Latest news with #childstar
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Alana Thompson Says She's Never Received Any Money Earned from 'Toddlers and Tiaras 'or 'Here Comes Honey Boo Boo' (Exclusive)
Alana "Honey Boo Boo" Thompson reveals that she's never received any of the money she earned as a child star on TLC's Toddlers & Tiaras and Here Comes Honey Boo Boo Thompson says that she's contemplated suing her mother Mama June Shannon for taking most of her earnings, but admits she isn't sure the law would be on her side Thompson is hopeful she'll be able to earn back some of what she's lost through future projects and shares how she's paying for her college tuition Alana "Honey Boo Boo" Thompson will never know exactly how much of her childhood earnings she's lost. The reality star, 19, became an early rising star for her quippy one-liners and rambunctious persona on TLC's Toddlers & Tiaras. Her undeniable chemistry with the network cameras eventually led to her own spin-off series, Here Comes Honey Boo Boo. She says she hasn't seen a single cent from either show. "I never had gotten all the money. I have never, ever received the Here Comes Honey Boo Boo money. I've never seen it. Never ever even heard of it, if I'm being completely honest. I don't know what happened to it," Alana tells PEOPLE. Last season on Mama June: Family Crisis, viewers saw Alana and her mother Mama June Shannon go head-to-head after Mama June confessed to taking funds out of Alana's Coogan account, a trust where parents of child stars are legally required to deposit a percentage of their earnings. The teen claims Mama June, who sold their home and other belongings at the height of her addiction, took $35,000 of her earnings for appearing on Dancing With the Stars in 2019. 'I let my mama drag me through a lot of s---, but I think my breaking point was when she stole my money,' Alana says. Only recently did Mama June return it, but 'there was no 'I'm sorry,'' says Alana, who adds only $10,000 was saved in her Coogan account. After Thompson and her sister Lauryn "Pumpkin" Efird asked Shannon about her earnings to pay for her college education, they discovered that their mother intentionally deposited the bare minimum she was legally required to and her account only had a balance of $10,000 after countless years on television. Says Mama June: 'I can't really talk about [the money]. That's part of this season,' referencing Family Crisis, which returns May 30. In response to other disparaging claims about her in the Lifetime biopic, 'I don't remember who that person was,' she says, 'because I've worked so much on myself.' To this day, Thompson admits she doesn't know exactly how much she's earned over the years. "It was just so long ago," she adds. "At that time, Mama always just stressed to us like, 'Oh, I'm setting you up for your future. You have Coogan accounts.' And it's like, 'Where are the Coogan accounts now?'" "I thought about suing her at one point, but I just know that I wouldn't probably get anything out of the end of the bargain because by law, she did what was right," Thompson reveals. "By law, she at least put 20 percent in my account. And the other 80, she said that she used to take care of me. So the law, I feel like wouldn't see really a problem with what she did, I guess." Despite her missing funds, the television personality hasn't let anything stop her from pursing higher education. She's currently a nursing student at Regis University in Colorado. She's also reclaiming her own story in Lifetime's I Was Honey Boo Boo. Thompson narrates the film as she look back at her days of child stardom. Per the official logline, the movie offers a glimpse into what went on behind the scenes, revealing how her on-stage persona "concealed the harsh reality of constant criticism and family struggles, particularly with her mother, Mama June." Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Thompson tells PEOPLE that the Lifetime movie has "helped a lot" with paying her college tuition. "I'm hoping that there's more work coming for me in the future, but with this movie plus filming on the [Mama June: Family Crisis] show, I've just kind of been saving and making sure that I don't get to the end of my pot," she says. She reveals that her sister Pumpkin set up a second Coogan account in Los Angeles when she received custody of her in June 2022. Her earnings from the We TV reality show have been funneled into the account. "I've yet to even go and get that, if I'm being honest, because I'm in the mindset of — if I don't actually need it, I might as well just let it save up," Alana says. "And when I do actually need it, it'll be there for me." Mama June: Family Crisis returns May 30 on We TV. Read the original article on People
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
'Modern Family' Star Unrecognizable in New Video 5 Years After Show Ended
