Mama June Shannon is coming to her boyfriend’s defense and (once again) assuring fans their relationship is genuine, and that he isn’t with her for her fame or money.
June spoke about her boyfriend Justin Stroud during an interview with Entertainment Tonight, explaining that while Justin will appear in the upcoming season of Mama June: Road to Redemption, he isn’t dating her for clout. She swears that Justin– who is eight years younger than her— had no idea she was famous.
“He didn’t know who I was to begin with, honestly,” June said. “He didn’t know. And he did tell [producers], ‘No, I don’t want to be part of it. I don’t want to do it.’”
June went on to claim that Justin was working full-time, “owns businesses” and “has his own life.” Still, she said her new beau eventually changed his mind and decided to film, which has “been kind of an adjustment to him.”
“ … but he’s like, ‘F**k it.’ He got thrown into it, so he’s like, ‘Let’s ride,’” she added.
As for the rumor that Justin is a clout-chaser, June said she was the one doing the chasing at the beginning of the relationship.
“We just started chit-chatting and I started stalking him,” she said. “Everybody always says he’s a clout-chaser. F**k, I was chasing him!”
June also noted that fans “don’t realize” she was also the one who moved in with Justin, not the other way around, as some assume. June went on to add that her daughters also like Justin and he’s even joined the family on vacation. (As viewers may remember, June’s teenage daughter Alana “Honey Boo Boo” Thompson began living with her older sister Lauryn “Pumpkin” Shannon in 2019–- shortly after June was arrested for possession of crack cocaine.)
While she and Justin have separate lives, they also do a lot of stuff together, including supporting one another as former addicts who are in recovery. June, who has reportedly been sober since January 2020, said the pair share their experiences to help keep each other healthy and sober, though she admits that some days are still tough.
“You just got to be supportive,” she said. “There is days, because some people are going to come clean does not mean– it doesn’t become peaches, flowers and rainbows. So when you have those off days, you just got to tell that person, like, ‘Hey, I’m feeling off today. I’m sorry. I’m in my head today.’ And you got to find somebody who understands.”
June added that she and Justin are determined to prove to the naysayers that two people in recovery can be together.
“We’ve been through hell and back,” she said. “We’ve known each other for a year. Most relationships don’t go through the obstacles that we had to go through in the last year, they don’t even go through it in the lifetime of their relationship. So I think honestly, that’s made us stronger.”
The new season of ‘Mama June: Road to Redemption’ premieres Friday, May 13, on WE tv.
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(Photos: Instagram; WE tv)
12 Responses
I’m over this cow
Oh please. Spare us another speech from this narcissistic, selfish sociopath who cares only about herself and her next boyfriend or cream puff while her kids can go to hell for all she cares…. except to use them, control them and pretend that she’s a mother.
This women is a terrible mother and has repeatedly put her boyfriends, and herself before her children. They all seem to have turned out well, but I can’t imagine they are not effected and will have to work through all this in adulthood.
She really is stupid if she thinks the new one had no idea who she is, I bet the ‘businesses’ are all working from home, and he mysteriously never has to work.
I think the only reason any of the kids turned out ok IS because they had to be the *adults* with their own mother.
The eldest, Ana(?), was already molested by one of her boyfriends, Pumpkin has definitely seen some shit – that’s probably one of the motivations for her getting married and getting out of that environment with June. Now Pumpkin is taking on taking care of a teen/young adult while navigating motherhood herself.
I wish June luck as a fellow addict, but I sincerely don’t care what clusterfucks she brings on herself. I just feel so heartbroken for all her children.
There is no redemption for her, period!
This woman makes Jenelle look like mother of the year.
Its disgusting that she still has a forum, that these channels keep giving her shows after the.. idk.. Last 20 fuck ups.
Dude’s in recovery???
Since when, noon?
Then film him working, at a job.
??
Exactly… my spidey senses kick in when people claim “self employment”. Drug dealers and hit men are “self employed”, it isn’t as glamous as some people would like to think.
Over the years I’ve noticed a lot of “self employed” individuals seem like the kind of people who just can’t work for someone else because they’d get fired.
I definitely agree that nothing has changed. June is still selfish and puts her wants and needs above her children and grandchildren. She is still choosing a lowlife over her kids. Zero self respect, zero awareness.
Might not be chasing clout but I bet he’s chasing a high
She definitely has a type ?
Meth heads and chomos.