Mama June: The Father of Two of My Daughters Is a Sex Offender
In the continuing, upsetting saga of the Here Comes Honey Boo Boo family, Mama June Shannon revealed to Entertainment Tonight (in an interview that will air this evening) that the father of two of her daughters—17-year-old Jessica Shannon and 14-year-old Lauryn "Pumpkin" Shannon—is convicted sex offender Michael Anthony Ford.
Ford, 37, served time in prison for sexual exploitation after he was busted on a 2005 episode of NBC's To Catch a Predator. "Jessica and Pumpkin have the same dad, but Jessica's dad has had nothing to do with her over the years," Shannon told ET. "So, why the hell would I open up that can of worms until today? I lied to my family and told them it was somebody else."
Mama June has been playing damage control since reports alleged she entered into a relationship with another convicted sex offender, Mark McDaniel; her daughter Anna Cardwell claims McDaniel molested her years ago. Mama June told ET that she's only seen McDaniel twice since he was released from prison in March, once by coincidence, the second in an arranged meeting for her daughter Pumpkin, who believes McDaniel is her father.
"I was sitting right there with twelve other people," June told ET of the meeting between Pumpkin and McDaniel. "It was a conversation that she wanted her answers: what happened, why did he leave, you know, if he was her real father. He admitted to her, no. I had already told her that but, you know, she wanted to hear from both sides of the story."
After news broke that June might be dating McDaniel, TLC abruptly cancelled Here Comes Honey Boo Boo with a full season of episodes already shot.
"I have nothing to hide, I have nothing to lose," Shannon told ET. "I just want, honestly, to tell my side of the story and let's move on."