What The Most Memorable Toddlers & Tiaras Stars Are Doing Now

TLC's reality show Toddlers and Tiaras became almost an instant hit when it first aired in 2008. The delightful and sometimes horrifying show followed several young girls and their overzealous moms on their journey through the children's beauty pageant circuit. 

With its heaps of mascara, tons of nylons, and way too many massive wigs, Toddlers & Tiaras was no stranger to controversy. Like the time a 4-year-old contestant smoked a fake cigarette onstage, or when a 3-year-old girl was dressed up like Julia Roberts' character from Pretty Woman — and that's just to name a few (as reported by Business Insider). 

Despite its drama, people loved Toddlers & Tiaras. In fact, according to Inside Edition, over 2 million people tuned in to each episode during the show's heyday. Viewers just couldn't get enough of those little beauty queens! Their popularity makes us wonder, where are they now? It's been a while since the show ended in 2016, so those little girls aren't toddlers anymore. Here's what the most memorable Toddlers & Tiaras stars are doing now.

Eden Wood was a little blonde beauty that won over pageant judges with her green eyes and big smile on Toddlers & Tiaras. Perhaps her most memorable moment on the show was the time she had an absolute meltdown at the World Championship pageant because her hair piece wasn't quite perfect. Her dramatic personality turned so many heads that she got her own spinoff, Eden's World, that followed her to NYC as she pursued her acting, singing, and modeling careers. 

Wood did see definite success in acting as she eventually starred as Darla in 2014's The Little Rascals Save the Day. But now? She's seemingly a normal teenager living her best life in high school. According to her official website bio, she's a flyer (the one that gets tossed into the air) on her cheerleading squad, a soprano in the choir, and a drummer in the school's band. Wood's also found time to study, too, as her bio also brags about her 4.0 GPA and honor student status. You go, Eden!

But she's not totally out of the spotlight. In 2020, she appeared in Amazon Prime's reality TV show Next Big Thing NYC.

According to the Arkansas Democrat Gazette, Sarah Elizabeth (SaLiz, for short) Anderson had been competing in pageants since she was only 11 months old. The baby beauty queen wasn't originally on Toddlers & Tiaras, but, as her mother told the Arkansas Democrat Gazette, "The cameras seemed to be wherever she was... every time they would pan the room in a shot, SaLiz would be there." So, the producers gave into what was already happening and put her on the show as a regular. 

Anderson was a natural in front of the cameras and on stage during pageants, but despite her great success, her mother felt it was "important for her to be a normal kid." That's probably why, as of this writing, SaLiz Anderson is still in school and rocking her "All AP and Pre-AP classes, plus basketball," as per one of her Facebook posts. But her life isn't completely normal. Anderson is also pursuing a career in music! According to her YouTube page, she's a "young hip-hop rapper" that seeks to bring "age appropriate music" that kids her age can dance and sing to.

MaKenzie Myers was a Toddlers & Tiaras superstar — at least when it came to the drama. The little diva was well-known for her tantrums, like the time she threw a fit because she didn't like her fake eyelashes. As per a People report, Myers was also famous for still using her "Ni-Ni," what she lovingly called her pacifier that she should have said goodbye to years before it appeared on the show. She was so infamous for her drama-loving ways that she even inspired a Funny or Die sketch starring Ashley Tisdale.

Where does a baby drama queen go from there? To a normal life. Or, at least, as close to normal as a former reality star can get. Myers, according to her Instagram page, is doing some pretty average things for a teenager, from taking lots of selfies to caring for an adorable kitten. But some things in her life aren't normal, like when she walked in a runway show during New York Fashion Week with other Toddlers & Tiaras alums (as per the Daily Mail).

Alana "Honey Boo Boo" Thompson turned heads and brought in viewers from the moment she first appeared on Toddlers & Tiaras. Thompson was just 6 years old during Season 5 when, according to E! News, she became the show's biggest star. Maybe it was her big hair, but it was most likely her even bigger personality that made her so famous. The little diva was always making bold, brash comments and using catch phrases like "redneckonize" and "a dolla makes me holla." Thompson, her mother, and their crazy antics became so popular that they got their own TLC spinoff show called Here Comes Honey Boo Boo.

Where is Thompson now? She's living with her older sister. On another Thompson spinoff show, Mama June: From Not to Hot, Alana is forced to move in with her sister when her mom gets into serious trouble with the law. But Thompson is loving life with her new roomies! She spends a lot of time with her niece and constantly posts about her on her Instagram page with loving captions like, "The love I have for my niece is so pure."

