See Where The Girls From Toddlers and Tiaras Are Today
When Toddler and Tiaras aired on TLC in 2009, viewers were immediately hooked. They were getting a behind-the-scenes look at crazed stage moms and toddlers who were addicted to eye shadow, sequins, and hairspray. While the show might have been controversial at times, such as Paisley Dickey dressing up as Julia Roberts' Pretty Woman, people couldn't get enough of the glitz and glamour.
Years have passed since the cancellation of the show. And while fans like to believe the girls stayed spunky toddlers forever, they are far from it! Take a look at what some of the contestants are up to today.
Taralyn Eschberger
Taralyn Eschberger joined the cast of Toddlers in Tiara's in 2009 when she was only four years old. On the TLC reality show, Taralyn was known as being the perfectionist, wanting to win first place in every pageant she entered. She was poised and did very well under the intense pressure that comes with the lifestyle.
Since then, Taralyn took a step away from pageantry and show business to focus on school and have a normal childhood. She is a straight-A student and is enjoying extracurriculars at her high school. She's on the cheerleading squad and has been dabbling in singing and songwriting.
Lacey-Mae Mason
Lacey-Mae Mason was known on the show for being one of the less-competitive girls-- a refreshing attitude from the rest of the toddlers. Her mother once said that she got Lacey-Mae into the pageant circuit to boost her confidence, something she lacked because of her dwarfism.
Lacey-Mae continues to participate in the pageantry circuit, but not without some extracurriculars on the side. The ambitious young girl helped create the Facebook page "Piece by Piece," to bring awareness to dwarfism and bullying. She frequently writes on the page, sharing her own stories and experiences living with the condition.
Alycesaundra Lyerly
One-half of the "Tiara Twins" was Alycesaundra Lyerly-- she was only four years old. Her mother was very concerned with the success of her daughter, spending up to $500,000 on various competitions, dresses, a practice building, tour buses, and even a bodyguard. Ironically, all of that money didn't mean Alycesaundra was going to stay in the circuit.
Today, Alycesaundra still competes, but her true passion requires a catwalk. She is a highly successful fashion designer! Her clothing line, AlycesaundraL, even made an appearance during New York Fashion Week in 2018. In 2020, she will be showcasing her designs in New York yet again.
Alaska Mathews
On Toddler in Tiaras, Alaska Mathews wasn't best-known for her pageantry, but rather her mother. During her time on the show, fans continually questioned the beauty routine Alaska's mom put her through. First, she bleached the young girl's teeth and then dyed her eyelashes. Viewers watched as the dye even bled into Alaska's eyes!
The antic led her and her mother to appear on Dr. Phil. Despite the drama, she continues rocking the pageant circuit today. Alaska has also shown interest in modeling, singing, and she enjoys cheerleading for her school and participating in the drama club.
Paisley Dickey AKA Peppermint
Paisley Dickey, also known as "Peppermint", was known for her babydoll-like face and demeanor. She is also remembered for the episode where her mother dressed her as Julia Robert's character Vivian Ward from Pretty Woman-- something that sparked a lot of controversy by fans of the show as well as the mothers of other contenders.
Today, Paisley continues to enjoy the spotlight, just not in pageantry. She's focusing on acting, landing roles on shows such as Red Band Society and Beacon Point, as well as music. The former pageant princess also learned how to sing, play the guitar, and write her own music.
Kayla Hatton
Competing since the young age of 15 months, Kayla Hatton was a seasoned pageant veteran by the time she was on Toddler in Tiaras. Although there were many moments involving the young girl, there's one episode, in particular, that has since gone viral. It includes Kayla dressed like Shirley Temple and twerking on stage. A surprise to the audience who expected a tap-dancing routine!
Today, Kayla has decided to take a step back from the glitz and glamour of pageantry in favor of other interests. She has since joined her school's cheerleading team and is having fun utilizing her showmanship and dancing talents.
Ava Bartello
Remember the toddler meltdown that scorns all other meltdowns? Well, the epic case of screaming and tears came from the one and only Ava Bartello. She was upset because she won the title of Little Miss Grand Supreme and not the higher title of Ultimate Grand Supreme. The result: an ear-splitting temper tantrum.
Thankfully, Ava has matured since her time on the show. Now, she has a huge online presence. Ava is very active on Instagram, sharing pictures of her daily activities and world travels. Then there is her personal Youtube channel where she likes to post make-up tutorials.
