Mama June Then & Now: See June Shannon’s Transformation

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In the years that audiences have watched Mama June Shannon, she has gone through a total transformation. From her early appearances on Toddlers & Tiaras with her daughter Alana “Honey Boo Boo” Thompson, to her recent stint on the series Family Crisis, and upcoming series Road To Redemption, Mama June has been through so much. Today, we’re taking a look back at Mama June’s transformation and journey.

Mama June Then & Now

Mama June’s (born June Shannon) foray into the spotlight was a major adjustment for the mother-of-four. Paparazzi often captured Mama June out and about, just like in the photo above. But pretty soon, she was ready to try something completely new and began to put more of a focus on her physical health and wellbeing.

After her and her daughter’s series Here Comes Honey Boo Boo, Mama June became the star of Mama June: From Not to Hot. The show chronicled the reality star’s total lifestyle evolution, and Mama June completely transformed into a total knockout. With the tools to take care of herself and make herself feel absolutely beautiful, Mama June was wholly ready to embrace a new chapter of her life.

Of course, things did take a major turn when Mama June got involved with boyfriend Geno Doak. In March 2019, June and Geno were arrested for possession of drugs, including drug paraphernalia. June basically disappeared from her daughters’ lives. Fortunately, it seems like things are finally starting to turn around for the star. In December 2020, June revealed that she was celebrating 11 months clean from drug use.

The June Family So Far

June is the matriarch of her family. She is the mother of four daughters, including Anna Marie “Chickadee” Cardwell, 26, Jessica Louise “Chubbs” Shannon, 24, Lauryn Michelle “Pumpkin” Efird, 21, and Alana “Honey Boo Boo” Thompson, 15. June also has three siblings: Joanne “Doe Doe” Shannon, Joannie Shannon, and James Edward Shannon, all of whom have been featured in the various reality tv shows. Since rising to fame and navigating a string of difficult circumstances, June’s relationships with her family members have been strained.

During a February 22 preview for Road To Redemption, the pain that her family experienced was evident. “You don’t know how many nights I’ve cried myself to sleep,” Alana said through tears. But June has been determined to prove that she is committed to staying healthy and being there for her family. “I’ve got to continuously show Pumpkin that I’ve changed,” June said.

Circumstances have, though, been tough on June’s family. “These last few years have been hell on our crazy family,”  daughter Lauryn “Pumpkin” Shannon shared. “I don’t even know who my mother is anymore,” she confessed. But as the trailer continued to go on, it was clear that there were deliberate actions taken to get June back on track. “She just wants us all to go back to the way things used to be,” Pumpkin went on. However, Pumpkin did share a final, ominous warning. “But, after destroying our family, we don’t know if we want her in our lives,” she said. Only time will tell how June and her family rectify their strained relationships.

Complete Timeline

Toddlers & Tiaras: Mama June rose to fame on the TLC series Toddlers & Tiaras. On the show, Mama June was always near by to support her youngest daughter, Alana, as she competed in various pageant shows. June appeared in more than 35 episodes of the TLC reality series between 2012 and 2013. But while on the show, her family struck a chord with viewers, and it wasn’t long after they appeared on the reality TV series that they were offered their own show.

Here Comes Honey Boo Boo: After their incredible success on Toddlers & Tiaras, Mama June and her family were the stars of the TLC spinoff series Here Comes Honey Boo Boo. The show chronicled a day in the life of the Shannon family, including Alana’s mom and sisters. The series lasted from 2012 until 2014, with June appearing in more than 25 episodes of the short-lived show.

Talk Show appearances: Throughout the early years of Mama June’s rise to fame, she appeared on a number of talk shows. The TV star was the guest on shows like Dr. Phil, The Doctors, Family Feud, Good Morning America, The Wendy Williams Show and many more. But by the mid-2010s, problems began to arise for Mama June. Fortunately, she got a totally new lease on life with the next show she would star in.

Mama June: From Not to Hot: In 2017, Mama June became the star of the TV series, From Not to Hot. The show chronicled her total physical transformation, as she got in shape through her weight loss journey, received a whole new wardrobe, and had her hair and makeup done in front of cameras. But the series quickly took a turn when Mama June and Geno got involved.

Mama June: Family Crisis: In 2020, Mama June’s life was totally changed when she started dating her boyfriend, Geno. The reality TV show featured her family’s reaction to her March 2019 arrest, as well as Alana auditioning for a fashion show and more. Even worse, The family had to go searching for June as news continued to circulate about her extenuating circumstances. After losing her front teeth, and a stint in rehab, fans will see whether Mama June is maintaining her health.

Mama June: Road To Redemption: Nearly a decade after she rose to fame on Toddlers & Tiaras, June’s life has taken a total 180, but she’s seemingly trying to get it back on track. June and Geno are still awaiting the next steps on their criminal trial sentence, and June was clearly unnerved by the whole situation in a new preview from Road To Redemption.

“That was our lawyer that just called, and we have to be at court in the morning,” she says in the preview. “And you know that DA over there does not like you at all,” she further explained to her boyfriend. Naturally, Geno was concerned about the whole ordeal, too. “Are they trying to pull some sh*t to get us over there to lock us up? Less than 24 hours notice, that’s not how sh*t normally works. What if we go to jail?”

The reality of the situation settled in for June, when she revealed in her confessional that she is “facing a couple years,” in jail. “Geno’s facing 10 years. We may not even get to see each other. I’m kind of like freaking the hell out. We don’t know what to expect in the morning.” Still, June is adamant about how the two have changed. “We changed our life around, but we still got caught with dope. We screwed up. There’s consequences to that,” Geno told his girlfriend. Time will tell how Mama June’s situation will pan out.

Mama June: Road to Redemption premieres on Friday, March 19 at 9 PM ET/PT on WE tv.