Who Is Mama June’s Husband? Her Marriage to Justin Stroud & Dating History
Mama June Shannon has been putting her life in the spotlight since her reality television debut with daughter Honey Boo Boo on Toddlers & Tiaras in 2012. The family got their own spinoff show, Here Comes Honey Boo Boo, which aired until 2014, and then returned with Mama June: From Not to Hot in 2017.
Now, the show is in its eighth season and has seen June through many ups and downs. Since 2021, June’s story has included her now-husband, Justin Stroud, whom she married in 2022 after just six months of dating. Scroll down to learn more about the pair’s relationship and June’s romantic history.
How did Mama June meet her husband?
June and Justin, a mechanic, met in treatment for their respective addictions. They were both in recovery and first crossed paths during a support group. June revealed on her reality show that the two were platonic at first, but she eventually “[started] to catch a little bit of feelings.”
The WeTV star finally told Stroud that she liked him, and a few days later, he asked her out. However, it was June who popped the question in February 2022. They tied the knot at a courthouse on their six-month anniversary in March 2022.
“No jokes, I really was scared of the M-word, but hey, Justin made me not be scared of it anymore because he wifey-ed me up,” June shared.
In February 2023, they had another wedding ceremony, which all four of her daughters attended. It was the first time they were all in the same place since 2014.
What happened between Mama June and Geno?
In 2017, Mama June began dating Geno Doak. They were together for four years before they split in 2021. According to TMZ, June ended the relationship with Geno after getting sober, which he was reportedly not willing to do.
June and Geno’s relationship was plagued with drama and legal issues. In 2019, June was arrested on suspicion of possession of a controlled substance (allegedly crack cocaine) and drug paraphernalia, while Doak was charged with third-degree domestic violence, possession of a controlled substance, and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Later that same year, they were both arrested for suspicion of possession of a controlled substance, per People. They were charged with possession of a controlled substance (cocaine) and possession of a pipe with intent to “use, inject, ingest, inhale, or otherwise introduce into the human body.” The drug possession charge was classified as a felony.
June was able to avoid jail time by taking a plea deal, which required her to be sober, but Geno was sentenced to 16 months in prison in August 2021 for the crack cocaine arrest. The situation took a toll on June’s relationship with her daughters. She lost custody of Honey Boo Boo to her daughter, Lauryn “Pumpkin” Efird, in June 2022, although they have since made amends.
Was Mama June married to Sugar Bear?
No, Mama June and Sugar Bear, who met in an online chatroom in the early 2000s, were never married. They had a commitment ceremony in 2013, which aired on Here Comes Honey Boo Boo, but never legally tied the knot.
June and Sugar Bear were together for about 10 years when they split in 2014. June reportedly pulled the plug on their relationship when she caught him scouring online dating sites, per TMZ.
How many kids does Mama June have?
Mama June has four daughters, the oldest of whom died in December 2023. Anna “Chickadee” Cardwell was June’s daughter with ex David Dunn. For years, she and June were estranged, with Anna moving out of the house in 2003 after June reconciled with an ex-boyfriend who allegedly molested Anna as a child. Mark McDaniel, a registered sex offender, “would try and touch me and all that stuff,” Anna said.
Although Anna and June reconciled before Here Comes Honey Boo Boo premiered, they eventually had another falling out when Anna sued June, alleging that she and her daughter were owed $300,000 for appearances on Here Comes Honey Boo Boo. Although they were mostly estranged, Anna attended June’s 2023 wedding to Stroud, and June supported her amid her adrenal carcinoma cancer diagnosis before her death later that year.
Paras Griffin/Getty Images
Anna had two children. Her eldest daughter, Kaitlyn, was born in 2012 to a publicly unnamed father. Anna then welcomed daughter Kylee with then-husband Michael Cardwell in 2014. After Anna died, June got custody of Kaitlyn.
With another ex, Michael Anthony Ford, June shares daughters Jessica “Chubbs” Shannon and Lauryn “Pumpkin” Efird. Lauryn grew up thinking Mark was her father, but June later confirmed that Michael was actually Lauryn’s dad.
“Jessica’s dad has had nothing to do with her over the years,” Shannon explained to Entertainment Tonight. “So, why the hell would I open up that can of worms until today? I lied to my family and told them it was somebody else.” Lauryn and her husband, Joshua Efird, have four children. They share joint custody after divorcing in 2024.
June shares Honey Boo Boo with Sugar Bear.
Mama June, Fridays, 8/7c, WeTV