Giavanna Lyerly
Giavanna Lyerly was the other half of the Tiara Twins and the toddler that got a lot of sympathy from fans of the show. It was clear to viewers that the twin's mother had a favorite, and it wasn't Giavanna. In one interview, their mom remarked that one of her children was great, and the other was a brat. After that, fans were rooting for Giavanna's success.
Today, Giavanna's decided to stop listening to her mother's critiques and continue to compete in pageants. She's done very well for herself, winning Little Miss South Carolina. She's also been successful in the modeling industry, particularly on the catwalk during her sister's shows.
MaKenzie Myers
Fans knew MaKenzie Myers as being the wild child on Toddlers and Tiaras. She was only four-years-old when she first appeared on the show, but her age didn't stop her from winning one of the biggest titles, "Supreme Queen." Her attitude made such an impression that Ashley Tisdale did a parody on her in a Funny or Die sketch.
After competing for a few more years in the circuit, in 2011, MaKenzie decided to hang up her pageant gowns. She stepped away from the stage and spotlight in favor of a normal childhood. But that doesn't mean she hasn't modeled a time or two.
Madison Berg AKA Tootie
Madison Berg, aka 'Tootie,' was ten-years-old when she appeared on the show, as one of the older competitors. Not unlike other toddlers on the show, Madison was known for her attitude. But fans didn't find hers to be endearing; instead, they were put off by her bossy nature. But that didn't stop Madison from powering through the competition.
Today, Madison continues to rule the pageant circuit, winning the title of Miss Teen Mississippi in 2017. Aside from her time on stage, Madison has found a passion for cheerleading, something that she did all through high school as well as in college. She currently attends Belhaven University.
Brenna Gaskin
When Brenna Gaskin first appeared on the show, fans thought she was the cutest thing. Little did they know, she was about to become one of the worst-behaved contestants. It didn't matter, though, and in 2013 she was asked to return for another season.
Her popularity was evident, and Brenna was eventually asked to make a cameo in Johnny Knoxville's movie Bad Grandpa. She has since stepped away from the pageant scene and no longer searches for the spotlight. Brenna has a Twitter account, but she hasn't been active since 2015.
Kylie LaDuca
When Kylie LaDuca stepped on the Toddler and Tiaras stage in 2012, she was five years old. Right away, viewers could tell she was going to be a force of nature. Her mother even called her "Triple F," which stands for 'ferocious', 'fearless', and 'five'. There was no lack of confidence in this little one.
That fearlessness translated over to her personality today. Although she is no longer competing in pageants, she is still in the spotlight. Kylie has found a career in modeling, something she does while attending middle school. It doesn't look like she has any plans to return to the circuit.
SaLiz Anderson
By the time SaLiz Anderson appeared on Toddlers and Tiaras, she was a seasoned pageant pro. She had been competing since the young age of 11 months, so she definitely had the upper hand on the competition. Fans might remember SaLiz from her intense mom. The thing is, it was later revealed that she was misrepresented.
Today, SaLiz is still going after stardom, just not from a pageant stage. Instead, she is pursuing music. Fans can now visit her personal Youtube channel to watch her perform. SaLiz is also an A-student, taking AP classes while participating in multiple extracurricular activities, including basketball and volleyball.
Isabella Barrett
Isabella Barrett is best known for leaving the show very publicly after making rude comments towards Paisley Dickey's Pretty Woman outfit. Her mother thought they were wrongly portrayed on the show, but that didn't stop the little lady from making a splash in the world.
Probably one of the most successful girls to come off the show, Isabella is a self-made millionaire with her own business. She owns her own jewelry and cosmetic lines called Bound by the Crown Couture and Glitzy Girl, respectively. The two companies are widely successful.
Ever Rose Minor
Ever Rose Minor is likely remembered for her strict calorie-counting mother. Fans became worried about the young girl, who was forced to drop ten pounds by a mom who was concerned the judges were going to give her a bad score if her dress didn't fit properly. Then, Ever Rose was yelled at because she lost too much weight, resulting in her mother having to use eyelash glue to secure her dress.
Ever Rose still competes from time to time, but mostly, she's a typical teenager. She's since traded in her sequin dress for an Eagles cheerleading uniform, the mascot of her high school.
Destiny Christian
Destiny Christian was only four when she first appeared on the show. Fans will most likely remember this young girl for her "bad girl Sandy" costume that included a fake cigarette. Her mother wound up getting a lot of backlash for allowing the prop.
