Shauna Rae, who is the same height as an eight-year-old, has opened up on why she has found dating to be 'scary' in the past.
When she was just a child, Shauna, now 26, was diagnosed with brain cancer, and during treatment, her pituitary gland was damaged - causing her to experience stunted growth.
As a result, she measures at 3ft 10 inches, making her just slightly shorter than the average American eight-year-old.
Advert
She faces many difficulties in life as a result of her condition, including infertility, but the influencer has also opened up about her struggles with dating.
Speaking on the Unplanned Podcast with hosts Matt and Abby Howard, she said: "A big conversation that comes up with me is grooming and predatory behaviour.
"Pedophiles are also a big topic with me, especially now I'm dating."
She explained why the subject is so nuanced, and noted that her parents warned her of the dangers when she was growing up.
Advert
Shauna said: "It's very easy to be prey in this world as a tiny little girl.
"My parents were like, 'look, any guy that's interested in you, you have to read into them'.
"Because there's a chance it could be about your size.'"
The I Am Shauna Rae star was brought up believing that dating was 'scary' as a result.
She explained: "I was scared to flirt with anyone, I was scared to even be asked out."
Advert
Reflecting on the conversation she had with her parents initially, she added: "When it finally came to having the conversation, they were like 'look, people view you differently.
"'When it comes to romantic things, people are going to potentially view you differently.
"'But what you want to look for is building a friendship'."
And it seems as though her parents' wise advice worked, as the 26-year-old is currently in a relationship, but chooses to keep him out of the public eye.
Advert
Explaining why they made this decision, she said: "Neither one of us care if his face is out there.
"I more worry because he has a nice job. I don’t want anything bad going to the job. The job knows who I am, they know what I do for my living, they love me.
"But with everything that social media is and everything I know my boyfriend isn’t, I just don’t want him to be labelled something and him not be my partner forever.
"At this point, unless I’m marrying him, or spending my rest of my life with him, his face isn’t going to be shown."
Topics: Celebrity, Podcast, Sex and Relationships, Health, Social Media, Virtual Reality
Mia Williams