Where Are The Stars Of Toddlers & Tiaras Now?

"Toddlers & Tiaras" was once one of TLC's most popular television shows and a guilty pleasure for millions. Don't lie — those tykes were adorable, and they dropped enough hilarious one-liners to remind us that despite looking like miniature 30-year-olds, they were still toddlers through and through. But kids grow up fast, and it's been a while since we've watched them strut across a stage in gowns, full faces of makeup, and sometimes fake teeth.

Some of these young ladies landed spin-off TV shows. Others hit the books, earning good grades in middle school, high school, and — believe it or not — college. That's right, some of these stars are adulting now! The post-pageant paths of these little princesses run the gamut, from normal kid stuff — swimming, soccer, amusement parks — to seriously sophisticated endeavors — as in rap videos, modeling contracts, and million-dollar companies. Find out where the stars of "Toddlers & Tiaras" are now.

In 2021, former pageant princess Eden Wood reflected on her child-self during an interview with People where she mused, "I would describe myself as ... a country girl with big dreams from a small town." And through the years, it would seem Wood has achieved many of those dreams.

The self-proclaimed world's youngest superstar was popular enough on "Toddlers & Tiaras" to gain her spin-off show "Eden's World," the first of many future television endeavors separate from the glittery TLC show. In 2014 she starred as Darla in "The Little Rascals Save the Day," and four years later she participated in the first season of Susanna Paliotta's Telly-award-winning show "Next Big Thing NYC." 2021 was when she returned to the world of "Toddlers & Tiaras" with the three-part Discovery+ special "Toddlers & Tiaras: Where Are They Now?" Per TLC, the then-high school freshman updated her fans on her many new hobbies, including drumming, archery, and gaming, as well as her plan to attend Harvard once she graduates. Talk about those big dreams!

Wood won over 300 titles in her pageant days and continues to be a winner. In her senior year of high school, she was part of her homecoming court, spoke at the Capitol for Girls State mock trial, modeled for designers like House of Barretti and Wanda Beauchamp at New York Fashion Week, and made her very own makeup line: Dream by Eden Wood. 

Alana "Honey Boo Boo" Thompson and her family are probably the most famous characters from "Toddlers & Tiaras" and the boisterous bunch quickly took on reality television by storm. Their first spin-off show "Here Comes Honey Boo Boo" averaged 2 million viewers per episode until its sudden cancellation in 2014 after Thompson's mother, Mama June Shannon, was accused of dating a registered sex offender, per CNN. But their television reign continued with "Mama June: From Not to Hot." By 2023, the show had lasted six years and six seasons on television.

In a spread for Teen Vogue, Thompson declared the start of her independence from her infamous nickname. "My mama did not name me Honey Boo Boo," she insisted. "My name is Alana." Unfortunately, her relationship with her mother drastically changed in 2019 when Mama June and her then-boyfriend Geno Doak were arrested for drug possession (per TMZ, she plead non-guilty and received 100 hours of community service while Doak was given a 16-month jail sentence). Lauryn "Pumpkin" Efrid subsequently took custody of Thompson, per The Sun. In 2022, Thompson released her second single "So Cute", with lyrics that praised her sister and also shaded her mother.

In March of 2023, Thompson's boyfriend Dralin Carswell was arrested for a DUI after a three-mile car chase, per TMZ. Speaking to Teen Vogue two years earlier, Thompson appeared to suggest that Carswell was her only friend, saying, "I don't trust nobody really, so I don't have friends." Fortunately, Thompson continues to reclaim her image by participating in body positivity photoshoots and announcing her acceptance to the Georgia Military College Dual Enrollment program.

In her own words, Taralyn Eschberger's "red hair [would light] the stage on fire!" and help her to win title after title. The ginger pageant princess presented sweetly on "Toddlers & Tiaras" and was easily a fan favorite, especially when she would say things like, "I think I won because I was pretty." And she stays pretty! As of 2023, the 19-year-old was still showing off her long fiery hair alongside her various successes, this time on social media. 

In high school, she became a volleyball player, learned how to drive (and was even gifted a car for her 16th birthday), continues to sing and play the piano and the guitar — and beautifully, too. She also became a student at the University of Colorado. She appears to be an active member of the Boulder chapter of the international sorority Alpha Phi. And, if you really want to realize she's a grown-up now, in 2022 Taralyn posted a TikTok of her and her friends going to get tattoos together. How time flies.

