All the Ups and Downs of the ‘Here Comes Honey Boo Boo’ Cast  

Alana “Honey Boo Boo” Thompson and her family have been household names since 2012.

The reality star first appeared onscreen at just 6 years old, rising to fame alongside her mom, Mama June Shannon, in season 5 of TLC’s hit series Toddlers & Tiaras, which ran from 2009 to 2016. Alana quickly became known for her sassy one-liners and her no-nonsense approach to the world of beauty pageants.

Shortly after Alana’s TV debut, viewers admired her lovable personality and undeniable comedic timing. TLC commissioned a spinoff series focused solely on Alana and her family, with the pageant favorite becoming the star of the show. That show, of course, was Here Comes Honey Boo Boo.

Alana’s titular series featured her entire family, including her mother, Mama June, and her three older sisters, all with their own heartfelt nicknames: Anna “Chickadee” Cardwell, Jessica “Chubbs” Shannon and Lauryn “Pumpkin” Shannon Efrid.

The first season premiered on Aug. 8, 2012; each episode averaged 2.4 million viewers, per The Hollywood Reporter. It wasn’t just the general public that had a penchant for the family. In 2019, Kirsten Dunst admitted that she indulged in Alana and her family’s shows to prepare for her role as Krystal Gill in the Showtime series On Becoming a God in Central Florida.

“I watched actually some Honey Boo Boo and Toddlers & Tiaras for this role,” Dunst explained to PEOPLE at the time. “It’s in her, she is an ex beauty pageant queen, no matter how high or low grade that version is.”

While it was a much-loved show by many, Here Comes Honey Boo Boo was axed after just two seasons on air due to a sexual misconduct scandal. However, it wouldn’t be the last time the family appeared on TV screens nationwide.

Since 2017, Mama June has starred in her own reality series, Mama June: From Not to Hot, which documented her weight loss transformation and has since been rebranded. Mama June: Road to Redemption began in 2021 and shows the highs and lows as the mother of four tries to build on her relationship with her daughters.

Tragedy struck the family in December 2023 when Cardwell died from cancer at age 29. “She gave one hell of a fight,” Mama June wrote on Instagram.

From births and weddings to drug allegations, the Shannon family has faced a lot since they rose to fame over a decade ago. Here are all of the ups and downs of the Here Comes Honey Boo Boo cast.

2012: Alana “Honey Boo Boo” Thompson first appears on Toddlers & Tiaras

Noel Vasquez/Getty

Honey Boo Boo’s first appearance on TLC’s Toddlers & Tiaras came during the first episode of season 5.

“I’m June, I’m known as ‘the coupon queen,’ ” Mama June said in a confessional. “And my daughter Alana is known as the diva beauty queen.”

The introductory clip then showed June and her daughter having a play fight with toilet paper rolls, while the pageant star’s father, Mike “Sugarbear” Thompson, ducked for cover.

July 2012: Anna “Chickadee” Shannon welcomes her first child

Mama June’s oldest daughter Anna gave birth to her first child — a daughter named Kaitlyn Elizabeth — in July 2012. The moment was later documented on the season 1 finale of Here Comes Honey Boo Boo.

“Y’all help me wish this crazy and silly and smart girl a happy 10th bday. Omg y’all I have a 10 year old lord help me but if it wasn’t for her I would be a mother she is the smartest and sassiest little girl I know and I am so proud of her,” Anna wrote in a sweet Instagram tribute to mark Kaitlyn’s 10th birthday in 2022.

August 8, 2012: Here Comes Honey Boo Boo premieres on TLC

The family’s television show, Here Comes Honey Boo Boo, premiered on TLC on Aug. 8, 2012.

TLC General Manager Amy Winter told The Hollywood Reporter at the time, “Here Comes Honey Boo Boo has become a pop-culture phenomenon. What you see is what you get, and we are excited to share even more of Alana and her family’s unbridled hilarity, sincerity and love with our viewers.”

May 2014: Anna “Chickadee” Shannon marries Michael Cardwell

In May 2014, Anna and her fiancé Michael Cardwell tied the knot.

As fans saw in the show, Michael proposed to Anna with a pepperoni pizza that spelled out “Marry Me” in toppings.

