tonight on "nightline" -- under age and caffeinated. a 6-year-old pageant queen. mom serves her up cocktails of red bull and mountain dew. viola's story. her role in the hit movie "the help," has people across the country talking. tonight, viola davis on why she struggled over taking the part that may win her an oscar. and hip and holy. today, a victoria's secret model says she's bowing out of the catalog because of her christian values. from bieber, to kardashian to tebow. why more of the young and famous are all about flaunting their faith.

good evening. i'm terry moran. we're going to begin, tonight, with performance-enhancing drugs. in the world of toddler beauty pageants. yes. the drug in question is caffeine, which some moms give, along with sugar, to their daughters to give them an extra boost before taking the stage. the kids and moms say the peppy cocktail can give oomph. but what about the kids? here's abc's andrea canning. >> reporter: she calls herself honey boo-boo. >> me a boo-boo child. >> reporter: the newest sensation on the hit show, "toddlers and tiaras." and she has a secret weapon.

honey boo-boo is doing what a lot of girls do to prepare. kicking off the high-octane performances with a little help. >> and we put red bull out. >> reporter: she guzzles down the high-sugar, high-caffeinated boost. >> here. >> reporter: her mother, june, created the liquid concoction, they call go-go juice. part red bull, part mountain dew. >> my go-go juice will help me win. >> reporter: before turning to the juice for pep, honey boo-boo was eating pixie stix which were dubbed pageant crack, before shows. >> i think an energy drink, that has the caffeine. makes me hyper. >> reporter: it makes you happy? >> hyper. >> reporter: oh, hyper? it makes you hyper.

>> the go-go juice kind of, you know, does make her really hyper. i just tried the combination with the caffeine drink and a hint of the energy drink. and it just worked for her. >> reporter: she says the sugar highs and the caffeine fixes are a staple on the pageant circuit. >> i bribe her with chocolate. do it again. >> whatever it takes to practice. >> when you get on stage, you do have to be alive. and you have to be -- your personality, has to, like, shine. that's what i choose to do to my child. that's my choice. >> reporter: is she being herself when she's on all that caffeine and sugar? is that really being herself? >> well, there's girls that are ten-time worse than she is. but on an everyday basis, with or without caffeine, you can't say what to do, with or without

it. it's just cute. >> reporter: according to a study published last week, one among many targeting suge ur eshgs researchers at ucsf found that sugar works similarly to alcohol in the body, causing metabolic syndrome. >> it's not just the caffeine in the energy drinks that are a problem. it's the entire energy drink that's a problem. it's like taking speed. you would never give kids speed. >> reporter: according to the report, too much caffeine for a young child can lead to neurological and cardiovascular problems in the long term. >> it raises your heart rate. it raises your blood pressure. honestly, it's an addictive substance. any of us that are parents never really promote our kids consuming a substance that's going to be addictive. >> reporter: even red bull says, quote, we do not recommend red bull for caffeine-sensitive individuals, including children. a 6-year-old, giving her

caffeine and red bull. that's a lot of caffeine and sugar for a little girl. why do you have to? >> there's worse things. >> reporter: what's worse for a 6-year-old than giving her a drink chock full of caffeine and sugar? >> there's other moms that do the same thing. give her child, the caffeine drinks, the energy drinks, the candy. why is it such a big issue with us pageant moms that do it to keep our kids energied and awake? >> for some people, maybe they need to be a little more energetic. but this is not the way to do it. maybe explaining that their performance needs more energy. but certainly not drugging them. >> that's it. that was it. >> reporter: do you worry at all that a lot may become overweight. >> not at all. whether skinny or fat, i'm going to love my children, regardless. she's healthy. if i was giving it down her throat every day of the week, that might have been a problem.

but i don't. smile, baby. >> reporter: she defended her parenting, saying when they're not making the pageant rounds, they eat healthy at home. >> ready. >> reporter: she is an active, well-adjusted little girl, who likes to get dirt under her fingernails. we got to see a whole other side from the little girl from georgia up close and muddy. give me five. for "nightline," this andrea canning, in mcintyre, georgia. >> let's let kids be kids. thanks to andrea for that. just ahead, she's been nominated for an oscar for her role in "the help." why did viola davis seriously balk at the part? i'd race down that hill without a helmet. i took some steep risks in my teens. i'd never ride without one now. and since my doctor prescribed lipitor, i won't go without it for my high cholesterol. why kid myself? diet and exercise weren't lowering my cholesterol enough. now i'm eating healthier, exercising more, taking lipitor. numbers don't lie. my cholesterol has stayed down.

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she's already won two tonys and a screen actors guild award. and now, viola davis has become the only black actress besides whoopi goldberg, to be nominated for an oscar more than once. first, opposite meryl streep in "doubt." she walked away with the movie with one scene. now, for "the help." she's funny. she's warm. and as cynthia mcfadden found out, she's serious about making a difference in the world. here's our series "oscar confidential." >> aibileen, can you come in here, please? >> reporter: the decision to play aibileen, a maid in 1960s jim crow era mississippi, was not an easy one for viola davis. >> lord from mercy. >> reporter: her new film, "the help," resonates deeply. playing the part of a domestic brings with it a complex history.

