Shauna Rae has revealed that she's been unfortunate in love and draws attention from the wrong people due to her height.

The 23-year-old reality TV star's TLC series, called I Am Shauna Rae, follows her as she explores her life, relationships, and considers whether she wants to earn a college degree in business or veterinary science.

Rae was born with brain cancer and underwent chemotherapy as a child, but her treatment affected her pituitary gland, resulting in her developing pituitary dwarfism.

"If you look at me, you see an eight-year-old," she told The New York Post. "But I think if you take the time to look at the details in my face, in my hands, the maturity in my body - and I think if you take the time to actually talk to me - you really understand that I’m a 23-year-old."

During the first-ever episode of her show, Rae revealed that she is single and looking. However, she confessed that she had been struggling in her dating life and told viewers that she seemed to be luring in all the wrong people.

"My relationship status is single. I'm short, leave me alone. I attract creeps, a**holes, and idiots," she said during a teaser that aired at the beginning of the year. "It is scary to put myself out there, but you have to put some risk in to get happiness."

The young adult told the New York Post that due to her recent experience in the dating world, she’s been able to spot the creeps who are interested in her for other reasons.

"I’ve just developed the ability to spot someone who may not have the best intentions because they give themselves away," she said. "Their questions are very targeted towards my physicality […] They’re learning about me like I’m a specimen in a lab."

In the recent season, Rae is set up on a blind date with a 20-year-old volunteer firefighter called Thomas who has the same condition as her and is 4ft 8".

Although she didn't reveal her current relationship status, Rae disclosed that "there was this extra understanding" between her and her potential suitor.

"He didn’t have to sit there and have a medical talk with me, which is what I have to do with most men that I date," she said. "It was nice I didn’t have to walk him through that."

The series also features how Rae is learning to drive using hand controls since she's too short to use pedal extensions, as well as her focus on gaining financial independence so that she can live on her own.

However, while her life is similar to other young adults, her appearance still causes several difficulties that irritate her such as going to the doctor.

"I’ve had multiple issues with people not believing me when I told them my age. One thing that happened recently was I went to a [lab] to get my blood taken … I was trying to leave, but some employee wouldn’t allow me to, because they thought I was a child leaving without a parent," she said.

Rae said that she presented her ID, and told the worker that she has tattoos and piercings, however, the employee still got their supervisor involved in the matter.

"They all denied the fact that I was an adult, and they would not let me leave the property without an adult to take me home," she said. "It got to the point where I had to leave when they weren’t looking. It was so extreme."

"It’s painful when society doesn’t accept you for who you are," she said about the experience. "I want people to not question me when I say who I am. I’m OK with showing proof, if necessary."

"But if you’re a typical regular Joe off the street, then you need to take me at my word," Rae added.

Featured image credit: 360b / Alamy

A 23-year-old woman whose body has the appearance of that of an eight-year-old has started dating other men following the controversy surrounding her previous alleged relationship.

Shauna Rae Lesick - who is the star of TLC's reality show I Am Shauna Rae - is 3 feet 10 inches tall and weighs 50 pounds at 23 years of age after undergoing treatment for brain cancer as an infant which subsequently affected her pituitary gland, resulting in her developing pituitary dwarfism.

Her series explores how she lives her life, her intentions for the future, and how she's been unfortunate in love and draws attention from the wrong people due to her appearance.

E! Online reported that the reality star has faced many difficulties due to her age not matching the way she looks. In the docuseries, Shauna Rae details her struggles trying to get a tattoo and buying alcohol, as well as dating.

Recently, a man from Wales, UK - who Shauna Rae was reportedly dating - faced criticism for supposedly entering into a relationship with the very young-looking TV personality.

Dan Swygart, 26, who ended up appearing on Shauna Rae's show faced a barrage of hate online despite the fact that the purported relationship was between two consenting legal adults.

Dan eventually took to social media to upload a video defending himself against the trolls, saying: "Me and Shauna are still just really good friends getting to know each other, but I think it's absolutely disgusting, the attitude of some people.

"She's been through so much in her life - she survived cancer as a child, she's always felt different and been treated differently by society.

