Mama June’s Family Embraces Dysfunction, ‘All We Have Left’

Mama June Shannon and her daughters, Alana, Lauryn, and Jessica from YouTube

Mama June: Family Crisis viewers feel heartbroken watching the family mourn Anna’s loss this season. Although June Shannon and her daughters have had incredibly difficult relationships over the years, they all came together while Anna Cardwell lived out her final days. 

In a new interview with PEOPLE, Mama June and her daughters discussed the importance of family. And at the end of the day, they will always have one another to lean on.

Mama June & Her Girls Know They Will Always Have Each Other

The world met Mama June Shannon’s larger-than-life family during their appearances on Toddlers & Tiaras and Here Comes Honey Boo Boo. Over the years, there have been countless breakups, new babies, and a lot of family love.

Now with the loss of Anna, the family truly realizes they will always have one another.

Cast of Mama June: Family Crisis from WEtv, sourced from YouTube
Mama June: Family Crisis/WEtv

Many viewers see the family as dysfunctional, which they acknowledge and even agree with.

“We are dysfunctional,” Lauryn “Pumpkin” Efird told PEOPLE in a recent interview with the entire family. “But we were saying earlier too though, it is always kind of just been us. So regardless of all the hardships and the arguing and all that stuff, we are all we have left.”

Of course, Mama June agreed.

“Their fathers haven’t been involved and stuff like that,” the family matriarch shared. “So if today, [my husband] Justin [Stroud] left me, Josh left Pumpkin, Dralin left [Alana], Cheyenne left [Jessica], we would all have to move in the same house with the babies and we would just do life.”

“This is Justin’s favorite saying, ‘I’ve never seen a family like this.’ We can argue sitting right here and in an hour later we’re calling each other and talking like nothing ever happened,” Mama June continued.

The Family Soldiers On After Anna’s Death

This season followed Anna Cardwell’s cancer battle and ultimate death. However, most fans feel thankful cameras didn’t show Anna’s final moments onscreen. Instead, she passed away peacefully and off-camera.

In previous interviews, June Shannon claimed that the producers were incredibly respectful of Anna’s wishes while filming. They didn’t document anything Anna wasn’t comfortable with. And at her final hour, she passed away peacefully surrounded by family.

The family cremated Anna and used some of her ashes to make jewelry.

“We very much still today, even six months later, keep her memory alive. For me, I personally have to talk about it all the time. She’s actually here with us today,” Mama June told PEOPLE in a previous interview. “She’s here. I always tote her around.”

New episodes of Mama June: Family Crisis air at 9 PM Eastern time each Friday night on WEtv. Check back soon and learn more about Mama June Shannon and the rest of the family.

Nikole Behrens
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