Today, Destiny doesn't feel the need to be completely in the spotlight. She has found a passion for dancing, getting second place in a 2017 competition. Destiny has also dabbled in acting, singing, and a little bit of modeling. For the most part, she's enjoying a regular life as a middle school kid.
Alexis Todd
Alexis Todd was known for her competitive attitude. She even went as far as spray tanning her already-tan skin and going to a chiropractor before big pageants. Alexis wasn't able to win the crown, though, as runner-up to Little Miss Supreme.
Today, Alexis continues to compete, but more so on a different stage. She has become very involved in competitive cheerleading and is known to post videos of herself doing various gymnastics skills on Twitter. Alexis has also tried her hand at acting and modeling, showing that she still enjoys being in the spotlight.
Mia Spargo
Mia Spargo was known as one of the most well-liked contestants. She was never moody and, unlike some of the other girls, never threw temper tantrums. Mia wasn't overly flashy, but judges liked her because of the sweet attitude that made her endearing and adorable.
Unfortunately, not long after leaving the show, Mia was diagnosed with brain cancer. No child should have to go through that at the age of six. Thankfully, in 2015, she was declared cancer-free and has been in remission for the past five years! She has since modeled for KPRC 2's "Fight 2 End Childhood Caner" PSA.
Eden Wood
When fans think of the show, it's hard not to think of the wildly successful Eden Wood. The young girl was a fierce competitor and had a knack for winning pageant after pageant. She was immensely popular and even returned to the show to guest judge.
Today, Eden is still in the spotlight. She has been acting, starring as Darla in The Little Rascals Save the Day, as well as modeling. Eden was even picked to walk the runway at New York Fashion Week, a high honor. When she's not strutting her stuff down the catwalk, Eden dances and is on her school's cheerleading team.
Alana Thompson
Alan Thompson, better known as Honey Boo Boo, is arguably the most well-known toddler to come off the show. People were taken with her, and she stole the show with the first episode she was on. She had a sassy attitude and, along with her quirky mother, June, was addictive to watch.
Due to her popularity, Alana snagged a personal show, Here Comes Honey Boo Boo, that aired for four seasons. She's also appeared on her mother's show. Currently, Alana is gearing up to compete in Dancing with the Stars Junior. Let's be honest; Honey Boo Boo is never leaving the spotlight.
Savannah Caldwell
Savannah Caldwell was one of the adorable blondes on the show. Her cuteness was exemplified by the fact she was also missing her two front teeth, something that many seven-year-olds can relate to. As it turns out, her blonde locks were not authentic, as her hair was died by her pushy mother.
Today Savannah has her full set of teeth and is looking much more relaxed than she did in her pageant days. Her hair is back to its natural color and she's now homeschooled.
Mackenzie Broach
Mackenzie Broach was not afraid to show her sass during her days on Toddlers and Tiaras. The confident young entertainer had one of the more mellow mothers on the show, but that didn't stop the young girl from expressing her annoyance at having to practice.
These days she has less pressure on her to perform since she's changed her creative outlet from pageants to YouTube. She's traded in the stage for the camera, making videos with her mom at home.
Isabella Gielniak
Isabella Gielniak was admired by some for being the less overt pageant girl. She sometimes wore her glasses on the show and tended to dress more her age compared to some of the other contestants.
Isabella is focused on her acting career these days. She's appeared in numerous films as an extra, including I Remember Yesterday and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. She was the role of Caren in the film A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas.
Emerald Gordon Wulf
Emerald Gordon Wulf was an adorable three-year-old while she was on the show. Her parents showed their love and support, and rewarded her with "chocolate bowling" after a hard day of practice.
These days, Emerald has left her pageant days behind and taken to a unique form of expression: contortionism. The young teen is extremely talented, and shows off her skill as a contortionist by modeling professionally. We're sure she'll appear on the stage again some day.
Dianely Noesi
Dianely Noesi was one of the show's professional pageant stars, as is evident in her career since. Though the starlett is still very young, she's continue to compete with just as much committment as she did on the show.
Today, she's still strutting her stuff on the pageant stage. Her dance numbers are her biggest hit, and she's delved further into character persona's as she's gotten older. She keeps all of her fans up to date on her Facebook page.