"But how dare you take away her right, her human right, to have a connection, a friendship, a relationship with someone else? Who are you to say that she can't have that? I am absolutely disgusted about some people's attitudes towards her and my friendship with her. I cannot believe some people who deny her the right to have a friendship or a connection with someone else."

Following the controversy, Shauna Rae is shown in the series preparing to go on a date, after revealing that she'd prefer to meet a matchmaker rather than continue online dating. She admitted that she found dating scary as she wasn't sure how potential love interests would react to her size.

"A lot of people are like 'oh you're like right up to my shoulders', [and] I'm like 'no I'm up to your groin'," she revealed.

Although she was anxious, Shauna Rae ended up heading on a blind date, however, her date cancelled just before they were scheduled to meet.

In a podcast episode from last year, Shauna Rae explained the struggles she has when it comes to sex. "I know sex is a huge topic when it comes to disability and just dwarfism in general, so it is something that is touchy. But it's something that needs to be talked about. I don't think sex should be so taboo as it is in our society," she stated, via E! Online.

She added that, based on her experience, sex should be viewed in a positive way as it helps connect people: "At least for me, it was confirmation that I can kind of do whatever I want, because growing up I was told that it might not be a possibility.

"And when I found the boyfriend that I had and we dated for a couple years and it finally happened, it made me feel like a normal woman."

Featured image credit: 360b / Alamy

A man who is said to be the love interest of a woman "trapped in the body of an eight-year-old" has hit back at critics who trolled him online.

Shauna Rae Lesick - star of TLC's I Am Shauna Rae - is 3 feet 10 inches tall and weighs 50 pounds at 23 years of age after undergoing treatment for brain cancer as an infant which subsequently affected her pituitary gland, resulting in her developing pituitary dwarfism.

Due to her condition, Shauna has been open about how finding love can be tricky and that she worries that she will attract the wrong sort of attention.

Another factor that makes a romantic life tricky is the negative attention that any potential partner will receive online, as one man, unfortunately, came to find.

Dan Swygart, 26, reached out to Shauna after seeing the show and the pair began chatting which led to them meeting up on more than one occasion.

After appearing on the TLC show, Dan was met with a wall of online abuse, with some branding him a "creep" for his alleged interest in Shauna.

The Welsh traveler has since hit back at his critics via Instagram, where he has responded to the unfounded claims that his interest in Shauna wasn't sincere.

Dan said in a video: "Me and Shauna are still just really good friends getting to know each other, but I think it’s absolutely disgusting, the attitude of some people.

"She’s been through so much in her life - she survived cancer as a child, she’s always felt different and been treated differently by society.

"But how dare you take away her right, her human right, to have a connection, a friendship, a relationship with someone else? Who are you to say that she can’t have that?

"I am absolutely disgusted about some people’s attitudes towards her and my friendship with her. I cannot believe some people who deny her the right to have a friendship or a connection with someone else."

Dan stated that nobody has the right to take away Shauna's opportunities to have real friendships and connections with people after what she has been through.

"She is a human being, she’s a cancer survivor, she’s got a disability, she has dwarfism [...] How dare you? How dare you?" Dan concluded.

The 26-year-old's parents have also jumped to his defense, claiming that there is nothing romantic happening between the pair and they have struck up a platonic relationship.

Featured image credit: stLegat / Alamy

Shauna Rae has apparently got a message for people who keep calling her a woman "stuck in an eight-year-old's body."

The 23-year-old reality TV personality - who is the star of TLC's reality show I Am Shauna Rae - is three feet 10 inches tall and weighs 50 pounds at 23 years of age after undergoing treatment for brain cancer as an infant which subsequently affected her pituitary gland, resulting in her developing pituitary dwarfism.

Her series - which is shown on TLC - explores how she lives her life, her intentions for the future, and how she's been unfortunate in love and draws attention from the wrong people due to her appearance.

One man - a Welshman named Dan - who she began meeting even hit out at critics who attacked their relationship and called him a "creep". He hit back at them, saying via Instagram: "Me and Shauna are still just really good friends getting to know each other, but I think it's absolutely disgusting, the attitude of some people."