>> there's no "sophie's choice" crypt floating around there for me. if you look at what has been out there in the last few years, even this past year, for women of color, this is basically it. >> reporter: too often playing a domestic has been all that's been available for black actresses. >> my path is completely different from a meryl streep or michelle williams, or even a remini maura, or glenn close. and not that they've had it easy because they're women. but i do not sit with 10, 15 scripts in front of me, all lead roles. and i just kind of say eenie, meanie, minie, mo. that's not been my options. >> reporter: the option she took, her sensitive portrayal of aibileen, has already won davis some big-time hollywood accolade. an academy award nomination. >> viola davis. >> reporter: and a win for best actress at this year's s.a.g. awards. >> i have a special note for the

dids in central falls, rhode island, to dream big and dream fierce. >> reporter: viola davis knows all about big dreams. she grew up dirt-poor in a town where she often felt the ugly sting of racism. and was taunted with a word no child should ever hear. >> i moved to central falls in 1965. and we were the only black family. >> reporter: what happened? >> so, i was bullied. no one wanted to drink, you know, from the water fountain after me. i always counted nine boys who would chase me every day after school. and they would pick up sticks and bricks, literally. and call me "nigger, you ugly, black." just angry. just angry. >> reporter: the shy, little girl planted her feet on the ground and fought for herself. she was voted most talented in high school. and ultimately won a coveted space at juilliard. now, at 46, she has a big career, a happy marriage, and a nearly 2-year-old baby girl,

genesis. >> if she saw this dress right here, i can tell you right now, she'd go, nice. >> reporter: this shopping trip to a chic west hollywood baby store, about as far from her own early life as you can get. >> i love my family. i'm very close with my family. but poverty does something to you. it seeps into your spirit and your mind. it's almost -- it's a mentality that can -- it can get the best of you. it can almost strangle you. i remember that i used to pray a lot when i was a kid. and i would pray. i would say, god, if you -- if you really love me, you would take me away. and i would open my eyes. and i would still be in my house. you know? but no phone, electricity cut off or whatever. but now, at 46, now it's like, i can really see that everything that i've been through my entire

life has built my character in a way that's made me appreciate everything in my life. >> reporter: and gives her the courage to tackle big issues, like the lack of dynamic, complex roles for black women. hattie mcdaniel was the first black woman to win an award in "gone with the wind." and now six artists have been dominated for playing domestics. >> sometimes you have to make hard decisions. and the decision i made after reading the book, which i really, really liked, is that i knew when i was given this role of aibileen, i could humanize her. and i felt, as did octavia, as did miss tyson, that we could infuse these facts with humanity, that they could be more than just aprons, and a

blank, one-dimensional stereotype. >> reporter: so, why are there so few options? is it prejudice? >> prejudice is too simple a term. it's not just a problem with white people. it's like, white people have created the negative images. a lot of times, 99% of the scripts i have at home, are young, up-and-coming black wh e writers. who come up and say i have a story for you. i really see it. and most all of them are mothers who are crack-addicted. and they're coming from black people. >> reporter: davis hopes the success of the movie, which has closed $169 million, will help expand roles available for black actresses. >> the movie made a lot of money. and all of a sudden, we've been brought to the forefront. you know what? now, you have something to work with in hollywood. can we get something done? that's how it works in this

business. >> reporter: which brings us back to aibileen. >> you is kind. you is smart. >> you is important. >> that's so good. >> reporter: what did she teach you? >> that you're bigger than your circumstances. who you are inside is bigger than your circumstances. there's always a space inside of you that is all you and yours, your dreams and your hopes and your love. okay. >> thank you so much. >> reporter: a lesson viola davis can surely teach the rest of us. for "nightline," i'm cynthia mcfadden, in los angeles. >> thank you. >> what an impressive person viola davis is. you can catch her tomorrow morning on "good morning america." next up, a victoria's secret model who quit because she says her faith made her.

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does wearing angel wings bring a woman closer to god? well, the victoria's secret model you're about to meet

tonight, says she decided the answer was no. and she quit. she is hardly the first faith believering putting her faith on display. it's tonight's "sign of the times." for decades, celebrities have been the apostles of cool. think of james dean's teenage rebellion in "rebel without a cause." >> you're not listening to me. >> reporter: or madonna's feminist sexuality. now, just maybe there's a new trend on planet celebrity. and it comes, from all places, the victoria's secret runway. where the women are young, gorgeous and barely clothed. one of them wants out. because of him. her name is kylie bisutti. she's 21 years old. and she earned her spot among the angels of victoria's secret, the old-fashioned way. she won it on a reality tv show. >> i want to walk the victoria's

secret runway with all my heart. >> reporter: beating out ten young women for the job. >> i want this. and i'll do what it takes to get it. >> reporter: but now, kylie doesn't want it. she's retiring from lingerie modeling because, she says, i just started becoming more uncomfortable with it because of my faith. i'm christian. and reading the bible more, i was becoming more convicted about it. she wants to save her body, she says, for her husband. something's happening here. >> faith is a flash point in our culture here. talking about spirituality openly is still seen as taboo in parts of this country. >> reporter: she writes about spirituality on her blog. >> there's been stars that cater to the christian market. but the fact that now celebrities can go on award shows and do huge interviews and talk about their faith is pretty remarkable. >> reporter: jesus, it seems, is cool. we all know about tebow, justin bieber's got a tattoo of christ

on his calf. and in the nba, the new york knicks newest star, jeremy lind, is lighting up the court with his skills and his faith. >> god says everybody who loves him. i'm thankful i'm able to be here right now with this team. >> reporter: and for heaven's sake, even kim kardashian, who became famous for -- well, never mind that. even kim kardashian is going to church, with leann rimes, very publicly. and tweeting about starting bible study. >> i think young people are more comfortable talking about everything. >> reporter: so, kylie bisutti tells us she'll no longer disrobe on the runway because of god. proving once again that old and sturdy truth, he works in mysterious ways. amen. and thanks for watching abc news. we hope you check in for "good morning america." they're going to have an exclusive interview on "gma" with someone close