Bella Noelle Winkowski
Bella Noelle Winkowski was easy to recognize on the show thanks to her adorably chubby cheeks and her sassy attitude. Fans couldn't stop laughing when she made her "nasty judges" remark.
These days she's taken to the world of film acting. She played an elf in the television series Pickler & Ben and was Young Nicole in the short film Full Circle. She is currently filming a movie and a television mini-series at the same time!
Kylee Mizrahi
Kylee Mizrahi seemed born for pageantry during her appearance on Toddlers and Tiaras. Her character shined through as she pranced around in her outfits and showed off her skill as a well-rehearsed pageant girl.
It may not come as a surprise that the smiley girl is still competing in pageants. She also spends plenty of time with family and friends though, showing off her natural look on her Facebook page. Whether she's all done up or dressed down, it's clear that she loves to have fun.
Jayla McDonald
Sharing your last name with one of the largest food chains in the world can't be easy, but Jayla McDonald wears it flawlessly. She was an inspiration to girls everywhere on the predominantly white show Toddlers and Tiaras.
These days Jayla has retired from her pageant days to focus on a different passion of hers: theater. The young actress love the world of live performance and partakes in professional plays at The Ensemble Theatre Houston.
Here Comes... A Big No No
TLC instituted Here Comes Honey Boo Boo as a spin-off to network's other controversial reality television series, Toddlers & Tiaras. The show followed one of the child beauty pageant contestants from the original series, Alana Thompson (nicknamed Honey Boo Boo) and her family in their Georgia town. Honey Boo Boo's reality show aired for two years, four seasons, before it canceled.
The reason why? It was discovered that the mother of the family, June Shannon, went back to her ex, Mark McDaniel, who is a convicted child molester, and one of his victims was Shannon's own daughter. (She has four daughters including Honey Boo Boo, each of whom has a different father.) TLC sought to immediately disassociate from the family after hearing of Shannon's reunion with McDaniel and quickly canceled the show.
Having Eight Kids Ain't Easy
The Gosselin family had a huge following from the beginning, for their TLC reality show, Jon & Kate Plus 8. A whopping 10 million viewers tuned in to watch the premiere of the fifth season of the show, which aired November 22, 2016. America is intrigued by the Pennsylvania couple who had both twins and sextuplets. But with fame, came problems. Jon was accused of being unfaithful, and tabloids would not let it go.
The couple eventually called it quits in 2009, but that didn't end the drama, or the reality shows for that matter. They bashed each other in the tabloids, and basically at any opportunity they could.
Post Divorce: Kate Plus 8
TLC announced the cancellation of the show soon after Jon and Kate's divorce in 2009. But, with the fan base still there, the show was revived in 2011 as Kate Plus 8. Although Kate has full legal custody, Jon shares physical custody and isn't happy that the kids are still filming the show. He has taken stabs at Kate, saying she's only doing the show for her own publicity and for money.
But they're both still filming, as Jon and his new girlfriend appeared on Couples Therapy after the divorce. Kate had an unsuccessful stint on Dancing with the Stars and has undergone a transformation to make her barely recognizable from her early days on the show. On the flip side, Jon was left unemployed and struggling to even get a job clearing tables at a restaurant. What a crazy turn of events for this family.
Mama June's Redemption
After her ex's controversial past caused a media wildfire, Mama June bounced back with a revenge body and a new series to cover her transformation, Mama June: From Not to Hot. After finding out that her ex-husband was remarrying (and she would be attending the wedding) she decided to channel her heartbreak into something positive. Previously weighing a whopping 460 lbs, the reality tv star underwent gastric sleeve surgery, a breast augmentation, and skin removal surgery.
She also hired a nutrition and fitness coach to get her into the best shape of her life. With all these efforts combined, Mama June has lost 300 lbs, and claims she's never going back to her old body. She told People magazine, "I can promise you I'm never going back to that size. I’m happy where I’m at."
Bride Takes Say Yes to the Dress to Court
For many women, their wedding day is their "big day" and they want nothing to stand in the way of making it a perfect event to be remembered. Alexandra Godino, engaged to fiance and professional hockey player Jeff May, is one of those women. She was selected to be a bride on TLC's Say Yes to the Dress and the film crew captured her journey selecting the perfect dress, which totaled at $40,000.
When she found out that her episode was to be aired before her May 6th wedding date, Godino rushed to request that producers wait until her big day, as not to reveal the wedding dress beforehand. She took the matter to court, where the Manhattan Supreme Court ruled that it was only an oral agreement when TLC said they would wait to air, and that she had already signed the contract. She plans to sue the show for damages.
