“They Hated the Way I Looked”: Shanaya The Doll Opens Up About Family Conflict, Alleged Threats, and Creating Her Own Chosen Family!

Canada-based digital creator and influencer Shanaya The Doll is pulling back the curtain on her glamorous image to share a deeply personal chapter of her life—from facing severe family rejection and alleged safety threats to building her own supportive chosen family.

Behind the designer fashion, bold aesthetic, and carefully curated doll-like persona lies a journey that required immense resilience. According to Shanaya, her identity transformation led to intense backlash from parts of her family and community.

“They hated the way I looked,” Shanaya reveals. “For me, becoming Shanaya was about finally looking in the mirror and recognizing myself. But not everybody around me was ready to accept that.”

Navigating Threats and Finding Independence

Born in India and now living in Canada, Shanaya explains that public visibility brought escalating criticism, including threatening messages linked to individuals in Punjab who strongly opposed her image and identity. While describing the ordeal as frightening, it led her to a profound realization about relationships and family:

“When somebody disagrees with the way you live, that is one thing. But when you start feeling that somebody wants to hurt you simply because you chose to exist differently, it changes you.”

Building a Chosen Family

Redefining what family means, Shanaya has built a loving home in Canada with her two adopted children, Moonie Vishali and Vanshika Dhiman, whom she considers the cornerstone of her life.

Rather than acting solely as a mentor, Shanaya embraces a maternal role while empowering both young women to establish their own independent careers:

Moonie Vishali: Emerging as one of Brampton’s youngest entrepreneurs and digital influencers.

Vanshika Dhiman: Establishing herself as a sought-after professional celebrity makeup artist in the entertainment space.

“I know what it feels like when you feel like you don’t completely belong. So when these girls came into my life, I didn’t want them to ever feel that they had nobody… I want my girls to have their own names, their own careers, and their own success.”

Turning Pain into Protection & Legacy

Shanaya’s personal struggles have inspired her to advocate for younger transgender women facing family rejection and financial hardship. Beyond the glamour, she hopes her platform serves as a beacon of support for those transitioning alone.

“I built my own family,” Shanaya says. “And there is something really powerful about being able to give somebody else the love, protection, and acceptance that you once wished somebody had given you.”

By Keerti Kadam