In 2019, tragedy struck the Eschbergers. Tallon McCain Eschberger, the family's eldest child, was born in 2000 with many health complications and unfortunately died at the young age of 19. According to his obituary, despite being non-verbal and wheelchair-bound, Tallon, like his sister, enjoyed sports: He participated in the Special Olympics and ULL Challenger baseball until his passing. Taralyn shared heartfelt memories and photos in an Instagram post about her brother. 

Madison "Tootie" Berg was older than most of her competitors during her pageant days, but what really stood out was her diva attitude. The then 10-year-old's doting mother Stacy did most everything for her pageant princess daughter. "I wouldn't call myself a stage mom, but I am Tootie's assistant," Stacy told the show. "'Slave' would be a better word." And now it seems not much has changed.

During her segment of "Toddlers & Tiaras: Where Are They Now?" Berg proudly shared her accomplishments as a Junior at Belhaven University. "I am a cheerleader and a 4.0 student with a double major in Elementary education and psychology." Berg also maintains an impressive athletic physique, although she probably has time for all of this since her mother takes care of all of her chores (including color-coding her laundry, making her bed, and walking her dog)! Since her last television appearance, Berg has achieved her undergrad Bachelor's degree from Belhaven U and, keeping with her success as an overachiever during her beauty queen days, went on to pursue a Master's degree while doubling as a Kindergarten teacher. She was even awarded Outstanding Teacher Intern of the Year in 2021 by the Mississippi Association of Colleges.

It would appear that the Berg pageant lineage did not end with Tootie. On both her and her mother's Instagram accounts, Berg's two nieces can be seen wearing sashes and contestant numbers and certificates, one evening sporting a tiara. But let's hope the divadom ends with Berg.

Unfortunately, Paisley Scott Dickey's defining moment on "Toddlers & Tiaras" was when her mother Wendy dressed the little three-year-old up as Julia Roberts' character from "Pretty Woman." The makeshift costume disturbed pageant moms and viewers alike with the drama even leading to Wendy and her daughter making an appearance on "Dr. Phil" (a normal course of action for reality tv show dramatics).

When she first left the infamous TLC program, Peppermint Paisley stayed in the world of entertainment, making appearances on "Good Morning America", "Teens Wanna Know", and "Here Comes Honey Boo Boo". She had some television and film roles as well, including small roles in "Red Band Society" and "Beacon Point." Dickey was also briefly in the music scene. In 2012, she released her debut track, "The Booger Song," inspired by the many nostril nuggets she dug out during her time on "Toddlers & Tiaras." For her mom's short film, "Angel Tears" — in which the starred as the titular angel — she also recorded a song and music video of the same name.

As of this writing, the young adult doesn't have much of a big public image — including on social media. However, on her second, spam Instagram profile, the bio comically reads "(Tryna get famous) -> jusssst kidding." Make of that what you will. 

Known collectively as "The Tiara Twins", Giavanna and Alycesaundra Lyerly made a big impression on viewers when they debuted on season five. Their mother Kelly admitted to having spent approximately half a million dollars on her daughters' lives as beauty queens. At four years old, the girls had $80,000 dresses, a bodyguard, and a tour bus with their faces decorated across the exterior.

A decade later, the twins are still in the world of beauty. Giavanna was known on the TLC show as the daughter that wasn't as into pageantry as her sister. But in 2021, after a brush with death that left her hospitalized, she bounced back and won Miss International World Teen that same year. As for Alycesaundra, her love of glitz and glamor has been channeled into pursuing a life as a fashion designer. Her brand AlycesaundraL focuses on youthful yet glamorous designs that take inspiration from Rennaissance aesthetics. As of this writing, it was featured at New York Fashion Week for eight seasons. 

The two continue to do a lot together, too. They've hosted at least one pageant benefit for Saint Jude Children's Hospital, donate to food pantries, and continue to farm with their family. "When I was younger, I was probably annoyed that I had to share with Giavanna," Alycesaundra told People in 2021. "Luckily, we have both grown up and she is my best friend, and I [am] her biggest supporter."

