Where is Mama June in 2021? She’s spending time with her daughter Alana

Mama June, the matriarch of the Shannon family, first rose to fame thanks to her youngest daughter, Alana ‘Honey Boo Boo’ Thompson, on Toddlers and Tiaras. Since then, June has experienced massive lows and highs. She starred in successful spin-off reality shows but secretly struggled with drug addiction.

June’s recovery from addiction coincided with the coronavirus pandemic, which temporarily shut down filming for her reality show. The ever-resourceful Mama June bounced back and has enjoyed a much better 2021. She starred in the fifth series of her reality show, hosted the Eighth Annual American Reality Television Awards, and appeared on The Masked Singer. 

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After leaving rehab, Mama June set about reconciling with her daughters. She’d abandoned her family to stay with her boyfriend, leaving Alana under the care of her sister, Lauryn ‘Pumpkin’ Shannon. 

June’s attempts to reconcile with Alana aired on Mama June: Road to Redemption. Alana talked about the pain she went through, not knowing whether June would make it home. Pumpkin and Alana delighted in their mother’s recovery but insisted that rebuilding their bond would take a while.

Pumpkin told People: “I think it was very hard to just pick up where we left off, not for her but for me and Alana it was. And it’s going to take time to repair that, but mama just kind of expects it to go back to like, ‘Oh, were the same loving family and we’re the same girls.’”

June’s persistence paid off, as in June 2021, she reunited with her four daughters for the first time in six years. Anna ‘Chickadee’ Cardwell, June’s oldest daughter, fell out with Mama in 2015 following a dispute over her payment. 

The pair put their differences aside to attend Lauryn’s baby shower in Gordon, Georgia. “I did what I call ‘roll call’ with all the girls being there,” June told Page Six.

November 2021’s episode of The Masked Singer revealed that June and Alana had gone a long way in repairing their bond. The couple performed an off-pitch yet entertaining version of Miley Cyrus’ Party in the USA. Their ‘mask’ was a beach ball with two faces. 

June said that celebrating two years sober and reconciliation with her kids almost became too emotional to bear. She explained:

“I was in my addiction. I was away from my kids for two years. Now I’m fixing to celebrate two years clean. So, this is the first project outside of our show that we’ve done together, so it feels kind of nice, you know? I cried – that’s why I missed the first line of my part.”

“You can reconnect with your family,” Mama June said on Daily Pop. We suspect that she’s spending quality time with Alana. Mama June: From Not to Hot hasn’t yet been renewed for another season, so Mama has plenty of time to bond with Alana. 

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June embarked on her sobriety journey alongside her ex-boyfriend Geno Doak. In August 2020, the duo celebrated six months of sobriety. 

Unfortunately, Geno didn’t possess the mental fortitude to maintain his sobriety. In September 2021, Deno entered rehab following a mysterious hospitalization. According to TMZ, Geno joined for a minimum of 120 days. 

Mama June broke up with Geno after he received a 16-month sentence for drug-related charges. “Listen, Geno is not in the fuckin’ picture,” June said on Instagram Live, per TMZ. For Mama June, remaining sober is her main priority; therefore, it’s easy to see why she let Geno go. 

She told Access Hollywood: “Addiction is selfish, but my recovery is selfish also.”

June was recently rumored to be dating Jordan McCollum. Jordan has a girlfriend, and June has denied being in a relationship with him. However, it’s evident that she’s very fond of him. 

“FYI guys Jordan is only my best friend,” June wrote on Facebook. “It’s not somebody that is my toy boy or I’m not his sugar mama we r friends.” 

According to The Sun, June bought Jordan a 2013 Nissan. She then bought him a 2019 model after the 2013 car broke down. June reportedly rented and furnished a tw0-bedroomed home for Jordan. 

As far as we can tell, June is single. However, Alana has found love in her 20-year-old partner, Dralin Carswell. Initially, the relationship came under scrutiny due to the 4-year age difference between Carswell and Alana. 

Lauryn ‘Pumpkin’ Shannon’s approval of the relationship eased concerns for Alana. In a November 2021 appearance on Daily Pop, Mama June also spoke glowingly of Dralin:

“They’ve been together almost a year, and they talked a little bit before that. But um, I mean, he is respectful. He treats her good. He kind of helps out, you know, with the family whenever needed to be. I don’t have a problem with him.”

To appreciate how far June has come, you need to understand where she is from. 

June’s drug use before 2015 consisted of occasional hits of meth. Two years later, she started using cocaine and spiraled out of control. She told Access Hollywood:

“I would say the last year of our addiction, probably a good $900,000. So much money was sent to our dope man. I went to rehab with $1.75 to my name. And I came out with nothing.”

Learning ‘those old hustles’ helped June make some money to live off during the pandemic. Now that Mama June isn’t so busy, she has time to make videos on Cameo. A mid-October 2021 post by June reads:

“I know I have been busy these last few months but I’m back making video messages for you and your loved one for any occasion.”