Modern Family child star was unrecognizable in a new video posted five years after the popular show ended. In May, the actress behind Lily Tucker-Pritchett in the beloved ABC sitcom shared a TikTok video of herself discussing what it was like growing up on TV. 🎬 SIGN UP for Parade's Daily newsletter to get the latest pop culture news & celebrity interviews delivered right to your inbox 🎬 Although she was only 4 when Modern Family started airing in 2009, Anderson-Emmons is now 17. The mockumentary-style series ran for 11 seasons until its cancellation in 2020. The actress, who now sports bangs and is much older than she was on the show, opened up about what it was like growing up on TV. "I was not forced into anything," Anderson-Emmons said of her child stardom. "Like, my mom wasn't like, 'You're gonna do this.' Like, it was not like that, and I was not abused on set or anything like that. Like, I swear to God." She continued, "But, it's true. You don't know what you're getting yourself into as a 4-year-old when, like, you sign a contract to be on a show." "I just think it was really hard for me to grow up with so many people's opinions," she continued, noting it was difficult to handle rejection while auditioning for roles after Modern Family ended. After taking a break from acting for a few years, Anderson-Emmons said she got involved in her high school theater program and realized she really did love acting. Recently, she has started auditioning for roles again in addition to creating original music. Check out her singing skills! All 11 seasons of Modern Family are available to stream on Peacock. Next:
Fox News
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Fox News
Alana 'Honey Boo Boo' Thompson claims she's never seen a dime of money made from TLC reality show
Alana "Honey Boo Boo" Thompson is speaking out about her struggles as a child star. The now-19-year-old rose to fame at the age of 5 when she appeared in a classic episode of TLC's "Toddlers & Tiaras." TLC later gave her family their own reality show, "Here Comes Honey Boo Boo," in 2012. Thompson claimed in a new interview with People that despite starring in the popular show, she's never seen any of the money from it. She also alleged that her mother, June "Mama June" Shannon, took $35,000 from her earnings during her appearance on "Dancing with the Stars" in 2019, only returning the money recently—but without any apology. "There was no, 'I'm sorry,'" Thompson said. Shannon has been candid about her struggle with drug addiction, sharing in the past that she went broke funding her habit. She's now sober, but for much of Thompson's childhood, she was in active addiction, to the point where Thompson's older sister, Lauryn "Pumpkin" Efird, took custody of her when she was 14. "I noticed something was off about her," Thompson told People of Shannon's addiction. "She started locking her doors, which really made me think, 'Oh, what is she doing?'" Thompson admitted her mother's drug addiction humiliated her, even when she attended school. "People were like, 'I saw your mama on the news with a busted tooth, strung out,'" Thompson remembered. "I'm like, 'Great, like I didn't see that too.'" Still, she pushed past her hurdles and focused on her education, explaining, "I just always told myself you know that you want to do something better with your life and bigger with your life than just being on TV, so you've got to get up and go, you've got to graduate so you can make it to college and be the nurse that you want to be." In 2019, Shannon along with her boyfriend, Geno Doak, was arrested on suspicion of drug possession following a domestic dispute at an Alabama gas station. Details about what drew police to the gas station were not released at the time. Doak had a lengthy criminal history that included arrests for theft, burglary and criminal damage to property. The couple had been dating for three years. Around this time, Shannon began selling her belongings, and eventually her home. This was also when she lost custody of Thompson. In 2020, Shannon and Efird met on the family's latest reality show, "Mama June: Family Crisis," to discuss a path for her to return to Thompson's life. That's when she dropped the big confession about her past drug habits. "The only reason I sold the house… we was dead f---ing broke," she explained. "Because, you know, at that point we was doing quite a bit. I mean, it was a couple ounces a day. Our habit was $2,500 a day, if not more." While Shannon is now five years sober, Thompson opened up about how difficult it was to forgive her mother's tumultuous past. "[Forgiveness] was hard, but at the end of the day, she's my mom. When she was bad in her addiction, I just kept thinking about the day she'd recover. We're going pretty good. Hopefully it lasts. I just no longer have any expectations for her." Thompson is currently a rising junior in college, studying nursing and living in Colorado with her longtime boyfriend, Dralin Carswell, 24. Shannon did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.