As Isabella Barrett once memorably said of herself during an episode of "Toddlers and Tiaras," "I put the 'it' in Italian, baby!" Indeed, Barrett was a sassy, charming beauty queen, and her mother, Susanna was willing to spend as much as possible to keep her daughter's pageant career thriving. Barrett's mom told the Warwick Beacon that she'd spent approximately $40,000 on her daughter in the eight months since she'd started.

By the time she was six years old, Barrett had retired from the pageant world and became a millionaire — with the help of her parents gifting her a $25,000 allowance per week, of course. Her likable TV personality gained her a big online following and fanbase. She even had her own Germany-based reality show, many brand deals, and started her  own companies Glitzy Girl and Bound by the Crown, the latter of which was featured at New York Fashion Week. Her financial successes have afforded her many of the finer things in life, something she nor her mother have been shy about to this day.

Barrett has maintained an active social media presence and continues to profit from her childhood success story. As of 2023, had a clothing line called House of Barretti, participated in "The Next Big Thing NYC" with her fellow former beauty queen Eden Wood, and continues to model while offering business advice for teenagers looking to become millionaires like her. She stays busy and is proud of it!

Destiny Christian was another toddler in a tiara who made a lasting impression because of a shocking outfit. When she was four years old, her mother Lisa gave Christian a Sandy from "Grease" inspired routine and dressed her accordingly: leather jacket, pink lipstick, and topped off with a fake cigarette. Infamously, Lisa pushed the prop into her daughter's hand last minute and said, "Don't forget to smoke!" Lisa didn't think it would get her into any hot water, but boy, was she wrong. Pageant moms, judges, and even Nancy Grace expressed their disapproval, and it became what the little girl was known for. She didn't win that pageant, but following the show in 2018, Christian was crowned Miss Preteen Pittsburgh and didn't need a cigarette to do it.

Christian made her acting debut in the 2014 drama "Vanished" and followed it up with a part in the 2015 award-winning flick "Unimaginable." She has since pursued her love of dance and cheerleading and has won awards for both of those passions — she just can't help but collect those trophies, folks. In a 2022 photo shared to her Facebook page, Christian is proudly wearing a crown, and sash, while holding a bouquet of flowers, suggesting she may even still be on the pageantry circuit as of this writing. 

There were a lot of firsts on the show, and Alexis Jade Todd's mother scheduling her for a chiropractic adjustment was definitely one of them. "I'll go as far as I have to for Alexis to win," her mother Monica said on the show (via Daily Mail). "She is probably the only contestant that has come to the chiropractor for an adjustment and I think that will give her an edge over all the others." Well, the chiropractor didn't help her get the win. But she did go on to achieve many other things in her life.

Like many of her peers, Todd went into cheerleading in middle and high school. According to Twitter, she and her cheer team competed in the cheer nationals. There are also some videos of Todd practicing her tumbling. However, since 2017, the young adult seems to be inactive on most social media (at least under the name Alexis Todd). If she's still pursuing cheerleading and gymnastics, she may need a chiropractor in the future — but hopefully, she'll be the one making that decision by then.

Another pint-sized pageant star to make headlines with her appearance on the show was Alaska Mathews. Actually, it was her mother, Lori, who had to defend herself after the show portrayed her bleaching a then 8-year-old Alaska's teeth, as well as performing a home-applied eyelash dye job that went terribly wrong. Lori even found herself on "Dr. Phil" — which is never good — trying to explain why she went to such extremes in the name of child pageantry.

Thankfully, Alaska's eyes and teeth seem to be doing just fine. According to her Facebook page, she's grown up to become an active teenager who participates in cheerleading, theater, and pageantry. She was a contestant in the Feast of the Flowering Moon Teen Queen competition in May of 2017, and while she didn't place, it's great to see her competing again. In 2020, she appeared to have embarked upon her first day working as a nurse, while just a few months later she posed with her "I Voted" sticker at a voting booth (above). Jeez, how time flies.

Similarly to the Jenner of the same name, Kylie LaDuca was modeling and making money for her family at a very young age. Being the center of attention as a print model translated well to her life as a pageant princess. LaDuca and her mother Maria were always ready to "rock it out" in order to win titles like Grand Supreme. In an article in Pocono Record, Maria spoke on LaDuca's love of pageantry, and that when the little girl decided to quit it, there would be no Ifs, Ands, or Buts about it — it was always only about her daughter's enjoyment.

