‘Mama June’ Shannon Makes Emotional Admission on Mending Relationship With Family

Ahead of her new show on WeTV, Mama June: Road To Redemption, “Mama June” Shannon revealed that she and her boyfriend Geno Doak have been sober for over a year, but not before she spent $1 million on drugs before she went to rehab. “I would say the last year of our addiction, probably a good $900,000,” she told Access Hollywood. “So much money was sent to our dope man.” Shannon admitted that she spent as much as $80,000 in one single transaction on Cashapp and that she decided to go to rehab when a $150,000 payment was late. “I went into rehab with $1.75 to my name,” the former TLC star said. “And I came out with nothing.”

Shannon has been sober for fourteen months, although years of drug abuse have made her relationships with her children, particularly Alana (a.k.a Honey Boo Boo),15, and Pumpkin, 21, particularly fraught. However, she told TMZ that she is doing the work to mend those fences. Shannon also appeared on the HollywoodLife Podcast and admitted that she is “still struggling” after her daughters cut her off two years ago. Despite having a two-year-old of her own, Pumpkin stepped in and has been raising Alana in Shannon’s absence.

“When they turned away from me, it was kind of hurtful, especially when you’re as close as me and my kids are. Now, I’m trying to mend that relationship, and it’s still struggling back and forth,” Shannon explained. “I’m very proud of them and I’m grateful Pumpkin stepped up because I wasn’t good enough for myself, I definitely wasn’t good enough to take care of Alana.”

“Even in my addiction, I would text the girls every couple of days,” Shannon continued. “I texted them and told them, ‘Hey, I’m going to rehab,’ and I came to find out that Pumpkin and Alana actually texted production after I texted them and they were like, ‘Hey, is mama really going to rehab?’ I didn’t want to get their hopes up, because I had gone once before and wasn’t ready.”

Shannon explained that her decision to go to rehab was one that she made with Doak. “He started crying. He was like, ‘Look, we need to go to rehab. I’m tired of doing this,’” she said. “It two days later I was on a plane to South Florida and that’s where our life turned for the better.” Shannon also made it clear that Doak was not the source of her drug addiction, and that she was using before she even met him.

“We’re all just trying to mend relationships with our children, the both of us… we’re doing it as a team,” Shannon concluded. “I keep trying, and keep trying and keep trying and eventually, you know, they’ll answer. They’ll come around. I feel that way. I mean, in my heart I do. I hope that they will.”