Breaking Amish, or Faking Amish?
The reality television series on TLC had viewers questioning its authenticity from the start. The series is based on five young adults who supposedly had never been exposed to life outside of Amish communities. They are picked up from their communities and brought to New York City. The true backgrounds of the cast were quickly revealed, however. Jeremiah Raber was exposed to have left the family's farm over a decade before the show had aired, instead of never, as claimed.
Raber's ex-wife also came out and said that Raber is completely connected to the real world with a cell phone, cars, and even visits strip clubs. In the show, he claims he has never driven a car, and even takes lessons. Amish bloggers back up the ex-wife's claims.
Never Met, You Say?
Two of the cast members, Rebecca Byler and Abe Schmucker claim that they go to the same church, but have never officially met before. After sharing a car to the airport at the beginning of the show, Abe says in an interview that he's excited to get to know Rebecca more. Well, that's funny Abe because, after a little digging on Facebook, followers of the show were able to find that Rebecca and Abe not only know each other, but they've been dating for quite a while. Oh yeah, and they have a child together!
Abe also claimed he'd never drank alcohol before either, but his arrest record proves otherwise, as he was arrested four years before the show started filming for public intoxication in Kentucky.
LA Ink Canceled Following Kat Von D's Relationship with Jesse James
In 2011 TLC announced that the fourth season of Kat Von D's reality television series following her tattoo shop, LA Ink would be its last. The show was a spin-off from TLC's Miami Ink where Kat was part of the cast for a short period of time, before deciding to head back to LA. Kat's popularity and fame quickly escalated and her love life was soon covered in the tabloids. One relationship in particular, with Sandra Bullock's ex-husband Jesse James, received some bad publicity.
Bullock and James split after he was caught cheating, and history repeated itself with James and Von D. She had a few words to say to TLC for canceling her show at the same time. "In an effort to capitalize on my recent breakup, the network has decided to focus their energy on re-editing events that didn't happen while filming," Von D told People Magazine. “I have no regrets and am very proud of the original footage. In my opinion, any attempt to compromise the honesty of that would be an insult to my fans and viewers.”
Kat Von D and DeadMau5
As mentioned previously, Kat Von D (formerly of the TLC show La Ink) has had a series of questionable relationships. One in particular, post- Jesse James, was with celebrity DJ DeadMau5. DeadMau5 had actually proposed to Kat over Twitter which she accepted. However, not long after the two felt apart.
Kat accused DeadMau5 of cheating on her and even of getting someone pregnant. DeadMau5 denied the cheating accusations and the two seemingly parted ways for good. In 2015, Kat was said to be dating Steve-O, although they ultimately split in March of 2016. Perhaps, 2017 will be the year Kat will finally meet her match!
All American Muslim
After the show, All American Muslim, aired on TLC the hardware and home improvement store Lowe's pulled all of their advertising from the network. The show was about the lives of five Lebanese American Muslims who lived in Michigan. The show got a lot of positive feedback for showing an accurate portrayal of Muslims in the United States.
Sadly, the show also received a lot of hate after Lowe’s and several other companies pulled their sponsorship. Multiple celebs, activists, and even politicians criticized Lowe’s for what definitely seemed to be discriminatory views. Ultimately, the show was canceled after only one season.
Little People, Big Problems
Little People, Big World is a show that has been airing on TV for 11 seasons. The show follows the Roloff family, who is made up of, as the title states little people. The show has had several instances of scandals over the year. In 2014, the parents and cornerstones of the family Amy and Matt separated and subsequently completed their divorce in 2016 after 30 years of marriage.
Perhaps more victims of the supposed reality show curse? Matt also had some issues previous to this as well, back in 2003 he was charged with a DUI. However, this is not the only scandal the family has faced. Click to the next slide to see what else the Roloff family has dealt with!
Jacob Roloff Hates Filming
The youngest son of the Roloff family, Jacob Roloff, dropped out of high school and moved out of the family's house as soon as he turned 18. Since then, he has publicly come out against both his family and the show. He apparently hated filming as a child, and also says he was never paid for his time filming as a child.
He also said that he had been used by his parents to aid their own fame and said that shows need to have some sort of system of protection for child stars. His family is also well known for their faith, another thing that Jacob has taken issue with.
