After years in the spotlight as the star of “Honey Boo Boo” and other reality shows, Alana Thompson has learned not to worry about what anyone thinks of her. The former Toddlers & Tiaras star, now almost 16, is focused on how she feels about herself and her body, and not on the opinions of others, she told Teen Vogue in a new profile. But she said she gets a lot of unsolicited opinions on social media, including body-shaming comments.
“I don’t understand why people think this way,” she said of the critical comments. “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 Thompson also thinks that while much has been made about her fellow Gen Z-ers by pushing for more body positivity and inclusivity, it’s not working, and fat phobia is still going strong.
“I feel like my generation is probably making it worse,” she said. “Everybody’s all about body positivity, body positivity, until they see a body they don’t like.”
In her case, Alana is able to sweep away the trolling. “Like, I know I’m beautiful, and I know I got a banging body, so…I don’t care,” she said.
Along with the body shaming on social media, the former pageant star also faces criticism about how she dresses and her beauty choices. “I guess people still expect me to be little Honey Boo Boo, and I’m not anymore,” she said. “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.”
And Alana Thompson doesn’t try to compare herself to others. “I never look at people and think, ‘Oh, I wish I was like her,'” she continued. “Because I would never want to be like anybody. I am my own person.”
Alana said she is currently focused on her schooling, and wants to become a neonatal nurse. She lives with her sister, Lauryn Shannon, who is now her legal guardian after her mother, June Shannon was arrested for possession of a controlled substance and paraphernalia. Alana said she is currently repairing her relationship with her mother and they are “getting back on track.”
