Is ‘Mama June: Family Crisis’ Scripted, Real or Fake? What the Cast Has Said About Speculation

Mama June: Family Crisis follows June “Mama June” Shannon as she completely revamps her life. Originally known for her time on TLC’s Toddlers & Tiaras alongside daughter Alana “Honey Boo Boo” Thompson, Mama June has undergone a huge transformation – but many viewers wonder if the show is scripted and fake, or 100 percent real. 

Is “Mama June: Family Crisis’ Scripted? 

The answer to Mama June: Family Crisis’ scripted status depends on who you ask, it turns out. Mama June, for starters, has maintained that her shows – including Mama June: Road to Redemption and Mama June: From Not to Hot – are all authentic and not scripted. 

“Look, I wish our life could be scripted, because y’all have watched it all,” Mama June told Distractify about the scripted claims. “Y’all watched Alana grow up in the pageants. Y’all watched our family, you know, lose one show … we bounced back and came back, and I went through a weight loss, I went through drug addiction, I went through recovery. I went through losing my family, getting my family back. All of that cannot be made up. I wish it could.”

While Mama June has maintained that her shows are authentic, daughter Lauryn “Pumpkin” Efird has previously claimed that elements of the show are fake. During a June 2023 live stream, Lauryn reportedly said that a conversation featuring her husband, Josh Efird, and Mike “Sugar Bear” Thompson followed a storyline. 

Is ‘Mama June: Family Crisis’ Fake? The Cast Says…

While Lauryn reportedly made some claims about the show’s authenticity, Mama June has been consistently open about her own life’s ups and downs, maintaining that her show is as raw as it gets. 

Not only has Mama June stuck to her authenticity guns, but she even told Entertainment Tonight in 2017 that her then-show – Mama June: From Not to Hot – was a “mild version: of her real life. The reality star’s journey to sobriety has been candidly told as part of her shows, and she opened up about sharing her story in an interview with TMZ in December 2023. 

“I have been straight sober since January 27, 2020. I don’t do drugs, I don’t smoke cigarettes and I don’t even drink,” she said. Though she is required to take a weekly drug test for filming, Mama June maintained, “That doesn’t keep me clean, I keep me clean.” 

As Mama June: Family Crisis returns to the air, viewers will see an even more exposed version of the family, as Anna “Chickadee” Cardwell’s cancer battle was filmed for the 2024 season. Not only will fans see the moment Anna revealed her custody wishes for her daughters, but they will also see Anna undergo treatment. She tragically passed away in December 2023.