Alana Thompson Reveals She Never Received Money She Earned as a Child Star

Despite the setbacks she's faced, Alana Thompson is pushing ahead, channeling her energy into her college education and her new film.

Alana Thompson, who rose to fame as a child for her quick wit and larger-than-life personality on reality TV, revealed that she never received any of the money she earned during her early years in the spotlight.

The 19-year-old first captured audiences with her appearances on "The Screen Junkies Show" and TLC's "Toddlers and Tiaras," which later led to her starring role in the hit spin-off "Here Comes Honey Boo Boo."

Despite the popularity and commercial success of the shows, Thompson says she hasn't received any of the money earned during that time and has no idea how much she may have lost.

"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," she shard.

In the previous season of "Mama June: Family Crisis," tensions rose between Thompson and her mother, Mama June Shannon, after Shannon admitted she had never deposited all of Thompson's money into her Coogan account. This is a trust account that legally requires parents to deposit a portion of a child star's earnings.

Thompson believes her mother took $35,000 of her "Dancing With the Stars" earnings in 2019, during a time when Shannon had also sold their home and other belongings amid her struggles with addiction.

Although Shannon initially argued that Coogan account funds couldn't be withdrawn once deposited, she later admitted that she had never placed all the money in the account to begin with.

Thompson and her sister Lauryn "Pumpkin" Efird felt deeply betrayed after asking Shannon about the Coogan trust funds to help with college expenses, only to discover she had contributed just the bare legal minimum.

After years of appearing on television, the account held just $10,000, a revelation that left Thompson heartbroken, knowing that the money she had worked for was gone.

When questioned about where the money went, Shannon avoided giving a clear answer, instead speaking vaguely about being in a dark period in her life.

As for Thompson, she still has no clear idea how much money she earned throughout her years on television. She recalls her mother repeatedly assuring them that their futures were secure because Coogan accounts had been set up. But now, she finds herself asking, "And it's like, 'Where are the Coogan accounts now?'"

Thompson once considered suing her mother, but ultimately felt it wouldn't lead anywhere, as Shannon had followed the legal minimum requirements.

"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," the reality star explained.

Online, several people didn't share the same sense of resignation. One individual was blunt, saying, "She needs to sue mom."

Another person with similar sentiments insisted, "Sue her," before adding, "When a child becomes famous like this there should be a long place to protect their assets from their parents' blowing it."

Someone else summed up their reaction in two words, "That's terrible." Another fan criticized the system altogether, writing, "That show should’ve have mandated the parents create a trust or they should have created that baby a trust for when she turned 18. SMH reality TV at its finest."

Despite the financial setbacks from her early years in the spotlight, Thompson has remained determined to build a better future. She's currently studying nursing at Regis University in Colorado while also taking control of her own narrative through the Lifetime film "I Was Honey Boo Boo."

In the movie, Thompson reflects on her childhood fame, offering viewers a behind-the-scenes look at the pressure, public scrutiny, and personal hardships she faced, especially the challenges within her family.

According to the network, the film sheds light on how her bubbly on-screen image often masked the difficult realities of her upbringing. The project has also provided much-needed financial support for her college education.

"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 divulged.

Thompson also shared that after her sister Efird was granted custody of her in June 2022, a second Coogan account was opened in Los Angeles to manage her earnings from the We TV reality show. The funds have been directed into that account ever since.

So far, she hasn't accessed the money, choosing instead to let it accumulate for future use, knowing it will be available when she truly needs it.

Thompson is moving forward with confidence. While the future remains uncertain, she believes she's ready to face whatever comes her way.