- Dralin Carswell has been Honey Boo Boo’s boyfriend since 2021.
- They’ve sparked engagement rumors in the past.
- He was recently arrested for DUI and attempting to flee the scene.
Alana “Honey Boo Boo” Thompson is known for having a chaotic personal life. From her start on TLC hit series Toddlers & Tiaras to her rise to stardom in Here Comes Honey Boo Boo, Alana and her family have been the subject of intense scrutiny for their lifestyle and choices. And at just 17, even her love life has courted controversy — boyfriend Dralin Carswell, 20, was arrested on Tuesday, February 28. The brief incarceration seems to echo a family pattern of dating men with legal problems. Her equally famous mother, Mama June Shannon, dated a string of shady characters before finally marrying Justin Stroud twice — in a private ceremony, then in a surfside event in February of 2023.
So who exactly is Dralin Carswell? As news of his arrest emerges, find out everything to know about the former child pageant contestant’s serious boyfriend.
1. He’s a Georgia native.
Dralin was born in 2002 in Georgia, making him 21 years old. Per his Facebook profile, he currently lives in McIntyre, Georgia. According to The Sun, his girlfriend lives nearby in Gordon with her sister Lauryn “Pumpkin” Shannon after Mama June was arrested on drug charges in 2021.
2. He’s had a famous girlfriend since early 2021.
Per InTouch, Honey Boo Boo first hinted at her relationship with Dralin during an Instagram Live Q & A in January of 2021. When a fan asked if she had a boyfriend, she responded, “yessss!” They went social media official eight months later, when she shared a pic in a pumpkin patch in matching shirts, and wrote “Bae” over the photo. They sparked engagement rumors in 2022 when she was seen wearing what looked like a diamond ring.
3. Dralin has faced backlash.
Due to their age gap, which sees Alana still a teenager and Dralin a legal adult, the couple have faced fan backlash — despite the fact that the age of consent in Georgia is 16. In a July 2022 interview, the reality star defended him. “I don’t care because, like, at the end of the day, my sister approves, his mom approves and we’re happy, so what fans got to say or what haters got to say, I don’t really care,” she told Entertainment Tonight at the time. Dralin also has sister Lauryn’s approval. “She’s not getting married, she’s not having a kid, she’s doing very good in school,” Pumpkin defended them.
4. He’s been to technical school.
According to his Facebook profile, Alana’s boyfriend of two years attended Lincoln Technical School in Nashville after attending Wilkinson County High School.
5. Dralin has had a history of legal problems.
Unfortunately, despite the approval of Alana’s family, he’s had a few legal problems. On February 28, 2023, he was arrested in Georgia for driving under the influence and attempting to flee the scene. HollywoodLife confirmed in a March 2 report that he spent two days in jail before posting a $25,000 bond. And according to InTouch, he was also arrested in May of 2019 for statutory rape.
Dralin was 18 at the time of the alleged encounter, and he was accused of climbing through a window to have consensual sex with a 15-year-old, per a police report obtained by The Sun at the time. The alleged incident happened two years before he began a relationship with Alana.