“I’m so excited to be marrying Michael,” she told PEOPLE before the wedding ceremony. “Kaitlyn and I are very lucky to have him, and we can’t wait to grow our family. I can’t wait to be his wife.”

October 24, 2014: TLC cancels Here Comes Honey Boo Boo after Mama June Shannon is allegedly linked to sex offender

In a shocking turn of events, Here Comes Honey Boo Boo was canceled amid a sex offender scandal involving Mama June and her rumored boyfriend at the time, Mark McDaniel. McDaniel was convicted of aggravated child molestation and imprisoned in 2004.

“TLC has cancelled the series Here Comes Honey Boo Boo and ended all activities around the series, effective immediately,” TLC representatives said in a statement to PEOPLE. “Supporting the health and welfare of these remarkable children is our only priority. TLC is faithfully committed to the children’s ongoing comfort and well being.”

October 25, 2014: Anna “Chickadee” Cardwell speaks out about being molested as a child

After Mama June’s alleged sex offender links came to light, Anna spoke about the allegations against her mom and the molestation she faced as a child at the hands of McDaniel.

Anna said that McDaniel “would try and touch me and all that stuff” when she was 8 years old and he was dating June. Years later, Anna’s mom denied that she was still in touch with him.

“I’m just confused,” Anna told PEOPLE at the time. “I’m hearing one story from Mama and another one from someone else.”

She added, “Mama said the story isn’t true and she said she hasn’t seen Mark since he’s been out of jail.”

Following the reports, Anna and Mama June became estranged.

December 9, 2015: Anna “Chickadee” Cardwell gives birth to her second daughter

Anna Caldwell Instagram

In December 2015, Anna welcomed her second child and first with her then-husband Michael, daughter Kylee.

March 2017: Mama June Shannon reveals 300-lb. weight loss

Splash News.

Mama June underwent a massive weight loss transformation, losing over 300 lbs. in total.

“I’ve worked my ass off, working out, getting healthy,” she said during the season 1 finale of Mama June: From Not to Hot, the 2017 WE tv series that documented her weight loss journey. “And now I feel like becoming the person on the outside that I always felt like on the inside.”

Alana also revealed to PEOPLE that her mom had been “in hiding” following her dramatic weight loss.

“It’s been really hard for her [to stay hidden], because my mama is not just a person who can stay in the house,” she explained at the time. “My mama is very outgoing and stubborn. So when she’s like, ‘Lets go to the grocery store,’ we’re like, ‘You can’t, because you have to stay in hiding, you know.’ ”

“And then she’s just like, ‘No, I have to go out, I’ll just put on big clothes and they will never see me,'” Alana continued. “The craziest disguise that she’s done, she went out with this big jacket on, glasses, a hat, and a scarf. She went overboard.”

April 2017: Anna “Chickadee” Cardwell and husband Michael Cardwell split

After nearly three years together, Anna separated from her husband, with whom she shares two children with.

December 8, 2017: Lauryn “Pumpkin” Shannon Efird gives birth to her first child

In December 2017, a then-17-year-old Lauryn welcomed her first child with then-fiancé Joshua Efird.

“Today at 5:01am me and josh officially became parents to a precious 7lb 14oz baby girl. Everyone meet Ella Grace Efird ❤️👶🏻,” the reality star wrote on Instagram, showing a precious photo of her newborn.

April 2018: Lauryn “Pumpkin” Shannon Efird marries Joshua Efird

Paras Griffin/Getty

A few months after the birth of Ella Grace, a source confirmed to PEOPLE that Lauryn married Joshua in Las Vegas in April 2017.

March 13, 2019: Mama June Shannon is arrested alongside Eugene Edward “Geno” Doak

(L-R) Alana “Honey Boo Boo” Thompson, Mama June Shannon and Geno Doak.
Robin L Marshall/Getty Images

Mama June was arrested in March 2019 for being in possession of controlled substance after she allegedly had crack cocaine and a crack pipe on her. Her boyfriend at the time, Eugene Edward “Geno” Doak was also arrested. Geno faced charges for third-degree domestic violence, possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Following the incident, Lauryn “Pumpkin” Efird became then-14-year-old Alana’s legal guardian.