In 2021, Thompson appeared on WE tv's Mama June: Road to Redemption.

Alycesaundra and Giavanna Lyerly lived up to their over-the-top names with their over-the-top antics on Toddlers & Tiaras. Better known in the series as "The Tiara Twins," the sisters were often fighting with their mother for the camera's attention as Kelly Lyerly was perhaps one of the craziest pageant moms on the show — and that's saying something. How did she claim her place as Queen of the Crazies? She bought it with "probably near a million dollars." Lyerly did an interview with HuffPost in which she revealed that she spent that grand sum on a "tour bus, race-car trailer, Carl the bodyguard, and 13,000 square-foot practice building with a stage." 

Her investment seems to have paid off, though, as The Tiara Twins are both seeing success in the fashion world. Alycesaundra started designing clothes when she was about 10 years old (via her Instagram), and she showed a collection at New York Fashion Week in 2020 (via her Facebook). Giavanna is working the other side of the runway as a model, most recently modeling her own sister's collection (via Facebook).

Isabella Barrett wasn't the biggest star on Toddlers & Tiaras, but she quickly turned her 15 minutes of fame into some serious cash. According to the Daily Mail, the miniature pageant queen became a millionaire at only 6 years old thanks to her jewelry and makeup lines — and Barrett didn't stop there! She went on to be a stakeholder and designer in two of her very own companies: Bound By the Crown Couture and Glitzy Girl.

Where does a girl go from that kind of success? Back to TV. In 2020, Barrett starred in the Amazon reality series Next Big Thing NYC, alongside fellow pageant kid Eden Wood. The show follows a group of eight teens that are already major players in their chosen fields but want to make an even bigger mark on the world. Oh, and if running a business and appearing on a TV show wasn't enough, Barrett is also releasing a book titled Teens Guide to Business and starting a new haircare line called House of Barretti, as per an interview she did with Authority Magazine.

As she once said herself, Taralyn Eschberger's red hair "[lit] the stage on fire!" The little Texan diva was all laugher and silly faces as she won crowns and hearts on Toddlers & Tiaras. Eschberger was awarded the title of Ultimate Grand Supreme several times throughout her tenure on the show — but where is the redheaded toddler now? Well, to start, she's not a toddler anymore. According to her Facebook, Eschberger is old enough to be driving. In fact, as per another Facebook post, she was given a car for her sweet 16. Lucky girl! 

Eschberger is also amazingly active. As stated in her Instagram bio, she "loves pageants, volleyball, cheer, guitar, piano & singing. Pretty much anything she can try she will!" And that's not all, as Eschberger's social media is chock full of photos depicting her doing all kinds of activities. She went water skiing with friends, took in some tunes at The House of Blues, and even placed first in the 100 meter dash at a track meet. Her red locks are still lighting the world on fire.

Ava Bartello is perhaps most famous for her incredibly dramatic meltdown on Toddlers & Tiaras. The scene in which she cries, scowls, and refuses to smile in group photos is maybe one of the most memorable tantrums on the tantrum-filled show. Why was Bartello so upset? The baby beauty queen was only crowned "Grand Supreme" and not "Ultra Grand Supreme." Poor thing.

Well, the good news is that Bartello is just as dramatic now as she was back then. She's amazingly active on her Instagram page, posting selfie after selfie after selfie — each one more filtered than the last. Bartello, like many young stars these days, is also a YouTuber. According to her YouTube bio, she posts "fashion, lifestyle, and beauty videos," like the one where she goes through her brand new school supplies, or the one where she demonstrates how she straightens her long brown hair. As her Instagram bio says, Bartello is "always a pageant girl, but now a queen."

What was more memorable: Julia Roberts dressed as a sex worker in Pretty Woman, or 3-year-old Paisley Scott Dickey dressed as Julia Roberts as a sex worker in Toddlers & Tiaras? In the infamous episode, as reported on by Fox News, poor Paisley strutted about the stage in the iconic outfit from the movie, complete with a yellow wig. But her mom, Wendy Lee Dickey, wasn't sorry for a moment. "Paisley has competed in over 60 pageants, but it was definitely the 'Pretty Women' costume that put Paisley's name out there," Mrs. Dickey says in one episode of the show. 

As controversial as her time on Toddlers & Tiaras was, Paisley is doing really well! According to her IMDb page, she's won a few small roles on various TV shows and movies like Red Band Society, Beacon Point, and Nicky, Ricky, Dicky & Dawn. Paisley has also been learning to sing and play the guitar. The kid has also found time to take plenty of selfies and work on her puzzle skills.

