, as Honey Boo Boo's sisters have grown up quite a bit.
Honey Boo Boo has a pretty rocky relationship with her dad these days, too
Alana "Honey Boo Boo" Thompson doesn't have the best relationship with her dad, Mike "Sugar Bear" Thompson, either. She told OK! Magazine that the only time she sees him these days is when she's filming with him. "I tell myself all the time, I'm not going to put effort into something when there's no effort already being put in by the other person," she explained.
While Thompson tries to tell her father that she wishes they had a better relationship, and that she wants to see him at least once a month, he doesn't seem to care. Additionally, Thompson said that he's trying to buy her love with Christmas presents, but probably doesn't even remember her birthday, and barely texts her.
What's the reason for the distance? Thompson thinks that her father doesn't have a close relationship with her because she's a girl. Apparently, she was told that he always wanted a son, so she assumes that he's disappointed to have gotten her as his daughter.
Honey Boo Boo is very close with her sister and niece
Honey Boo Boo's sisters have grown up quite a bit. Perhaps that's why Alana "Honey Boo Boo" Thompson is very close with her sister, Lauryn "Pumpkin" Shannon. She even moved in with Shannon when things hit the fan with her mother.
Shannon also has a daughter of her own, whom Thompson is extremely fond of. "Being able to love on my niece like she is my own is so amazing," she gushed in an Instagram post. Thompson then went on about everything she loves doing for her niece, from "making sure that the car seat is strapped in properly before every trip" to "watching [her] breathe while she sleeps."
Additionally, Thompson said that being an aunt is super fun. "An aunt is a person you go to when you think you're in trouble or when you want something mom and dad said you couldn't have," she continued. She added that aunts are the people who take you out for ice cream and to the park after a meltdown, and that she can't wait to do that for her niece.
Honey Boo Boo competed on Dancing with the Stars
Alana "Honey Boo Boo" Thompson was a pageant queen as a child, so she's had a lot of practice in the spotlight. So if there is one thing that's for sure, it's that Thompson can handle herself on a well-lit stage before a massive audience.
That's probably why she totally rocked it on Dancing with the Stars: Juniors. "I'm on Dancing with the Stars: Juniors...and I'm just so excited to announce this," she shared on Instagram, along with a photo of her in a jazzy blue and pink dress. "I mean this is such an amazing experience. I had so much fun and [met] so many amazing people." She added that she's mentored by Artem Chigvintsev and partnered with dancer Tristan Ianiero
Thompson crushed the competition with her "princess" performance in one episode of the show, and the judges said that she only got better and better each week. It's obvious that she was born to be famous! Letting loose in front of an audience — whether she's modeling as a pageant queen, cracking jokes on television, or dancing on stage — just seems to come easy for Thompson.
Here's how Honey Boo Boo makes money outside of TV
When Alana "Honey Boo Boo" Thompson isn't filming for reality TV shows, she's been selling her own merch. She also has her own Cameo account, which apparently pulls in some serious cash, according to The Blast.
The shirts and other clothing items that Thompson sells read "Back it up, Boo Boo." She also sells dog bandanas, face masks, mugs, and more. Thompson markets her merch on social media, where she's always posting selfies rocking her own clothes.
Meanwhile, Thompson reportedly can't keep up with the sheer number of requests she gets on her Cameo account, a video-sharing platform that allows celebrities and famous influencers to send personalized video messages to their fans. In other words, Thompson has been keeping herself quite busy, you know, building her empire. She's still only a teenager, but at the rate she's going, she'll be a boss one day in the foreseeable future. She certainly has the attitude to be one, anyway.
Honey Boo Boo is a completely normal and totally "real" teen these days
The world may know Alana Thompson has the adorable "Honey Boo Boo" from TLC, but in real life, she's just your average teenage girl. Accordingly, in an Instagram post, Thompson wrote, "I may not be perfect but at least I'm not fake." And her caption couldn't be truer.
Thompson has shared a lot with fans over the years, living her life (along with all of her family drama) on television for the world to see. And while she's certainly had her fair share of ups and downs, Thompson's realness has always shined through. She is, and has always been, shamelessly herself. In a reality TV world that's often far from reality, that's a rarity. We appreciate her for it.
Nowadays, Thompson posts selfies on social media. She gushes about her best friends. And she lives her best life despite all of the challenges she faces. Thompson may have changed a lot over the years, but her sass and admirable confidence have remained. Honey Boo Boo may be all grown up, but she's still the same wild child we all love.