Reality Star "Mama June" Shannon Addresses Her Sobriety and Past Drug Use (EXCLUSIVE)

"Mama June" Shannon and her now ex-boyfriend, Geno Doak, spent several years dealing with addiction. In March 2019, she was arrested on drug possession charges, including possession of a controlled substance and drug paraphernalia.

While the two eventually sought recovery in rehab, June and Geno's relationship didn't stand the test of time. Following their split, Geno failed to stay sober. But what about June?

In an exclusive interview with Distractify, Mama June revealed how far she's come in her journey to sobriety. Additionally, she shared how her husband, Justin Stroud, factors into her life now that she's clean and sober.

In a May 2023 interview with Distractify, Mama June assured fans that she's been sober since January 2020. Despite a rocky road to recovery, June said that she has a "whole different mindset" now than she did back then.

"The one thing that gets me so frustrated the most is people keep thinking that I'm out doing the same bulls--t that I've been doing. People come so many times and say, 'Oh, well, she's still using.' No baby girl, no baby boy. I'm not," June told Distractify.

In 2019, June was officially charged with possession of crack cocaine but ultimately avoided jail time by agreeing to 100 hours of community service. Fortunately, this was the reality check she needed to get her life back on track. As a wife, mother of four, and grandmother of many, June said she won't risk her sobriety because she has "way too much to lose."

"I don't even know that person from back then. So, it's definitely not who I am today," June added.

In a 2022 interview with Distractify, Mama June explained that her relationship with her daughters is still "a work in progress," likely thanks in part to her struggle with addiction and subsequent charges. "You know, we do talk, we do see each other, [but] that relationship is still like, on the mend," Mama June said at the time. "Even [with] 29 months of me being clean and sober. You know, it's just a work in progress."

June sold her lavish home in Hampton, Ga. for $100,000 in October 2019. It's understood that she made the rushed decision to liquidate more funds to sustain her increasingly severe addiction.

According to People, she would also self-medicate with Xanax and a painkiller prescribed for tension headaches, Fioricet, as well as use crack cocaine and methamphetamine.

"The only reason I sold the house, we was [sic] dead f--king broke," she admitted on a previous episode of Mama June: From Not to Hot, as cited by People.

For a while, June and Geno were staying at hotels. Reportedly, they would also spend nights in their car.

Mama June also shared with Distractify that her husband, Justin Stroud, is helping her rediscover who she is. Although he, much like June, has a troubled past, Mama June said she's in a much healthier place in this relationship than she was with Geno.

"You know, he's been amazing," she told Distractify. "He's trying to put the pieces [of me] back together. I'm actually finding out who June Shannon is for the first time in, like, 42 years."

Watch Mama June: Road to Redemption on Fridays at 9 p.m. EST on WeTV.

If you or someone you know needs help, use SAMHSA’s Behavioral Health Treatment Services Locator to find support for mental health and substance use disorders in your area: https://findtreatment.samhsa.gov, or call 1-800-662-4357 for 24-hour assistance. 

If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1−800−799−7233.