‘Mama June’ Shannon has admitted she spent $35,000 of her daughter Alana ‘Honey Boo Boo’ Thompson’s money on ‘life expenses’ including manicures and household bills – while continuing to shut down criticism for not contributing to her college fund.
The television personality, 44, has come under fire in recent episodes of Mama June: Family Crisis for not helping to support her youngest child with funding her nursing degree, and in tonight’s finale she is confronted for having spent the entirety of Alana’s earnings from Dancing With The Stars: Juniors.
Speaking exclusively to DailyMail.com ahead of the episode, June revealed how she managed to burn through all of the cash, which Alana received for participating in the ABC competition show in 2018, in which she placed eighth.
She also gloated that she will not legally have to pay back the astonishing sum – and even went as far as to claim that Alana, 18, has over six figures stashed up in a savings account which she herself is refusing to dip into.
‘Mama June ‘ Shannon has admitted she spent $35,000 of her daughter Alana ‘ Honey Boo Boo’ Thompson’s money
Alana found one of her savings accounts had been significantly emptied – despite having worked in entertainment for over a decade
June began by insisting that she only spent Alana’s Dancing With The Stars pay check and did not steal her entire savings, stating: ‘I did not spend 12 years of money. It was only from one show [Dancing With The Stars].
‘Alana has money in a Coogan account [a special blocked trust fund account for child stars] that she is choosing not to touch – and it is in the six figures. It’s like is over $200,000.
‘In the episode this Friday, people will hopefully see that… they will see that it’s not six figures that was spent. She doesn’t not have money. She’s not broke.’
Alana’s total fee for Dancing With The Stars amounted to $60,000, but after Californian taxes, June claimed all that remained was $35,000.
‘It is really only $30,000,’ she continued. ‘That’s not a lot of money. We paid the bills with that, it went on whatever her needs were, whether it was getting her nails done or her lashes done or whatever it was.
‘We also stayed out in California back in 2018 when she was on Dancing With The Stars and that did cost.
‘Unfortunately, I didn’t have a ton of money myself. I used that money to reinvest in her and support us through that time because we stayed out in California for almost a month after she got off Dancing With The Stars.
‘So that’s the only money in question. It’s not hundreds of thousands of dollars. It was only the money from the one show, and I put the recommended amount of money, which was 20% into her savings.
Alana earned $60,000 after she competed on Dancing With The Stars : Juniors in 2018 and placed eighth
June revealed that this figure amounted to $35,000 after taxes, all of which she spent
‘And, you know, this may sound rude, but legally I don’t have to pay or give any money back.’
June claimed that she has managed to come to an arrangement with Alana over the missing funds – and avoided involving lawyers.
‘We’ve chose to go another route just to kind of like squish everything and continue to move forward as a family,’ she said.
As for her relationship with Alana, June said that while they are on speaking terms they are still working through their issues.
‘We are still working on things,’ she said. ‘Like every family, you know, you go through something and you kind of like figure it out.’
June’s insight comes as she’s rudely turned away after she and her husband Justin surprise Alana in Colorado in scenes due to air on Friday.
Speaking in the upcoming episode, Alana says: ‘I thought I made it very clear to Mama to not come visit me in Colorado because I’m still pi**ed at her for stealing my money.
‘I feel like Mama now is just trying to make up for her mistake but she is so aggravating because I didn’t want her here.’
Speaking to DailyMail.com, June revealed she legally does not have to pay her daughter back
June said that she and Alana found a way to overcome the theft without involving the courts
Giving an update on their relationship, June said they are still working through their issues
In previous episodes of Mama June: Family Crisis, Mama June was confronted by Alana over her missing money.
Defending the depleted funds, the matriarch told her daughter: ‘I can’t help that there’s not more money.
‘Taxes were took out automatically, 50%.’
June had previously refused to help contribute to Alana’s college fund, citing that she is instead focussing her assets on herself.
‘I’m still rebuilding my life, that is why I have chosen to give her some tough love and say “No, I’m not going to pay for college,” she explained.
‘It’s me wanting her to see the bigger picture.’
Voicing her upset over the situation, Alana said: ‘Not even with a dollar.
‘Maybe she thinks that paying for [her husband] Justin’s chains or something is more important than giving it to me for college.
‘She’s stingy when it comes to money.’