The relationship between 16-year-old Alana “Honey Boo Boo” Thompson and 21-year-old Dralin Carswell has not been universally supported by Mama June: Road to Redemption fans, and a recently resurfaced event from 2019 certainly won’t help convince the doubters.
According to police and court documents obtained by The Sun, Dralin was arrested in May 2019, initially charged with statutory rape.According to police reports, Dralin– who was 18 at the time of his arrest— was busted for having sex with a 15 year-old.
After the incident was exposed by The Sun, an interview was posted, showing Alana and her older sister (and legal guardian) Lauryn “Pumpkin” Shannon defending Dralin and his relationship with Alana.
Dralin’s arrest–- which seemingly occurred before Dralin and Alana began dating– happened after the mother of the alleged victim brought her daughter to the police station claiming Dralin climbed through her daughter’s window and had sex with the 15-year-old. Dralin was 18 years old at time.
While the alleged victim told police the sex was consensual, the legal age of consent in Georgia is 16. The 15-year-old went on to tell police the plan was for Dralin to “come to the house and while there they had consensual unprotected sex in her bedroom.”
Dralin told police the 15-year-old was his girlfriend. When originally questioned by police about what happened, Dralin lied and claimed to have never been at the girl’s house. However, when Dralin’s friends were questioned, they admitted to dropping Dralin off at the girl’s house and picking him up an hour later.
The friends also claimed that Dralin “was scared and told them to drive fast” when they picked him up, as the 15-year-old’s “mama had caught him inside the house.”]
Dralin was initially charged with statutory rape, but after completing a pretrial diversion program, he was able to have the claim dismissed for making a false statement to law enforcement. During Dralin’s pretrial hearing in June 2021, he agreed to fulfill the terms of the program in exchange for having the charge dismissed.
During the hearing, the assistant district attorney said they didn’t feel they could prove statutory rape occurred due to lack of evidence. However, they could prove that Dralin made a false statement to law enforcement.
Dralin allegedly completed the requirements of the program on December 13, at which point the case was dismissed.
Earlier this week, Alana addressed some of the criticism she’s received over her relationship with Dralin. (It appears the interview was filmed before Dralin’s arrest record was exposed, though.)
Alana told ET she believes the “haters” judge them not only for their age gap, but for being an interracial couple as well. Regardless of the reason behind the criticism, Alana said she isn’t worried about it, because she and Dralin have the approval of those who really matter.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CgApHj5J_FH/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
“I don’t care because, like, at the end of the day, my sister [Pumpkin] approves, his mom approves, and we’re happy,” she said. “So what fans got to say or what haters got to say I really don’t care.”
Pumpkin echoed Alana’s sentiments, stating that she has not problem with the age gap between Alana and Dralin.
“He is a little bit older but [my husband] Josh is a little bit older than me,” Pumpkin said. “But that’s obvious [where] a lot of backlash that they get [comes from]. But I like Dralin a lot. The kids love Dralin, Josh loves Dralin. I don’t care about all the background noise. His family is so great…they have been very good to us and they have treated us just like family.”
Pumpkin also noted that her sister is more mature after growing up in the spotlight.
“She’s not getting married, she’s not having a kid, she’s doing very good in school…They really are on the same wavelength…Alana has seen a lot, done a lot so Alana is very mature for her age,” she said.
Pumpkin stated that she has strict rules set for Alana and Dralin when Dralin visits.
“She already knows the rules. You ain’t shutting no bedroom doors. You gonna sit out here and hang out with us. Dralin’s always been very respectful about boundaries and stuff that we’ve set here in our home and outside of the home…just don’t be coming in at 2 or 3 in the morning. This is not no frathouse!”
Dralin, Alana and Alana’s family have yet to comment on Dralin’s 2019 arrest.
You can watch Alana and Pumpkin’s interview with Entertainment Tonight below!
RELATED STORY: Alana “Honey Boo Boo” Explains Why She’s Considering Weight Loss Surgery at 17; Says She Has “No Motivation” To Eat Healthy & Exercise
(Photos:Instagram; We TV)
20 Responses
I find it highly disturbing that 95% of the comments here are dissecting a teenagers sex life.