LaDuca was only on "Toddlers & Tiaras" for two episodes, but her life in television continued on afterward. She was on an episode of "Sunny Side Up," had a role in the crime mini-series "Elder Skelter," and voice acted for the educational program "Team Umizoomi." As of this writing, LaDuca has left TV and is appears to be focusing on giving back to the community through her family's non-profit organization Pocono Basket Brigade. Her blog calls for volunteers and is regularly updated with the family's latest contributions. 

As of 2023, LaDuca was a high school senior who enjoyed playing volleyball andmodeling. She celebrated her 17th birthday blinded by the lights with a Weeknd cake and she and her mom still seem really tight. 

Ava Bartello's biggest moment on "Toddlers & Tiaras" was her ultimate tantrum. The tiny tot had a record of regularly winning Grand Supreme at all of her pageants and she was ready to finally win Ultimate Grand Supreme. So, when she only won Grand Supreme, she was, to say the least, very dissatisfied. The show is already filled with children's crying and screams, so it's nothing to sneeze at that Bartello's stood out amongst the crowd. 

Still, as of this writing at least, it would appear that Bartello's days of standing out amongst the crowd may be behind her. Although she became a YouTuber with a focus on fashion, beauty, and lifestyle with 326 followers, her channel no longer appears to showcase any videos. The former pageant star has also kept her social media locked down tight — still, she boasts around 10k followers on her private Instagram, so she's clearly popular enough without the added attention of public profiles.

"It doesn't matter if she's three feet tall or six feet tall: Her personality rules the stage." This "Toddlers and Tiaras" quote from Lacey-Mae Mason's mother Kerry Ann pretty much sums up the talented little lady's time as a pageant princess with achondroplasia. And, despite being a little person, Mason stood tall in the crowd of girls with her bright smile, big personality, and positive presence. When asked why she wanted to win Ultimate Grand Supreme she said it was because of the money. Well, she didn't win Ultimate Grand Supreme, but she did win Overall Outfit of Choice, and she also won her money. Kerry Ann told ABC News, "I thought it would be great for her self-esteem to tell her one day that the trophy on her mantle was from a beauty pageant."

And Lacey-Mae is still racking up those achievements! She continued in the world of pageantry and won more crowns, starred as Donkey in a production of "Shrek the Musical", and became a visual artist with a love of anime. But, probably her biggest accomplishments have been her work bringing awareness to dwarfism. Mason has regular speaking engagements for the anti-bullying and dwarfism awareness campaign Peace by Piece, where she educates people — very charmingly — about her life as a little person. She's sure grown up to be a beautiful young lady.

2-year-old Ava Perez was featured in the premiere episode of "Toddlers & Tiaras" and was mostly remembered for her over-the-top pageant dad David Perez, who memorably introduced himself on an episode by saying, "I'm [Ava's] coach, makeup artist, costume designer, and her biggest cheerleader." Her father also emphasized the importance of pageants being an investment in her future and not just something to do as a child. In her interview with People, Ava reflected on her father's overzealousness. "My dad [taught] me you get out of life what you put into it. That is why I'm always dedicated and determined in everything I do, whether it's my music or my academics."

In the "Toddlers & Tiaras: Where Are They Now?" Special, Ava and David made an appearance, where they confirmed that not much has changed in terms of David's commitment to his daughter. He's one of her school's band directors and will stop to take photos of her during practice, which Perez seems quite embarrassed about. David has also declared that Ava's younger sister Alayna is an up-and-coming star. Hopefully, she finds the benefits of his attention the way her sister managed to!

SaLiz Anderson was the self-proclaimed "diva impersonator" whose mother Sarah entered her in pageants when she was an 11-month-old. While it might seem like her efforts to become a household name have been put on hold, she's nonetheless enjoyed some rockstar moments. Since leaving the show, she's pursued a career in music, launching herself as a hip-hop artist making age-appropriate tunes for young people her own age. As a result, she's recorded and released a number of tunes and even performed live with backup dancers at a spring concert.  

Anderson has also gone on to achieve big teenage milestones since "Toddlers & Tiaras." She was featured in 501 Life magazine's 100th edition, won 1st place with her volleyball team In 2017, played basketball, attended band camp, and passed her written driver's test in 2018. Whether she's rapping like a queen or just doing what teenage girls do, Anderson remains a beautiful superstar.