Alana "Honey Boo Boo" Thompson is putting everything out in the open.
Ahead of her 16th birthday on Saturday, Aug. 28, the reality TV star was the subject of a Teen Vogue feature published on Wednesday, Aug. 25. The piece involved a glamorous photo shoot, in addition to a personal interview in which the teen got candid about the people in her life, including June "Mama June" Shannon.
During the sit-down conversation, Alana shared that her mom's struggle with substance abuse has been "very, very hard" on their family. In 2019, Mama June was arrested for drug possession and entered rehab. Alana's sister, Lauryn "Pumpkin" Shannon, 21, was given legal guardianship over her.
"It's something I'd wish on nobody, for real," Alana admitted. "When my mama got real bad with her [drug use], I didn't know where I was going to end up. I'm proud of myself for how far I've come."
Earlier this year, viewers watched Alana and Mama June try to rebuild their relationship on Mama June: Road to Redemption. Cameras rolled as the mother-daughter duo reunited after one year apart.
"It's just hard because you wasn't there for my first day of high school and I think that's a pretty big thing," Alana shared through tears. "It was hard for me not having my mom there and I had to come home and tell Pumpkin what I was doing. I'm very grateful that Pumpkin was there for me, but why wasn't you there? Why wasn't you there when I needed you most?"
During her candid interview, Alana also said that she doesn't necessarily appreciate the way that people her age still appear to be critical of body types that are outside of what is seen as acceptable.
Alana said that fans expect "be little Honey Boo Boo," but that she's changed over the years. "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," the star said. "But I do not care. As long as I like myself, I'm good."
"I feel like my generation is probably making it worse," the Here Comes Honey Boo Boo alum said. "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."
She continued, "Just because I got a little bit of extra meat on my bones, you want to hate me? I'll never get body shaming."
Additionally, she shared she does "not have many friends" because she doesn't know who she can trust, and so her circle doesn't extend far beyond her current boyfriend. As she explained, "I feel like folks are so much like, 'Oh, my God, I'm friends with Honey Boo Boo.'"
Outside of reality TV, Alana has dreams of becoming a nurse after graduating from high school and college. She also hopes to move out of Pumpkin's house when she turns 18. And yes, she's confident she can afford her own space.
"I don't know what future Alana's like," she teased. "I haven't met her yet." For now, keep scrolling to see Alana through the years.