Dan continued: "How dare you take away her right, her human right, to have a connection, a friendship, a relationship with someone else? Who are you to say that she can't have that? I am absolutely disgusted about some people's attitudes towards her and my friendship with her. I cannot believe some people who deny her the right to have a friendship or a connection with someone else."

He since updated viewers on his relationship with Shauna, and it would appear that the pair are still in contact despite living in different countries.

Shauna herself has also got a lot to say about the trolls who have criticized her life and the way she looks, especially those who say she's "stuck in an eight-year-old's body". Of course, the term comes from the show's official synopsis on the TLC website, which reads: "Young adult Shauna Rae survived a rare form of brain cancer as a child, but now navigates life in the body of an eight-year-old."

Taking to Instagram, Shauna corrected a user who referred to her as a woman "stuck in an eight-year-old body". Shauna uploaded a video explaining that she actually doesn't identify with the phrasing. "I just want to correct your wording. I know that 'the woman stuck in the body of an eight-year-old' is the catchphrase that's attached to me, but I don't personally connect with it. I think it's actually very inaccurate," she said in the video.

She continued, "I am not stuck in the body of an eight-year-old. I am a 23-year-old woman whose body is 23 years old. It's matured. It's gone through puberty. I've grown in areas that eight-year-olds don't until they've hit puberty, which is later in life. I am just a shorter-statured woman, and my body is at the average height of an eight-year-old."

In the post's caption, Shauna further clarified her explanation, adding: "Definitely going to get some more out there but I think this one is super important because it gives y'all insight on to how I actually view myself no matter what verbiage that's attached with pituitary dwarfism.

"I do believe that if you genuinely take the time you'll notice that I'm no different just short."

Featured image credit: Seemanta Dutta / Alamy

A popular TV star who is well known for her childlike looks has revealed that she is in a relationship, and has explained why she is keeping his identity a secret.

Shauna Rae Lesick is 3 feet 10 inches tall and weighs 50 pounds at 26 years of age after undergoing treatment for brain cancer as an infant which subsequently affected her pituitary gland, resulting in her developing pituitary dwarfism, per the Daily Mail.

Given her stature, many of her previous relationships have been criticized, with the hate mainly aimed at the men in her life.

With this being said, Shauna has announced that she's in a new relationship but is hesitant to say his name due to the scrutiny he may receive.

Speaking on the Unplanned Podcast, Shauna shared that her past experiences with public relationships have made her more cautious.

Her previous partner faced severe backlash, with many accusing him of being attracted to her solely because of her youthful appearance.

In a clip shared on Instagram, Shauna told podcast hosts Matt and Abby Howard that she wants to protect her current boyfriend from similar criticism, particularly because of his profession.

“I’m more worried because he has a nice job. I don’t want anything going bad to the job,” she explained.

Despite her initial hesitation, Shauna revealed that her boyfriend’s employers are supportive of their relationship.

“They love me,” she said. “They sent me a gift basket because I was really, really insecure. I was like [to my partner], ‘No, no, don’t tell them you’re dating me,’ because they’re going to be like, ‘No, she’s a TV star, and you can’t be affiliated with that.’”

However, his colleagues insisted on meeting her, which she described as a reassuring experience.

Shauna acknowledged the potential fallout of making their relationship public, especially if they were to break up.

“With everything I know my boyfriend isn’t, I just don’t want him to be labelled something and him not be my partner forever,” she said. “At this point, unless I’m marrying him or spending the rest of my life with him - his face isn’t going to be shown.”

However, she clarified that beyond these concerns, neither she nor her boyfriend personally care about keeping his face hidden.

Shauna recently marked her second anniversary with her partner in a 2024 Instagram post, where she shared three pictures of them together - strategically placing an emoji over his face to maintain his anonymity.

“Halloween was our anniversary but Happy two years to my best friend! I love you a lot baby and I hope you’ve enjoyed this really crazy ride we’ve been on! P.S. imma start using rando emojis,” she captioned the post.

Shauna’s previous relationship with Dan Swygart was heavily criticized, with many calling their connection “weird” and “disturbing” due to her childlike appearance.

Their relationship was documented on her TLC show, I Am Shauna Rae.

Featured image credit: Shauna Rae / Instagram