Honey Boo Boo And BF Dralin Carswell Are Still Thriving Despite Age Gap Backlash

"Here Comes Honey Boo Boo" star Alana 'Honey Boo Boo' Thompson is going strong with her boyfriend, Dralin Carswell, despite the criticism of their relationship.

The lovebirds’ relationship began in secret but was later revealed towards the end of last year. Honey Boo Boo is sixteen while Carswell is twenty, and fans do not approve of the four-year age gap.

Nevertheless, the TV star and her sweetheart recently showed they are not bothered by people’s comments as they were captured affectionately enjoying each other’s company.

The 16-year-old took an outdoor stroll with her lover on April 12, and they were seen holding hands. Based on Page Six's report, their walk happened to be not too far from her home in McIntyre, Georgia.

She appeared totally taken with Carswell, who looked hooked while happily basking in the beautiful moment.

The pair seemed to be all over each other, and at a point, they joked around while posing behind a tree. They also munched on some ice from the area’s Frozen Frog store.

Honey Boo Boo and Carswell have been seen together severally in the past, and a source revealed to The US Sun saying, “Dralin and Alana are attached at the hip and hang out together all the time.”

“He was quiet at first, but he’s like one of the family now. He’s just as fun and crazy as the rest of them,” the insider shared regarding Carswell.

Honey Boo Boo previously spoke about her dating life last August in an interview with Teen Vogue, where she admitted she had no real friends besides her boyfriend.

She confessed, “To be honest, I do not have many friends. At all. I don’t trust nobody really, so I don’t have friends.”

After coming out about her relationship with the college student last September on Instagram, a few fans were not so taken with their love as they slammed the onscreen personality for dating an older boy.

The Blast shared that the since-deleted post showed the adorable couple beaming at the camera and sporting matching blue shirts with “That’s How I Roll” printed on them.

A fan called their relationship “disgusting,” saying no 20-year-old adult should be involved with a 16-year-old child. While another exclaimed, “Please stop normalizing this s***.”

At the time, Honey Boo Boo had been with Carswell for six months and celebrated her 16th birthday the month before.

The star did not speak up about the disapproving comments, and neither did her mother nor older sisters comment on the age gap backlash.

In light of the subject, teen stars in a relationship with older men became a trendy topic on social media as fans also expressed worry that such men were “grooming” the young celebrities.

It is no news that famous singers Olivia Rodrigo and Billie Eilish, both 18 and 19 respectively, dated guys older than themselves.

Rodrigo was seen being publicly affectionate with her 24-year-old boyfriend, Adam Faze. He was also her director and producer.

On the other hand, Eilish dated 29-year-old Matthew Tyler Vorce since early last year, and they were seen publicly together last April.

Back in September 2021, The Blast reported that Honey Boo Boo and Carswell confirmed their relationship last March when the 20-year-old changed his Facebook status to 'in a relationship.'

Details of Carswell’s life are not very known; however, he was reportedly a student at the Lincoln College of Technology in Nashville.

His Facebook page also revealed his interest in cars and sneakers. All Honey Boo Boo’s sisters follow him on social media, but her mom has no social media link to the sneakerhead.

Speaking of the TLC star’s deleted Instagram post showing she went official with her beau, details of the controversial post was shared.

The social media sensation simply wrote, "spooky season," and naturally, the post got both congratulatory and criticizing remarks.

Some supporters commended the couple for looking sweet, and they noted that the reality icon looked happy. On the other hand, several were worried that her man looked too old for her, and a fan insisted she got on birth control.

While a couple of fans may be against the relationship, Honey Boo Boo’s family totally supports the duo. In addition, she and Carswell live in Georgia, where the age of consent is 16.