'DWTS Juniors' fans slam Mama June as she 'threatened' daughter Honey Boo Boo's pro coach: 'I can't...'
Alana 'Honey Boo Boo' Thompson has to be the last person on earth who needs an introduction. After her memorable stint on TLC's 'Toddlers & Tiaras,' Thompson took a major step in her reality TV career by joining 'Dancing with the Stars: Juniors.' As expected, she brought back her trademark energy and didn't hold back in speaking her mind, so much so that her pro partner Tristan Ianiero was visibly intimidated. However, fans were left irked when Thompson's mother, June Shannon, aka Mama June, made a threatening remark towards Ianiero, making them call her out.
In the premiere of 'Dancing With the Stars: Juniors,' Thompson appears overwhelmed as she begins rehearsals with partner Ianiero and mentor Artem Chigvintsev, as per Entertainment Weekly. Struggling even before dancing starts, Thompson admits, "I'm gonna pass out," as she climbs the stairs alongside Mama June. Afterwards, Thompson confidently introduced herself, saying, "I'm Alana Thompson and most people know me as Honey Boo Boo."
After meeting the pro dancers, Mama June playfully warned them, "Hey, all I got to say to you is don’t be looking in her direction. Just dance with her very nicely, because then you have to have her stepfather attend to you." Junior pro Ianiero then introduced himself and his impressive dance credentials as he said, " Oh, I have won two national titles, it was Mini Male Best Dancer 2015 and Junior Male Best in 2017 at the Dance Awards." It was during rehearsals when mentor Chigvintsev gave instructions but Thompson grew frustrated, saying in a behind-the-scene interview, "Looks like you’re a professional dancer, but I'm not, so…”
Ianiero also struggled to keep Thompson on beat, complaining, "You’re just walking," to which she snapped back, "I'm not walking." Ianiero mimicked her steps and said, "You like like this." In a side interview, Thompson admitted, "I was expecting the dance to be kind of fast, but not like as fast as it actually is." Things ended on a heartfelt note as Thompson shoved Ianiero aside, saying, "Tristan, get out of my view."
While fans expressed their love for both Thompson and Ianiero, some also criticized Mama June's comments under a YouTube video. A fan said, "I can't believe Mama June threatened a kid," while another said, "Threatening the coach. That's definitely getting off on the wrong foot. Looks like Artem and Tristan have their work cut out for them." A fan commented, "OMG her mom mama june threatening the pro dancer? Poor kid.. no hi nice to meet, nope just a threat. ridiculous...." A fan commented, "I LEGIT CRINGED SO HARD WHEN THE MOM WAS LIKE DON'T LOOK AT HER IM CURRENTLY DYING SKSKSKSK."
Not only that, in a sneak peek from the season 3 premiere of 'Mama June: From Not to Hot,' Thompson meets Ianiero, and is immediately smitten. "Oh my god, so cute!" she exclaims after seeing him dance, as per Yahoo! Entertainment. "Wow, you do that with your body. How does it move like that?" When Ianiero asks her about her favorite style of dance, the usually confident star becomes shy. "What if he wants to go out, like on a date?" she asks her mom, Mama June to which she quickly responds, "You’re 13!" implying that she's too young to date.