Mama June: Family Crisis?
That reality show title felt especially appropriate this past Friday night.
As previously reported, the woman after whom this series is named has been at the center of a family storm of late because June Shannon has refused to help pay for daughter Alana’s college tuition.
It’s actually worse than that, too.
June Shannon looks on here during an episode of her annoying reality show. (WEtv)
On a previous installment of Mama June: Family Crisis, the 44-year old revealed that she had taken money from her teenager’s Coogan account — a trust where parents of child stars are legally required to deposit a percentage of their earnings — while discussing Alana’s plans for college in Colorado.
The mother of four claimed in past arguments with her kids that she used some of this cash on Alana to pay for her upkeep over the years.
“Every time that you needed something, clothes or whatever, hair appointments, lash appointments, nail appointments,” the matriarch listed on air, noting her daughter had essentially been paying her own bills since she was 12 years old… just without knowing she was doing so.
“And you’ve been doing a good job of it.”
Justin Stroud and Mama June Shannon appear to sort of have a strong relationship. (Image Credit: WEtv)
This explanation didn’t sit well with Alana, of course, who threatened to sue June over the stolen funds.
On the episode that aired on April 12, meanwhile, Mama June sat down with her husband, Justin Shroud, and daughters Lauryn and Alana to straighten out the money that has vanished from the latter’s Coogan account.
For her part, Lauryn was prepared, even standing in front of a whiteboard that depicted her sister’s earning over the years, along with June’s account transactions.
After cross-referencing Alana’s various child star appearances — from back when she was a famous, young beauty pageant contestant — out-of-state taxes and the money Mama June spent… Pumpkin said there is $35,728 missing from Alana’s account.
The Shannon family is all together in this scene from their reality show. (WEtv)
“Well, you’re not even allowing me to talk,” Mama June said in response to the reveal, asking if the group really expects her to just hand this sum over to Alana.
“If Mama wants to have like a relationship with me she needs to pay me back, because one thing I don’t do, is I don’t hang around no ‘thief’ that gonna steal my money now,” Alana said to the camera in an emotional confessional, adding:
“You was the one who stole it so you need to pay my money back.”
Sure makes sense in our opinion.
On Mama June: Family Crisis, the titular June Shannon speaks to the confessional camera. (Image Credit: WEtv)
That’s a lot of money, enough to pay for for two semesters of Alana’s college education.
Approached with this information, Mama June actually said she doesn’t believe that her youngest daughter will stick it out and therefore doesn’t want to give her tuition money just for her to drop out.
As it should have, such a sentiment set Lauryn off.
“You’re being [a] negative bitch!” Lauryn screamed. “You’re not a supportive mother! … Who cares?!
“It’s investing in your daughter if you lost 10 grand? You lost $500,000 to a bag of f—ing crack, bitch!”
June Shannon speaks to the camera in this scene from her reality show. (Image Credit: TLC)
Indeed, Shannon previously confessed to spending a whopping sum of cash on hard drugs during her substance abuse period.
She’s not really in a place to be doling out life advice.
Toward the end of the episode, Shannon told her kids that she doesn’t “tell y’all what to do with you’re money,” prompting Alana to jump in to say nobody is “mad” for her refusal to help with college.
“I don’t even want you to pay for college. I just want my 35 grand back in my account so I can pay for college,” she replied, emphasizing that this is HER money.
We’re guessing this won’t be the final time this season we heard about the uproar over June’s actions.
Mama June: Family Crisis airs Fridays at 9/8c on WE tv.
Lauryn Shannon to Mama June: You’re a B-tch and a Crackhead! was originally published on The Hollywood Gossip.