Ummm did mama June not continue to allow her children to be around a known sex offender that assaulted one of her children?
I’m not surprised that pumpkin and alannah would not think that all of this is wrong considering their upbringing and exposure to these type of men.
Let’s all be honest, I had consensual sex with a BF and I was 15 and he was 18. We both knew what we were doing. Perhaps Dralin shouldn’t have snuck in her parent’s house but let’s be fair, a lot of us have done the same and the statutory rape charge is devastating and not fair considering 18 year old males are less mature than 15 year old females.
It’s NEVER consensual if the person is underage. There is NEVER a time when this would be okay. EVER!!!!
Wow I’m shocked thought he was her age. Wtf is pumpkin thinking, this guy out for free ride just like momma june men are. So disappointed in pumpkin and Josh. Not very good role models letting this crap happen. Different when she least 18 not 16 ?
No one cares that he’s a black dude.
Everyone cares that he’s obviously a letch
The problem here is because she is UNDERAGE! And what was he doing sleeping with a 15-year old anyway?! If he really loved her, he would have waited, they both would. This relationship would be okay if she was the one who is 21 and he was 26 because they would both be adults but she isn’t an adult yet! And considering his past…Pumpkin, I thought you were smarter than your mother, shame on you for allowing this. Poor Alana is too young to understand this, she just started dating him cuz she fell in love while his intentions…could be fame or even predatory, who knows. Gross.
So it answers the question that they are sexually active.
This is a case where Alana appears mature but isn’t.
This guy seems very immature and a bit off.
And as great a job Pumpkin is doing she got pregnant herself as a teenager.
So there is an acceptance there subconsciously.
Unfortunately the cycle continues.
She’s clearly not very mature when she makes statements like the ones she did about the surgery.
And the bf is gonna get one too – like He’s paying for that himself. Im from Europe, the age difference dont really bother me that much, it is common her – or the interracial thing, again dont really bother me, I do think it is hard to be in an interracial relationship living in the South.
But I do think he seems a bit off, Fame and money make people do strange things and I hope this is not why He’s with her ..
I think she’ll be pregnant soon however ..
Now I’m legitimately terrified for Alana.
Wasn’t a fan of the bf before because of the age difference, especially since she has some money and fame, but this…? Coupled with her wanting to do weight loss surgery without changing her lifestyle at all.
These things are two very big choices here that could completely change the trajectory of her life.
Right. I’m suspicious of ALL of these guys that get with reality stars.
Alana “fits a profile” that makes her susceptible to a scammer. She’s young, famous, terrible home life, is not healthy. She’s a prime target for guys like this.
Adults need to step in before its too late.
So at first I was thinking what’s the big deal, until I read that Alana is 16 and he’s 21. Um that would NEVER happen under my watch. That is so wrong!
Every Single Time….
This girl has never been modeled healthy relationships. Shame on pumpkin for allowing this.
She is 16. He is 21.
Pumpkin needs to step up, call the police, get this man arrested, and take her to therapy.
Alana has never had a stable father figure (or a stable mother) and until she deals with her issues she will continue to see validation from older men.
He seems to have a pattern of going after younger girls and that feels like a big red flag to me. Age gaps aren’t the issue. What does a 16yr old have in common with a 21yr old? Maybe I’m looking too deep but this is concerning
Nah you on the money, the life of a 16yr is so different from a 21yr. You do so much maturing in your teens through 25. Your stress, activities and daily life is so different. I’d say he could just be an immature guy but he’s got a pattern of going after teens, it’s sketchy as hell.
I never understand why some states has AOC at 16. Personally I would make it 21 but legally you’re an adult at 18 so why not just have it 18 across the board.
if there’s any teenage girls reading this just remember, there’s a reason girls his age aren’t dating him
What a grey path she is on. Has a boyfriend who slept with a 15 year old (way too young to be having sex) and some plastic surgery, all before the age of 18..
Kinda gross. I get an 18yr old boy is mentally equivalent to a 15yr old girl, but still gross.