It’s been a tough month for Mama June Shannon and the rest of her reality TV family, after her daughter Anna “Chickadee” Cardwell passed away at age 29 following a cancer battle. Now the Here Comes Honey Boo Boo matriarch is facing accusations of a relapse, after fans said it looked like she was doing drugs during a TikTok live video. Shannon has responded to the speculation, explaining what was happening during the post in question and saying she’s been sober for years.
Mama June Shannon raised some eyebrows amongst her TikTok followers recently, as she posted a live video during which she ranted about people talking about her. Several times during the video, she ducked out of sight of the camera, wiping her nose when she appeared back on the screen. This led viewers to think she was using drugs, but the TLC reality star denied the accusations, telling TMZ:
I have been straight sober since Jan 27, 2020. I don't do drugs, I don't smoke cigarettes and I don't even drink.
The Mama June: From Not to Hot star further explained that she was cooking while doing the TikTok post and was bending down in order to read the comments, noting that blindness in her right eye makes reading difficult. Mama June said part of her contract with TLC requires her to take weekly drug tests — which she said she has never failed — but that accountability isn’t the reason she stays off drugs. She continued:
That doesn’t keep me clean, I keep me clean.
Longtime fans of the Here Comes Honey Boo Boo family are familiar with Mama June Shannon’s history with drugs. The reality star was arrested in 2019 for felony possession of crack cocaine, saying on a 2020 episode of her TLC show (per Page Six) that she and her then-boyfriend Geno Doak spent $2,500 a day on meth. The next year Shannon said they had spent nearly $1 million on “dope,” and at one point had sent her dealer $80,000 in a single CashApp transaction for drugs.
One can see how that could be a concern for fans, especially following the death of Mama June’s oldest daughter. Anna Cardwell was diagnosed with stage 4 adrenal carcinoma in January 2023. According to updates from her mom, Cardwell underwent several rounds of chemotherapy, but by May, Mama June said, “We know what the endgame is,” and that they were prepared for that.
Anna Cardwell’s 11-year-old daughter Kaitlyn Elizabeth is now in the care of Mama June, who is seeking to become her legal guardian, and they recently took a trip to Disney World with Cardwell’s ashes in tow. Kaitlyn’s sister, 8-year-old Kylee Madison, is in the custody of her biological father in an agreement that the family reportedly agreed to after Cardwell’s diagnosis.
This is undoubtedly a tough time for Mama June and her family, and we hope she can stay on a healthy path during this period of transition and mourning.