Daily Mail
12-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Former Modern Family child star looks unrecognizable as she shares harsh realities of growing up in spotlight
A former Modern Family child star looked unrecognizable in a new video... as she dished on the harsh realities of growing up in the spotlight. Aubrey Anderson-Emmons, now 17, became a massive star after she made her acting debut as Lily Tucker-Pritchett on the beloved ABC sitcom at only four years old. For eight years, she captured audiences' hearts while playing the adorable daughter of Cam (Eric Stonestreet) and Mitchell (Jesse Tyler Ferguson), and the entire world seemed to watch on as she matured into a young woman - both in the show and in real life. But now, she has opened up about what it was really like to be propelled into the spotlight at such a young age. Taking to TikTok, the actress admitted that she had no idea 'what she was getting herself into' when she joined the show at age four. She also revealed that she was subjected to a slew of cruel criticism, which led to her ultimately fleeing from the spotlight after the show ended. 'Have some tea and chat with me about how I grew up on a TV show and what my plans are for the future,' she began in the clip, which was viewed over one million times. 'As many of you guys know, I grew up on a TV show called Modern Family and I was on that show for eight years of my life... since I was four years old until the age of 12. Taking to TikTok, the actress admitted that she had no idea 'what she was getting herself into' when she joined the show at age four 'People ask things like, "How did you know you wanted to do that when you were four? How do you know you love something when you're so young?" And the truth is, you don't.' Aubrey insisted that she was 'not forced into anything,' adding, 'My mom wasn't like, "You're going to do this," it was not like that.' But she confessed that it wasn't as glamorous as some may think. 'I was not abused on set or anything like that, but you don't know what you're getting yourself into at four years old when you sign a contract to be on a show,' she said. Aubrey pointed out that being on that show was basically 'all she knew' so she felt like she didn't have many other memories from her childhood. She also admitted that being in the public eye meant she was subjected to nasty comments from others, which wasn't easy. 'Also, being on a TV show from a young age, people really took digs at my acting choices or they would say I'm a bad actor,' she recalled. 'I don't feel like I need to prove myself to other people... but it was really hard for me to grow up with so many people's opinions around me.' The 17-year-old explained that after the show concluded, she started trying out for other roles. But because she had been in the show since she was so young, she had basically no experience with the audition process. 'I slowly started to realize I was very sensitive at that age and I could not handle that type of rejection,' she continued. 'So I took a break for a few years.' But now, Aubrey said she's ready to return to the spotlight. 'When I got into my high school theater program I realized that I wanted to do this again and that I actually really enjoy it,' she explained. 'So I have been auditioning for the last two years seriously. For anyone who's been wondering, "Are you going to be on TV again and would you like to be on TV again or to do films?" Yes, absolutely, I would love to. 'And it's gonna happen. In addition to being on your screens again I would also like to be in your headphones or speakers because I'm not creating original music, yay! I've been writing music for three years now.' Aubrey revealed that her new single, Telephones and Traffic, is set to come out on May 23. She revealed that she was subjected to a slew of cruel criticism, which lead to her ultimately fleeing from the spotlight after the show ended But now, Aubrey said she's ready to return to the spotlight, revealing, 'I have been auditioning for the last two years seriously' 'I am grateful for all that Modern Family has given me, but it's time to move on to another chapter of my life where I get to share who I am,' she concluded 'I am grateful for all that Modern Family has given me, but it's time to move on to another chapter of my life where I get to share who I am,' she concluded. 'I'm excited for you guys to see it.' Last February, Aubrey told that she would be open to reprising her iconic Modern Family role for a spin-off series. She said: 'I'd definitely be interested if the script was good and the dads were on board, but school is my priority right now - unless something great comes along. 'I feel like the finale left possibilities and I think that's why people are always talking about a spinoff of the Tucker Pritchard family.'
News.com.au
08-05-2025
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
Why Ariel Winter virtually disappeared after Modern Family
Modern Family star Ariel Winter says she left Los Angeles to escape the trauma of growing up in the spotlight. Winter, now 27, gained fame after starring in the hit sitcom show as Alex Dunphy. As she transitioned from child star to teen celebrity, Winter said the negative comments about her body took a toll on her self-esteem. 'It was just everywhere,' she told People magazine. 'It was every headline I read about myself, like, grown people writing articles about me saying how I looked terrible or pregnant or like a fat s**t. I mean, I was 14. It totally damaged my self-esteem.' 'I understood what it was like to be hated,' Winter added. 'No matter what I was going through, I was a target. It made it very difficult to look at myself in the mirror and go, 'I love this version of me.'' Winter's childhood wasn't only marred by the harsh lights of Hollywood. The young actress was allegedly abused by her mother, who has denied the allegations. At the age of 14, Winter was placed with her sister, Shanelle Gray, after being removed from her home by Child Protective Services. 'I went on to have a great rest of my teenage years thanks to being under her custody,' Winter told the outlet. Winter said her trauma really just stems from 'just my entire childhood.' 'It's a really deep, painful, sore, sore part for me that's so much deeper and bigger than I've ever felt ready to talk about,' she said. Winter and the cast of Modern Family finished filming the show in 2020. At the time, the actress and her boyfriend, actor Luke Benward, chose to get out of Los Angeles. However, Winter is still pursuing acting along with producing. Some personal projects include starting a podcast and developing a cooking show, according to People magazine. 'I didn't leave the industry,' she told the outlet. 'I just left the city of L.A,' Winter explained. 'It holds some not-great memories for me, and I'm young and never lived anywhere else, and thought, 'Why not?' If you're no longer on a network show that shoots there, you don't really have to be there, and if I get a network show, I can easily go back.'
