Mama June Supports Daughter Alana 'Honey Boo Boo' Thompson, 16, Dating a 20-Year-Old: She's 'Grown Up'

Mama June Shannon is defending her 16-year-old daughter Alana "Honey Boo Boo" Thompson's relationship with a 20-year-old.

Shannon, 42, opened up about the criticism of Thompson for dating Dralin Carswell in an interview with TooFab published on Tuesday.

"Yes, I've met Dralin. They've been together for over a year," the Mama June: Road to Redemption star shared. "People need to realize that she's going to be 17 in August and that [Alana's older sister] Pumpkin and Josh were the same age as they were."

"She is getting a lot of hate because she's in an interracial relationship, he is older," she added. "But at the end of the day, Alana's not that 6-, 7-year-old child y'all fell in love with 11 years ago. Alana has grown up, she's graduating high school next year, guys!"

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In an interview with Entertainment Tonight on Monday, Shannon shared one concern about her daughter's boyfriend.

"He's good. He needs to hold down a job a little bit more," Shannon said. "I mean, he's not bad. He doesn't treat her bad or anything like that."

She added, "They're [young] and they've been together over a year. So, if they last? Fine. If they don't, it can be her first love."

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Last month, Thompson shared a photo of herself holding hands with Crarswell, writing, "park dates with you are the best."

The Toddlers & Tiaras alum previously went Instagram official with her boyfriend in September but later deleted the snap due to criticism of their relationship, according to Page Six.

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Shannon also opened up to ET about rebuilding her relationship with her teenage daughter, which is documented on Road to Redemption. Thompson currently lives with older sister, Lauryn "Pumpkin" Shannon.

"Our relationship is going good. You'll see that throughout the season," she shared. "She is turning 17 in August. So that's the thing, she is graduating next year. A lot of people still look at her as that 6-year-old little girl, but she's [grown up]."

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In November, Thompson opened up to PEOPLE about growing up in the public eye.

"I feel like so many people still look at me as that little girl that very first came on TV," she said. "Even when the posts about me and my boyfriend coming out, I feel like there was so many people that were still treating me like I was 6 years old."

Mama June: Road to Redemption airs Fridays at 9 p.m. ET on WE tv.