Honey Boo Boo Was in ‘Deep Depression’ During Custody Battle

Alana “Honey Boo Boo” Thompson says the years-long custody battle between her mom, Mama June Shannon, and sister, Lauryn Eifird, were the “toughest years” of her life.

In a TikTok video, the Toddlers and Tiaras alum admitted she suffered from depression a few years ago.

“[Fourteen to] 16 was probably some of the toughest years of my life [sic],” Alana, who recently celebrated her high school prom, shared.

“I had doubts that I would never even graduate. I was in [a] really bad deep depression throughout those years and honestly didn’t know what to do,” she continued, saying she’s “actually at peace with my life right now.”

“I’m so happy I can literally say that I graduated high school with a 3.0 [and] in [August], I will be going to my dream college to be a neonatal nurse,” the reality star added.

According to Yahoo!, Thompson will attend Regis University in Colorado in the fall. She was granted a $21,000 scholarship for her education in the medical field.

“God, I’m so proud of myself … I’m not crying. You are,” Alana added of her accomplishments.

Alana, who turns 18 on August 28, was only 14 when Mama June was arrested on charges of possession of a controlled substance and drug paraphernalia, forcing her to move in with her older sister, Lauryn.

According to court documents obtained by In Touch, Lauryn filed for custody in December 2021 after serving as her sister’s guardian for two years.

On April 11, 2022, Lauryn was granted sole custody, and Mama June was ordered to pay $800 in child support per month.

“Even though [Lauryn] didn’t have to step up [as a mother figure], she did, and you know, in our family … we’ve always stuck together,” Mama June told In Touch in March 2021.

In August 2021, Mama June was sentenced to perform 100 hours of community service. Her ex was sentenced to 16 months in a community corrections program.

Alana previously told Teen Vogue how her mom’s drug addiction affected her life.

“It’s very, very hard. A lot of folks in this world do not realize how many people are actually really affected by drug and alcohol [use] … It’s something I’d wish on nobody, for real. When my mama got real bad with her [drug use], I didn’t know where I was going to end up. I’m proud of myself for how far I’ve come,” she said.