Shauna Rae is an American reality television personality, actress, and content creator born on June 29, 1999, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
She became widely known for starring in TLC’s “I Am Shauna Rae,” a docuseries built around her life with pituitary dwarfism.
Rae is 27 years old as of 2026 and continues to build a following through television, acting, and social media.
Who is Shauna Rae?
Shauna Rae is best known for the TLC series “I Am Shauna Rae,” which premiered on January 11, 2022, and followed her life as a young adult who, because of a childhood medical condition, has the height and facial appearance of a young child.
The show, produced by Figure 8 Films for TLC, documented her navigating dating, driving, family relationships, and public misconceptions about her age.
Before her own series, Rae had a small acting credit in the HBO miniseries “Lisey’s Story” (2021), playing a young version of a character in an episode alongside stars Julianne Moore and Clive Owen.
That appearance reportedly caught the attention of a TLC producer, which eventually led to her own show being greenlit.
Rae has been open about the emotional toll of her condition, including how strangers frequently ask for proof of her age, and about the challenges it creates in dating and everyday independence.
She has used both her TLC platform and her personal social media accounts to talk about pituitary dwarfism and disability awareness more broadly.
Early Life of Shauna Rae
Shauna Rae was born in the Pittsburgh area of Pennsylvania to Patricia Schrankel and Scott Lesnick. Her parents later divorced, and her mother went on to marry Mark Schrankel, who appears alongside Rae on “I Am Shauna Rae” as her stepfather.
Rae has an older sister, Tara Lesnick, along with two half-sisters, Rylee and Morgan, from her mother’s side. She has described being especially close with Rylee, calling her a best friend and a major source of emotional support.
At six months old, Rae was diagnosed with a rare form of brain cancer. The chemotherapy that put her cancer into remission damaged her pituitary gland, a side effect that eventually stopped her physical growth once she reached puberty.
She legally dropped her birth surname in 2022 around the time her show began airing, and is now known publicly simply as Shauna Rae.
Shauna Rae Age
Shauna Rae is 27 years old as of 2026, having been born on June 29, 1999. Her zodiac sign is Cancer.
Despite her physical condition, she has continued to build her television and social media career well into adulthood.
Shauna Rae Ethnicity and Nationality
Shauna Rae is American, born and raised in Pennsylvania. Her specific ethnic background has not been confirmed through reliable sources, so it is left unstated here rather than guessed at.
What is well documented is her family’s Pennsylvania roots, where her parents and stepfather still live.
Shauna Rae Height and Weight
Shauna Rae stands at 3 feet 10 inches, or roughly 117 centimeters. Her weight has been reported at approximately 50 pounds, or about 23 kilograms, though exact figures vary slightly across interviews and outlets.
Her small stature is a direct result of the growth hormone deficiency caused by her childhood cancer treatment, and it is the central subject of her TLC series.
Shauna Rae Education
Specific details about Shauna Rae’s college education have not been publicly confirmed through reliable sources.
Some reporting has indicated she focused on her studies before her television career began, though the name of any specific college or university she attended has not been verified. She attended school in the Pittsburgh area growing up.
Shauna Rae Career
Shauna Rae’s public career began with a small acting role before expanding into reality television and, later, social media content creation and advocacy work.
Early Acting Work
Rae’s first notable credit came in 2021, when she appeared in an episode of the HBO miniseries “Lisey’s Story,” based on the Stephen King novel of the same name.
She has since picked up additional acting credits, including “The Adventures of Rybread and His Friends” (2023) and “Mr. Santa: A Christmas Extravaganza” (2024), according to her IMDb profile.
“I Am Shauna Rae” on TLC
Rae’s breakout moment came with the premiere of “I Am Shauna Rae” on TLC on January 11, 2022.
The series followed her daily life, medical history, and pursuit of independence as an adult who is regularly mistaken for a child because of her appearance.
The show ran for two seasons. Its season two finale aired in January 2023, and as of this writing, TLC has not announced an official renewal or cancellation of the series.
Content Creation and Advocacy
Beyond television, Rae has built a substantial following as a content creator, using TikTok and Instagram to share updates on her life and to advocate for disability and dwarfism awareness.
She has also spoken publicly about launching an inclusive fashion venture connected to her platform, though full business details have not been independently verified.
Shauna Rae Boyfriend
As of recent reporting, Shauna Rae is in a relationship, though she has chosen to keep her partner’s identity private.
In a February 2025 interview on The Unplanned Podcast, she discussed her decision to hide her boyfriend’s face on social media, along with her experience leaving a previous relationship she described as abusive.
Earlier seasons of “I Am Shauna Rae” documented her dating life more publicly, including a casual relationship with a man named Dan that never progressed past friendship, and a matchmaker-arranged date with a volunteer firefighter named Thomas, who also lives with pituitary dwarfism.
In the same 2025 podcast appearance, Rae also spoke about her fertility journey, describing it as a difficult and ongoing part of her life following her childhood cancer treatment.
Shauna Rae Net Worth
Shauna Rae’s net worth has been estimated at around $100,000 as of 2026. This figure traces back to earlier reporting from outlets covering her TLC salary and social media earnings.
Her income is believed to come primarily from her TLC appearances, acting work, and social media content creation, including TikTok’s Creator Fund given her large following on the platform.
Shauna Rae Social Media
Shauna Rae is active on TikTok under the handle @shaunarae99, where she has built an audience of more than one million followers sharing updates about her life, relationships, and advocacy work.
She has also maintained an Instagram presence under the handle thereal_shaunarae99, though the account’s current public URL could not be independently confirmed at the time of writing.
The Bottom Line
Shauna Rae’s most defining career moment remains the January 2022 premiere of “I Am Shauna Rae” on TLC, a series built entirely around her life with pituitary dwarfism following childhood brain cancer treatment.
Off screen, she is known for her outspokenness about the daily challenges of looking far younger than her actual age, from being asked for ID to navigating dating as an adult.
She has also spoken candidly about leaving an abusive relationship and about her ongoing fertility journey.
Rae continues to build her platform through TikTok and other social media, using her following to advocate for dwarfism and disability awareness even as the future of her TLC series remains uncertain.
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