Learn everything you need to know about TLC’s most interesting star, Shauna Rae, including her age, height, and life plans.
I Am Shauna Rae follows the titular Shauna Rae, a young woman who, due to a medical condition, hasn’t grown past the height of the average eight-year-old. The TLC reality show documents Shauna as she tries to navigate the world like any other young adult. Shauna is in an interesting position as she can educate the world on people with similar conditions and normalize not assuming someone’s age simply by how they look.
Whether looking for answers the show didn’t provide or just curious about this inspiring young woman, there are plenty of things to know about Shauna – including her age, height, and her life plans outside of the show.
She Is 22 Years Old
TLC still lists Shauna as 22 years old, but she is now 23, which has been confirmed on the show numerous times by her family members and documents like her personal identification.
According to her Instagram, Shauna likes doing things typical for her age group, including going out to bars and clubs with friends and traveling. Despite getting strange looks from people in public who don’t understand her condition, Shauna is determined to live her best life.
She Has Tattoos
While some people may consider this a weird TLC show since, by all accounts, Shauna is a typical adult despite being shorter than others, that is actually what makes the show important. I Am Shauna Rae shows someone with different abilities and experiences living like everyone else, and her tattoos are an expression of that.
She Has A Boyfriend
Dan appears on the show, which has opened him up to criticisms about his motivations, but that hasn’t stopped the pair from enjoying their time together and growing their relationship.
She’s Starting A Fashion Line
As fans of the show know, it is hard for Shauna to find clothes that fit her that are meant for adults and not children, which makes it even harder for her to appear her age. To make the fashion world more inclusive for people with similar conditions to hers, Shauna is working on a fashion line that makes clothes for adults in smaller sizes that follow all the latest trends.
This new clothing line provides Shauna with a career path outside of reality TV if she ever wants to walk away from the show. In doing so, she’ll follow in the footsteps of some of the most loved and hated Real Housewives.
She’s Built A Thick Skin
As any reality star knows, being exposed to the public opens the door for viewers to voice their opinions about them online, and their words aren’t always positive or pleasant.
Shauna has received online hate for being on the show or for her actions that others deem unsavory or inappropriate. But Shauna chooses to stay positive and not give the haters more fuel to use against her. In an Instagram post, she encouraged fans to ignore the hate as she is used to it now and lets the comments pass her by instead of ruining her day.
She Lives On Long Island
The New York Post confirmed Shauna as a Long Island resident in a piece from January 2022. At times Shauna’s accent comes out when she is talking with friends and family, which makes it evident that she is from New York, but most of the time, her location can only be confirmed by the places she visits.
She Had A Brain Tumor
As explained in an interview on the Tamron Hall Show (via YouTube), Shauna was six months old when it was discovered that she had a cancerous brain tumor. The tumor ultimately affected her development since it impacted her pituitary gland, which controls many aspects of growth and development in humans.
This, along with the treatment she received to stop the effects of cancer, stunted her growth and caused Shauna to have pituitary dwarfism, diagnosed at 16. Now Shauna is living a healthy life but still deals with the effects of her cancer, as the show highlights.
She Changed Her Last Name
As Shauna explained in the interview, it was more about framing a future for herself that she felt comfortable with in all aspects, and that started with her name being what she wanted, not what she was assigned. Even though many reality shows are considered fake by viewers, Shauna’s candid way of explaining her actions makes the show more authentic, as she always strives to define herself on her terms on and off camera.
Her Height
In the original teaser for the show, available on YouTube, Shauna reveals that she stands at 3 feet 10 inches tall, which is what causes her the most problems in life as she tries to do things that other 20 somethings without being asked questions.
This is highlighted the most when Shauna tries to do age-restrict things like getting body modifications and drinking at bars. As Shauna mentions, her height has made it hard for her to get treated like an adult, and it has affected her outlook on independence and what she should do with her life as she seeks new adventures and changes.
Her Fertility Journey
Always the open book, Shauna made it clear she isn’t sure about being a mom, but she wants that choice to be her own, not because of her body’s ability or inability. By being open about her opinions and struggles, Shauna is helping remove the stigma for those who face similar fertility challenges or feel the same way she does.