September 2019: Mama June and then-boyfriend Geno Doak are charged with felonies

After their March arrests, Mama June and Doak were hit with felony charges. The grand jury indictment in Alabama stated that June “did unlawfully posses a controlled substance, to-wit: Cocaine” and “did unlawfully posses with intent to use to inject, ingest, inhale or otherwise introduce into the human body, drug paraphernalia, to wit: a pipe.”

Although the paraphernalia was a misdemeanor charge, the drug possession charge was a felony.

The following month, both June and Doak pled not guilty to the charges against them. June was reportedly sentenced to 100 hours of community service.

February 2020: Mama June: Family Crisis premieres on WE tv

The fourth season of Mama June: Not to Hot was rebranded to Mama June: Family Crisis, following June’s 2019 felony charges.

During one episode, Mama June had an emotional conversation with her daughter Lauryn. Speaking of her past and present drug use, June said, “The only reason I sold the house [was because] we was [sic] dead f—— broke.”

“Our habit was $2,500 a day, if not more,” she said of her methamphetamine usage with her ex-boyfriend Geno.

April 2020: Jessica “Chubbs” Shannon reveals she had an $81,000 “full body makeover”

Jessica Shannon Instagram

Jessica revealed that she had undergone a “full body makeover” that cost over $80,000. Speaking to Hollywood Life, the 26-year-old said that the procedures included liposuction, a gastric balloon, veneers, highlights and more.

“It’s been life changing,” the reality star told the outlet at the time. “I wouldn’t trade it for the world.”

She explained that before the procedures, she had struggled with feeling deeply self-conscious for years. “Me and my sister would go out and do something and I would change five, six times, because I felt like I couldn’t find something that actually looked decent on me, or I turned around because I [thought] somebody was judging me.”

August 2020: Mama June Shannon marks six months of sobriety

une Shannon Instagram

Following her arrest the year prior, Mama June proudly claimed to be six months sober.

Posting a video on Instagram, the mom of four said that she and Geno had been clean of drugs for half a year.

“It’s probably the most thing I’m proud of,” she said, showing off a pink bedazzled coin that had the words “unity,” “service,” “recovery” and “6 months” written on it.

“Because now me and Geno are over six months clean. This is amazing, y’all. I’m so proud of this,” Mama June continued.

March 2021: Mama June: Road to Redemption premieres on WE tv

The fifth season of the Shannon family’s WE tv series was rebranded as Mama June: Road to Redemption. The season centered around Mama June’s efforts to repair the fractured relationships with her daughters after her 2019 arrest.

July 21, 2021: Lauryn “Pumpkin” Shannon Efird welcomes her second child

Lauryn “Pumpkin” Efird Instagram

On July 21, 2021, Lauryn and her husband welcomed their second baby — a boy named Bentley Jameson.

“After being admitted into the hospital last night at 2-3 centimeters with heavy contractions our baby boy has finally made his debut,” she wrote on Instagram alongside photos of the newborn.

“Everyone meet Bentley Jameson Efird weighing 7 pounds 10 ounces ☺️,” Lauryn continued.

August 2021: Alana “Honey Boo Boo” Thompson poses for Teen Vogue and opens up about her mother’s struggles with substance use

Alana “Honey Boo Boo” Thompson and Mama June Shannon.
Robin L Marshall/Getty

At 15 years old, Alana starred in a glamorous editorial shoot for Teen Vogue.

“I guess people still expect me to be little Honey Boo Boo, and I’m not anymore,” she told the outlet, explaining that she enjoyed experimenting with hair and makeup.

She continued, “Just because I’m from the South, people expect me to be all country bumpkin, out riding four-wheelers all the time, but that’s not really how it is. There are so many folks on my Instagram that do not like my nails or my eyelashes. But I do not care. As long as I like myself, I’m good.”

The reality star also opened up about her mother’s substance use, and how it impacted her childhood. “A lot of folks in this world do not realize how many people are actually really affected by drug and alcohol [use],” she said. “It’s very, very hard. It’s something I’d wish on nobody, for real.”