Destiny Christian was at the heart of yet another Toddlers & Tiaras controversy: she was 4 years old when her pageant mom, Lisa Christian, dressed her up as the character Sandy from Grease. Sounds cute, right? It was, except for the fake cigarette and Lisa instructing her toddler by saying, "Don't forget to smoke!" People were not pleased. But Mrs. Christian wasn't fazed, even going so far as to defend her actions on Nancy Grace (as reported on by Today), saying, "It was just a prop — nothing more, nothing less."  

Luckily, Destiny seems to be doing well and has not yet developed a real smoking habit. The middle schooler's Facebook profile says that she "loves to model, sing, and dance. She's happiest when she is on a stage performing!" Aside from a few small acting jobs listed on her IMDb page, Destiny is just a normal kid living a normal life. She attended her first Snowball Dance, took first place with her competition dance team, and even performed at a local haunted house.

Beauty is pain, right? That's totally cool — except maybe when the person in pain is an 8-year-old girl. Alaska Mathews had her own infamous moment on Toddlers & Tiaras when her mother, Lori Mathews, dyed her eyebrows and painfully got some of the dye in her eye. Lori later appeared on Dr. Phil to defend herself and her actions, claiming, "It's perfectly safe if you get [the dye] in your eye... it stings just like, maybe, shampoo would." Mrs. Mathews also came under fire for whitening Alaska's teeth, but claimed that she "immediately stopped" when she "realized this was bad for baby teeth." 

Eyebrow dying aside, Alaska is kicking butt and taking names. According to her Facebook bio, she's an "internationally celebrated pageant pro, recording artist, model and actress." However, her other posts seem to indicate that she's moved on from the performing to work in healthcare. Mathews made one Facebook post in December of 2020 that mentions her "Allied Health class," and her mother posted photos of Alaska dressed in scrubs with the hashtags "#nursing" and "#thanksHealthCareHeroes." Thank you, indeed, Alaska.

Kylie LaDuca might have had the biggest personality on Toddlers & Tiaras – and that's saying something. The little firecracker introduced herself on the show as "a little monster," and her mother described her as, "five, fearless and ferocious," as LaDuca held a crown that was just as tall as she was. While LaDuca was a successful pageant girl (winning several "Ultimates"), she was mainly focused on her budding modeling career in which she'd already earned about $30,000 (as per her mom). "The money is my favorite part," LaDuca said in a show interview. "I love money." 

LaDuca clearly still loves money as she's currently hustling hard. The "junior entrepreneur," as she's described in her official website bio, has appeared on several TV shows and runs a website. KylieLaDuca.com sells merch (designed and modeled by LaDuca herself) and hosts a blog in which she gives life updates and beauty tips.

Not everyone can be a winner, and not every little girl can be crowned "Grand Supreme." Alexis Todd learned those lessons the hard way on Toddlers & Tiaras when, in one of the show's season finales, she lost the grand prize to Eden Wood and was instead crowned "Mini Supreme" (via the Daily Mail). Todd was very disappointed, and for good reason: before the competition, she was subjected to both a spray tan and a chiropractic adjustment. "I'll go as far as I have to for Alexis to win," her mom said. "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."

Perhaps all her adjustments paved the way for her future success in cheerleading and gymnastics. According to her Facebook bio, Todd loves "to win big crowns," and she adores her "Competitive Cheer squad." Her Twitter feed is full of photos of her in full pageant regalia and performing with her cheer squad as well as videos of her incredible tumbling skills.

Lacey-Mae Mason made headlines as the first child with dwarfism to appear on Toddlers & Tiaras. As per the Daily Mail, Mason was born with achondroplasia, a condition that affected her height. She was only as tall as a toddler when she appeared on the show even though she was 8 years old. "I wanted her to do one pageant so she would have that one participation trophy on her shelf to be able to say later, for her self-esteem, that 'I was in a beauty pageant,'" Lacey-Mae's mother said in an interview with Hudson Wicked Local. 

The little diva surpassed everyone's expectations when her big smile, energy, and creative Bollywood costume that won her the Overall Best Outfit of Choice award — and she's still surprising people today. As of this writing, Mason is an anti-bullying and dwarfism awareness activist. She runs "Peace By Piece" Dwarfism Awareness and Anti-Bullying Facebook page where she posts educational content, inspirational messages, and a few photos of her cat.