Mama June Shannon took to TikTok this week to respond to a video posted by Kail Lowry, in which Kail questioned the way June handled daughter Alana “Honey Boo Boo” Thompson’s finances.
In her TikTok, the former Teen Mom 2 star reacted to a clip from a recent episode of Mama June: Family Crisis in which Alana called out June for allegedly mishandling some of her reality TV earnings, leaving her with only enough to cover her first year of college tuition.
Kail noted that Alana has been on reality TV for 12 years–- the same number of years Kail appeared on reality TV herself–- and has made money through other opportunities, as well. Kail also pointed out that, like June, she didn’t have any financial guidance from her family when she began making money on TV and in order to invest her earnings wisely, she eventually turned to a financial advisor.
Doing this, Kail said, allowed her to not only grow her own money, but also the money her children earned by appearing on reality TV.
@kaillowry
“How are you able to spend 12 or 13 years worth of money when you are getting your own money … ?” Kail asked of June’s financial situation. “Mama June has multiple kids, so even if she’s taking a percentage of her kids money as, you know, a ‘management fee’ or whatever, to spend all of it is absolutely f**king insane.”
Kail also explained in her TikTok that, early on in her reality TV career, MTV assisted her in setting up a custodial account for her son Isaac, which she said neither she nor Isaac’s dad, Jo Rivera, were able to withdraw money from. Kail said she and ex-husband Javi Marroquin did the same thing for their son, Lincoln, and implied that she has continued to set up these accounts for her other children, too. (Kail’s three youngest kids– Rio, Verse and Valley— have not appeared on reality TV to date.)
Regarding June’s situation, Kail speculated that there had to have been “upwards of seven figures” earned between June and her children over the last 12 years, so there should be plenty of money to pay for Alana’s college tuition.
“That money should have been protected [and] set aside in the event that she wanted to go away [to college] … I’m very curious to see what happens from here,” she said.
June went on to stitch Kail’s TikTok video in order to explain “the truth behind Alana’s money.” In her response, June said neither she nor Alana were compensated in 2011 when they first appeared on Toddlers and Tiaras, claiming that the show only paid for Alana’s pageant entry fees.
The following year, the family signed a contract with TLC for their spinoff, Here Comes Honey Boo Boo; however, June said there was “never any mention” of Coogan Accounts at the time.
(According to the SAG-AFTRA, Coogan Accounts– named for the Coogan Law– are utilized to safeguard a portion of earnings made by minors in the entertainment industry until the individual reaches a certain age. While these accounts protect child actors/entertainers, there are currently no laws in place to protect the earnings of reality TV kids. Also, as of press time, Coogan Accounts are only legally required in five states— California, New York, Illinois, Louisiana and New Mexico– and each state’s rules for them vary.)
June insists that the money the family earned from ‘Honey Boo Boo’ was spent on family expenses.
“It was just a lump sum at that time and then I went and kind of divvied it up and then when the kids wanted something, they got it,” June said, adding that the family’s earnings were also used for things like vacations.
While the family went on to film Mama June: From Not to Hot in 2015, June said she didn’t learn about Coogan Accounts until Alana competed on Dancing with the Stars Juniors in 2018. June said she was only required to put 20 percent of Alana’s earnings from the competition show into a Coogan Account at the time, though she acknowledged that she could have put 100 percent into the account.
“Was I in my drug addiction [at the time]? Yes,” she said. “Is that an excuse? No.”
On a recent episode of ‘Mama June: Family Crisis,’ viewers saw Alana confront her mom over missing money that she accused June of spending. During the conversation, June claimed that Alana had earned $33,000 for appearing on The Masked Singer and ‘Dancing with the Stars Juniors,’ noting that the $33,000 included only “part of” the teen’s earnings from the latter.
Alana argued that “something’s not adding up,” as she believed there should be “at least six figures” in the account, while her sister Lauryn “Pumpkin” Shannon pointed out that the $33,000 would only cover the first year of Alana’s college tuition.
June claimed on the episode that 50 percent of Alana’s earnings had been taken out for taxes–- which neither Alana nor Pumpkin believed–- before adding that some of the money had been spent on things such as Alana’s clothes and hair/nail/lash appointments. June also admitted that Alana had technically been paying her own bills since she was 12 years old, seemingly without knowing it.
Regarding what was discussed on the show, June revealed on TikTok this week that she intends to give Alana a lump sum of money that she believes she owes her daughter from past arrangements. (June also claims that Alana has $160,000 from her ‘Mama June: From Not to Hot’ earnings in a Coogan Account.)
“ … I am going to give her back $30,000,” June said. “We’re going to do it the right way. We want her to be able to have her sign something that she has agreed to saying, ‘OK, every bit of money is paid back and it’s squashed and everything else’–- not just for my protection, but also for Alana’s protection, and to kind of move forward … .”
As for Kail’s comments on the situation, June said she hoped her video would clear up some things.
“ … I know you understand being on TV [and] I’m so glad that you had guidance, but unfortunately, we didn’t have any guidance,” she said. “We were kind of like, thrown to the wolves and had to figure all this out ourselves.”
In the comment section of the video, fans brought up the fact that Alana was recently on TikTok asking for donations to help her pay for school.
