Alana 'Honey Boo Boo' Thompson Reflects On June 'Mama June' Shannon's Addiction: 'I Didn’t Know Where I Was Gonna End Up'
Alana Thompson — also known as “Honey Boo Boo” — is speaking out about her mother’s struggle with addiction.
In an interview with Teen Vogue published on Wednesday, August 25, the former beauty pageant winner opened up about her relationship with her mother, June Shannon (a.k.a“Mama June”) who was arrested in 2019 on possession of controlled substance and drug paraphernalia charges.
“A lot of folks in this world do not realize how many people are actually really affected by drug and alcohol [use],” Thompson told the outlet. “It’s very, very hard. It’s something I’d wish on nobody, for real.”
Her older sister, Lauryn “Pumpkin” Shannon, was granted legal guardianship over Thompson at the time of their mother’s arrest in 2019.
“When my mama got real bad with her [drug use], I didn’t know where I was going to end up,” she continued in the interview. “I’m proud of myself for how far I’ve come.”
The teenage TV personality, who was previously estranged from her mother, revealed that they are working on getting their relationship “back on track,” and that she’s proud of her mom’s progress so far.
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Thompson, who is about to be a 16-year-old, first gained notoriety as a young child star on TLC’s hit show, Toddlers and Tiaras, which began when she was only five years old.
Her spinoff show, Here Comes Honey Boo, which also featured her sisters, Mama June, and other family members, was cancelled in 2014 after it came to light that her mother dated a convicted child molester.
Following Mama June’s jaw-dropping transformation, TLC launched another spinoff in 2017, Mama June: From Not To Hot, which was later renamed to Mama June: Road To Redemption.
Thompson also told Teen Vogue that she prefers not to be called by her stage name “Honey Boo Boo” anymore, saying, “My mama did not name me Honey Boo Boo. My name is Alana.”
"They are completely two different people," she added. "I would say that I do like this Alana now, rather than the younger Alana."
