The perks of fame! Shauna Rae revealed how her dating life has changed since season 1 of I Am Shauna Rae premiered earlier this year.
“There’s more people interested [in me] because more people know I exist,” the TLC personality, 23, exclusively told Us Weekly on Thursday, October 20, ahead of I Am Shauna Rae‘s season 2 premiere. “It’s broadened the horizons of the amount of people that come toward me, because I’ve never been judgmental when it comes to romantic interest. I always go for the emotional, and I think it’s given me a lot of great people that — whether they’ve turned out romantic or not — I really cherish having them in my life.”
The reality star went on to say that she’s spoken “romantically” to other people with pituitary dwarfism, which causes patients to stop growing before they reach adulthood. While it’s important for Shauna to find a partner who understands her health needs, she’s also attracted to something a little less serious: a sense of humor.
Shauna Rae. Youtube/TLC
“Romantically, I’m looking for someone who can make me laugh, who can make me happy when I’m upset,” she told Us. “Who can make me feel safe. … I’m looking for very specific things, but I know when I meet that person and they have those qualities, I’m gonna know.”
The Pittsburgh native said she’s not dating anyone seriously at the moment, but she’s hoping to find someone who can “go with the flow” of her “hectic” life.
“I think the biggest challenge I face when it comes to dating is if the guy can handle all the hurdles he’s gonna have to jump,” she explained. “A lot of the times people say they can handle it, and then when they’re faced with it, it’s a whole different experience. Especially now that there’s a TV show, there’s a whole different kinda experience going on.”
During season 1 of her TLC series, Shauna admitted that she’s struggled with dating in the past because of her condition, which makes her look much younger than she is.
“I attract creeps, a–holes and idiots,” she said in one episode. “It’s scary to put myself out there. But you have to put some risk in to get happiness.”
Shauna is also working toward gaining some independence from her parents in season 2, starting driving lessons and looking for a place of her own with sister Rylee.
“I think it’ll definitely be a big adjustment, not just because it’ll be physically a larger space than what I’m used to having or used to sharing with my family,” Shauna told Us of moving out. “But I think it’s going to be a big adjustment emotionally because I’ve never lived without them. … It’s definitely going to be a strange one, but it’s going to be an exciting one.”
I Am Shauna Rae premieres on TLC Tuesday, November 1, at 10 p.m. ET.
With reporting by Christina Garibaldi
