Due to June "Mama June" Shannon's legal drama, Lauryn "Pumpkin" Efird became the caregiver for her sister, Alana "Honey Boo Boo" Thompson, in 2019 (via The U.S. Sun). After Mama June's March 2019 arrest for drug charges, Honey Boo Boo went to live with Pumpkin and her husband Josh Efird. Shannon ultimately entered rehab and accepted a plea agreement, which allowed her to avoid prison time. Still, the ordeal strained the relationship between the troubled mother and her daughters.
After two years of having her little sister in her home, Pumpkin filed documents to become her legal guardian. Despite Honey Boo Boo telling the courts she wanted to live with Pumpkin, Shannon still fought for her youngest daughter. In the end, Mama June lost her custody argument and was ordered to pay Efird $800 a month in child support for Honey Boo Boo until she turned 18. After the decision was legalized, Shannon admitted that it was bittersweet but maintained she only wanted the best for the teenager.
"I want to make sure she is happy, and I don't want to make her any more uncomfortable and have to go through any more than what she's already had to go through," she shared with Entertainment Tonight in a May 2023 sit-down.