“I saw a clip ppl sent her $1 so far she got $1,125,” one person wrote, to which Mama June replied, “No now she got like 8k and gifts also.”
Another fan asked June to clarify regarding the money that Alana’s sister Pumpkin (who was her legal guardian until she turned 18) put aside for her.
“Wait so what money does Pumpkin have saved for her?? What show is that from?” the fans asked.
“She has a Coogan acct for the show Alana 50% went into a acct that has &160k and $160 went to Alana personally as she lived on her own at 16,” June replied in her signature word scramble “June Speak.”
Others disputed the amount of money June says she owes Alana.
“If taxes were immediately removed and you deposited 20% from each show and the total is 33k that would mean after taxes her pay should be $87.5k per show. You owe her $140k not $30k,” one person wrote in the comment section, later clarifying that amount is only taking Alana’s ‘DWTS’ and ‘Masked Singer’ earnings into account.
While Mama June may not have been happy with Kail’s post, it appears that Pumpkin had no problem with it. In fact, in the comment section of Kail’s original post, Pumpkin asked Kail to let her and Alana come on her Barely Famous podcast, and Kail seemed to agree.
Listen to June’s full response to Kail’s TikTok below.
@officialmamajune #stitch with @Kailyn Lowry thr truth behind alanas miney and what i dod and saying my yruths #mamajunr #honeybooboo #money %realitytv
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(Photos: TikTok; WEtv; Instagram)
June shouldn’t have even had ACCESS to that money. And I watched the clip, it wasn’t just Alana’s money she took and spent it was ALL of her daughters that she did this to. She even lied to her bf that she had put 80% of Alana’s earnings into the account. I don’t know why these girls keeping putting up with her, I’d have cut contact a long time ago.
The Ashley, is there any update on the custody case for Anna’s daughter? Thanks!
June spent all that money (save for the $33k she couldn’t touch) and lost it the old fashioned way- on crack and cocaine, and some chains for Veener Teeth. It’s gone. She’s a terrible person. This is the only issue I’ve ever 100% agreed with Kail on. But Kail, she spent that shit and screwed her daughters education. It’s gone and they better get an advisor and be smart with what they have left because lightning isn’t striking twice.
Alana just needs to cut the cord & sue this wretched hog
I knew it would only be a matter of time before Alana would set up a beggars account to fund her college and the kind of apartment she wants. Oh, and lets not forget that she has a lazy ass convict boyfriend that she needs to support when and if she ends up going. I also remember Alana telling her sister that “no way” was she going to get a part time job in Colorado! She will be too busy for that, she said. Funny, just about every college student I ever knew worked part time to make ends meet. But not Alana! She is busy making sure to stir up plenty of sympathy for herself in order to bring in those great big donations to support herself and her loser boyfriend.
As an admission counselor at a major university, we tell families not to allow their kids to work the first 3 semesters at all. They need that time to learn to be a student. On a campus of 60,000+ less than half of our students work any type of job. This is very common.
It is a privilege to be able to “not work” during College. Not everyone gets that financial support. Also it teaches life skills such as time management so I think it’s important for anyone to work during school. Like who is paying for everything. If they don’t
Was June in her drug addiction? Yes. Does she use it as a constant excuse? YES!!
I’m surprised June has $30, let alone $30k left after that years long bender she went on with Geno.
Only because she COULDN’T touch it
I don’t know anything about mama June, but Kail has way too many kids to be inserting herself into other people’s business that has nothing to do with her! This is laughable and I haven’t read beyond the title yet!
Nope, don’t agree. And it has nothing to do with whether or not I like Kail.
Spending your kids money to fuel your own drug addiction and then making excuses for it is disgusting. The fact that Alana wants to go to college and can’t pay for the full 4 years because June Slevy her OWN CHILD’S money is inexcusable.
The fact that June wants to make up for that by having poor Alana sign something accepting 1/10th or less of what is owed to her, in order to protect JUNE, makes me want to hurl.
I’m with you. I really can’t stand Kail but that doesn’t mean that she’s not 100% correct this time…and she is. If I had to pick one over the other right now as a mom I’ll pick Kail. I can’t understand spending your own child’s money on drugs and men. June is despicable. I also don’t take comments seriously from someone who couldn’t bother to read “beyond the title.” 🙄
You should read an article in full, before you embarrass yourself worldwide….
Kail and Mama June should keep their family problems off the internet.
Lay off the injections Kail you’re starting to look inhuman
Karl-STFU and mind your business. Of course June spent it all. Drugs are expensive
And now sober June wants to pay back 1/10th of what she stole and have Alana sign something to protect JUNE.
Sober June is still the same selfish, terrible excuse for a parent that she has always been. And here I am inserting myself into someone else’s business, but that is what happens when you open your life up to the public for money.
And Kail is the problem for not minding her business? But her kids have all of their money and live well. I understand more than most what drugs can do to a person. I also understand that sober June’s actions belie her true nature. And I don’t care if it isn’t Kail’s business. She is 100% correct about this.
Not a huge Kail fan, but she is allowed to comment on this since they put this out for the whole world to judge. June stole money from her kids. This is fact. While I don’t think Kail is the greatest mom ever, I do believe she is setting her kids up for success in life.