She continued, “When my mama got real bad with her [drug use], I didn’t know where I was going to end up. I’m proud of myself for how far I’ve come.”

Alana also told the outlet that she and her mom are working on getting their relationship “back on track.”

November 2021: Mama June Shannon and Alana “Honey Boo Boo” Thompson appear on The Masked Singer

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Mama June and Alana entered the beloved singing competition show The Masked Singer as the wildcard act, Beach Ball.

“Well, Alana I know would’ve hoped that it was just her on stage, and me too because I’m that backstage mom hyping her up. But it was a great experience,” Mama June told PEOPLE of performing with her daughter. “I realized the last time we were out there together doing a huge project, which was Dancing with the Stars, I was in my addiction.”

She added that the appearance on The Masked Singer was the first project she had worked on since becoming clean.

June added, “During The Masked Singer, I had been clean for over a year and a half. So for me it was an emotional experience, and I guess that’s why I teared up when we got on stage the night of the performance. Because I was actually doing something with her for the first time outside of everyday life, our show — a huge project in California — sober.”

March 23, 2022: Mama June Shannon marries Justin Stroud

Christine Salvador/WE tv

Mama June married her boyfriend of six months, Justin Stroud, on March 23, 2022. She later confirmed the marriage news on Instagram in June.

“We’re here today to clear up some rumors,” she said in a video. “[We] are off the market. Guys, you know what, when you know, just know.”

She added, “That’s right, 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.”

April 2022: Lauryn “Pumpkin” Shannon Efird gets full custody of Alana “Honey Boo Boo” Thompson

In April 2022, PEOPLE confirmed Mama June lost custody of Alana. A court granted Lauryn full custody of her younger sister, with Mama June being ordered to pay Lauryn $800 a month in child support until Alana turns 18 in August 2023.

Per the documents, Mama June is allowed to contact Alana via telephone every day but Lauryn determines visitation rights.

May 2022: Lauryn “Pumpkin” Shannon Efrid gives birth to twins

Dana Mixer / MEGA

A few weeks after gaining full custody of her 17-year-old sister, Lauryn welcomed twins into the family. She shared a sweet family photo, with Ella Grace kissing one twin and Alana kissing the other. In the center of the photo, Lauryn and Michael shared a smooch.

June 2022: Mama June Shannon says she grateful she met Justin Stroud

Mama June and Justin Stroud.
Justin Stroud Instagram

Nearly three months into their marriage, Mama June called husband Justin a “wonderful man” on an episode of Mama June: Road to Redemption.

“I’m grateful for the person that I found — Justin,” she said during a support group that the couple attended. “I do have a wonderful man right here.”

During a confessional, she compared Justin to her exes.

“Justin is a lot different than Geno, Sugarbear, any other man who has been in my life,” she said. “Honestly, he’s showin’ me how somebody can actually be treated good. He supports me in my recovery and whatever I wanna do. He doesn’t worry about my bank account. Like, he makes me extremely happy.”

“That motherf—– rocked my world,” she added.

July 2022: Alana “Honey Boo Boo” Thompson considers weight loss surgery

Alana “Honey Boo Boo” Thompson.
Alana Thompson/Instagram

In July 2022, Alana revealed that she was considering weight loss surgery, but didn’t know if it would be the right option for her.

She spoke to Entertainment Tonight about her thoughts on the procedure, saying that although the surgery was “still in the works,” she wasn’t 100% certain she would proceed.

“I just wanna make sure that this is actually something I wanna do before I just go and do it,” she told the outlet. “I wanna make sure that it’s, like, not something that’s, like, gonna kill me.”

The star said that she had been trying to lose weight for some time. Explaining that she wanted to get down to around 145 lbs., she got candid about her lack of motivation.

“I know for a fact I could get in the gym and I know for a fact I could diet and I know for a fact I can do this to lose my weight,” she shared. “I’ve tried. I will say I’ve tried, but the one thing with me is I have no motivation. I have no motivation to just keep going to the gym every day. I have no motivation to keep eating healthy because, like, I’m gonna eat what I think is good.”

