Alana "Honey Boo Boo" Thompson was ready for her close-up—and her sister has her back.
Following the 16-year-old reality star's viral interview with Teen Vogue, which included a glamorous photo shoot of the teenage star, her older sibling Anna Cardwell has fired back at any trolls critical of her sister's size.
"Alana is beautiful," Anna, Alana's oldest half-sister, told The Sun. "There are models like Ashley Graham who are 200 pounds, and she has huge contracts." Citing advancements in the fashion industry, like Victoria's Secret's use of plus-size models, Anna asked, "Does weight even matter?"
She credited her younger sibling for being an example to her fellow teens. "Alana actually stood up and did it, and hopefully she gives others the courage to do it," Anna, 27, said. "Basically, she is putting herself out there, and all the teens who are overweight now—she has given them the encouragement."
During the TV family's time in the spotlight, much attention has been paid to their weight. In 2017, matriarch June Shannon chronicled her weight loss and plastic surgery transformation on WE tv's Mama June: From Not to Hot. Nearly a decade after her Toddlers & Tiaras days, Alana is sounding off on the criticism she's faced, including now amid what she views as a contradictory era of inclusivity.
"I feel like my generation is probably making it worse. Everybody's all about body positivity, body positivity, until they see a body they don't like," she told Teen Vogue. "I don't understand why people think this way. Just because I got a little bit of extra meat on my bones, you want to hate me? I'll never get body shaming."
Nor does it affect her own body image. "I know I'm beautiful," she told the website, "and I know I got a banging body, so...I don't care."