Mama June Shannon Claims She Didn’t Actually “Lose Custody” of Daughter Alana Thompson; Says She’s Grateful to Lauryn “Pumpkin” Shannon For Stepping Up To Raise Her

“So technically, I’m still a winner, y’all.”

Mama June Shannon may no longer have custody of 16-year-old daughter Alana “Honey Boo Boo” Thompson, but she claims to have no hard feelings over the matter either.

As The Ashley previously reported, Alana’s sister Lauryn “Pumpkin” Shannon was recently awarded sole custody of Alana, who has resided with Pumpkin and her husband Josh Efird since 2019, shortly after June’s arrest for possession of crack cocaine.

As part of the judge’s ruling, June has been ordered to pay Pumpkin $800 a month in child support, and Pumpkin has been given sole decision-making authority for Alana– including when (or if) June is allowed to visit the teen. 

During Friday’s episode of Page Six‘s Virtual Reali-Tea, June said Alana “made that choice to stay in that environment,” claiming she didn’t technically lose custody of her daughter. 

“People don’t understand the custody thing,” June said. “It’s not like somebody ‘lost custody.’ In the star of Georgia, you do temporary guardianship every year and [Alana] had been with [Lauryn] in my addiction. Well, at the age of 12, you’re able to make your choice.” 

“And you ain’t it, mama.”

“Alana made that choice to stay in that environment [with Pumpkin],” June added.

While Alana did not make the choice to live with her mother, June insists she has a “good” relationship with all of her daughters, (including Anna “Chickadee” Cardwell, who doesn’t appear on the family’s WeTV show and was estranged from June for years).

“Alana’s fixin’ to be 17 in just a couple of months,” she continued. “So honestly, me and Pumpkin sat down and was just like, ‘Hey, it’s not like I don’t see Alana, it’s not like I don’t talk to her. Because I do. I do see her, I do talk to her. We do communicate. So it wasn’t like any different. 

“The only difference is she’s not sitting right here beside me in my home every day,” June added. 

…or crammed together in a beachball.

June, who wed Justin Stroud in March, said she’s thankful Pumpkin stepped in for Alana when she was unable to do so herself, admitting the situation “could have been a lot different.” 

“Pumpkin stepping in, I’m very grateful because it could have turned into a bad situation,” she said, adding that Alana’s father, Mike “Sugar Bear” Thompson, has no real relationship with her. 

“Alana doesn’t have that relationship with her father,” June said. “Her father doesn’t have anything to do with her, besides when we’re in production [of our show], to try to get his name out and try to be Father of the Year.

“At the time Alana went to go live with Pumpkin at the beginning, I couldn’t even take care of my own self– more or less take care of anybody else.”

RELATED STORY: Mama June Shannon Confirms She Married Boyfriend Justin Stroud in March: “When You Know, You Just Know!”

(Photos: We TV; Instagram; FOX) 

 

17 Comments

  1. How long until Justin gets tired of that fat liar, and old user, and parasite? I think he’ll get tired of her lies and scams when her money runs out.


  2. June you have so many excuses I feel sorry for your girls not you you’re a grown ass woman but you got baby daddies that don’t see their kids and you go from one man to another you never leave one without another man next to you it’s time for you to grow up be a mom and stay away from Men get your head and your life together


  3. Whatever you have to tell yourself. Meanwhile, back in reality, you used to have custody of your daughter and now you don’t. Most of us call that “losing custody.” That Alanna doesn’t even want to live with you makes it that much worse.


  4. I don’t know how Pumpkin turned out to be such an amazing, mature woman, cause it certainly wasn’t June’s parenting. Anyway, I applaud her, never in a million years did I think she would be this awesome (considering she was painted in their show as the brain-dead in the family). June should be sitting in jail for siding with the man who molested her daughter then taking him back. Custody should not even be in the picture for her. She failed her children, all of them. Pumpkin is amazing.


    1. Considering some dentist was going to do work and found cancer (I believe that’s what I read on the Ashley), I’m guessing he probably doesn’t have much money. But I don’t recall if SugarBear had any income or former work outside the show.


  5. You should be kissing Pumpkin’s and Josh’s feet for taking in Alana and taking good care of care. They are way more mature than you are.
    On other note, isn’t “Bentley Jameson” the most Southern name? LoL


  6. No hard feelings = Doesnt really want the responsibility anyway!!

    Sucky mother. Sucky person.

    Stop paying this woman! Kick her off the show and stop rewarding her for her bad behavior!

    Pumpkin, You’re amazing!


  7. June (much like Farrah and Jenelle) is on her own planet. There’s a whole different reality for us and them. Unfortunately, I feel like her producers feed into it. That show should solely be about the girls and they should only give June a cameo when she shows up for the important things!


    1. Great comment! Agree 💯.
      I think you can tell the producers hate June.
      Pumpkin and Josh are funny enough to carry the show. Even Alana is losing a little bit of her appeal because she’s a little delusional thinking Hollywood might be calling for a movie. Her career is just not going to go anywhere.
      She’s way past the Honey Boo Boo interest and now as she approaches her young adult hood I don’t think the public will keep interest in her much unfortunately without her trainwreck mother.


    2. I think the blonde producer is done with her butt. Not sure when it started but she wasn’t happy that June put Alana in a Uber by herself. Or in the next weeks episode with June having covid.


  8. No June, you didn’t “lose custody”. Losing custody implies that there was a fight for custody. You GAVE your daughter away. You pawned everything they owned, had one daughters car repo’d and sold the house you promised to your daughters. Now ‘sober” you are STILL choosing men and giving men money over your own children.

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