July 2022: Alana “Honey Boo Boo” Thompson speaks about her relationship with boyfriend Dralin Carswell

Honey Boo Boo/Instagram

While speaking to Entertainment Tonight in July 2022, Alana defended her relationship with her boyfriend of over one year, Dralin Carswell, who is four years her senior.

Alana and Carswell received backlash for their romance, but Alana said that she wasn’t too concerned about other people’s thoughts.

“In our relationship, the two most things that everybody is always talking about is our age gap and definitely because he’s Black and I’m white and we’re an interracial couple,” she told the outlet. “I don’t care. Because, like, at the end of the day, my sister approves, his mom approves, and we’re happy, so what fans got to say or what haters got to say I don’t really care.”

August 2022: Mama June Shannon sues her former friend Adam Barta

In August 2022, Mama June appeared on an episode of A&E’s Court Night Live, announcing that she would be suing YouTuber and her former friend, Adam Barta.

Mama June was seeking $5,000, with the WE tv star claiming that Barta never paid her for her time appearing on his show The Dish, nor was she properly recognized as an executive producer.

“I felt like I was being used,” she said during the trial. “I have a life myself, I have a TV show myself, so I can’t produce his show for free.”

The court ruled in Mama June’s favor, and Barta was ordered to pay her the $5,000 fee and list her as an executive producer on his show.

January 2023: Anna “Chickadee” Cardwell is diagnosed with cancer

Anna Cardwell Instagram

In January 2023, 28-year-old Anna had been diagnosed with stage 4 cancer.

She revealed stage 4 adrenal carcinoma diagnosis two months later, sharing that the cancer had been discovered in her liver, kidney and lung. The diagnosis came after Anna had undergone tests following complaints of stomach aches.

A source told TMZ in March 2023 that Anna’s family are “very hopeful” she will pull through the diagnosis. It was also reported that doctors were waiting to see how she reacts to the chemotherapy before they make any further treatment decisions.

February 18, 2023: Mama June Shannon marries Justin Stroud for a second time

Mama June Shannon and her four daughters.
Christine Salvador/WE tv

One month before their one-year wedding anniversary, Mama June exchanged vows with Stroud in Panama City, Florida. All four of her daughters, including her grandchildren, attended the oceanfront ceremony.

“This was the first time the family had all been together since 2014,” June said in a press release. “So it was really special to get married in a place where my family and I have had so many memories!”

February 28, 2023: Alana “Honey Boo Boo” Thompson’s boyfriend Dralin Carswell is arrested after a three-mile car chase

Police confirmed to PEOPLE that Carswell was arrested for DUI, fleeing police and outstanding warrants after a three-mile car chase in Georgia.

According to local media outlet The Reporter, who first reported the arrest, Thompson was a passenger in the vehicle during the chase but is only a witness and was not charged.

March 30, 2023: Alana “Honey Boo Boo” Thompson opens up about Anna “Chickadee” Cardwell’s cancer

Alana opened up about her sister’s cancer diagnosis shortly after TMZ first broke the news.

“This is what I mean when I say you never truly know what somebody is going through at home,” she posted in an Instagram Story along with a screenshot of the TMZ article. “No matter how famous they are. Yes, I’m very famous, but normal s— happens to me and my family & y’all need to realize that ASAP.”

May 9, 2023: Mama June Shannon says it took “a lot of fighting” to get her family to a good place

Mama June doesn’t claim to be the perfect parent.

“I’m sure that I’m going to make a few mistakes in the future, and I’m sure they will, too,” she told PEOPLE, referring to her four daughters. “I’m not going to say that I’m going to be perfect for the rest of their life, and they’re not going to be perfect the rest of my life.”

The reality star went on to add that it took “a lot of hard work, a lot of dedication, a lot of arguing, a lot of fighting, a lot of tears” to get her family to a good place.

December 9, 2023: Anna “Chickadee” Cardwell dies from cancer

Anna Cardwell and her kids, Kaitlyn and Kylee.

Anna Cardwell Facebook

After being diagnosed with stage 4 adrenal carcinoma and undergoing chemotherapy, Cardwell died at age 29.

“With [a] breaking heart, we are announcing that @annamarie35 is no longer with us. She passed away in my home last night peacefully at 11:12 PM,” Mama June shared on Instagram.

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Source: HIS Education