TLC has canceled Here Comes Honey Boo Boo after reports that the toddler’s mother has again started seeing her former boyfriend who was convicted of child molestation.
This news comes even after June Shannon, known as Mama June on the show, announced that the rumors about her seeing her former boyfriend are false. According to Deadline Hollywood, her former boyfriend, Mark McDaniel, was convicted of molesting a child to whom June is related, while they were dating. He was recently released from prison after serving 10 years.
June took to Facebook saying that “TLC has kinda told us to be hush hush” but she wanted to “answer some of y’all questions” about the cancellation.
“These statements of me dating a sex offender is totally untrue. I would not ever ever ever put my kids in danger. I love my kids too much,” June states on a video posted to Facebook Friday morning. “That is my past. I have not seen that person in 10 years and I don’t seem to want to see that person.”
TLC released a statement after hearing the rumors of June’s rekindled relationship.
“TLC is not currently in production on Here Comes Honey Boo Boo. We are very concerned about this new information and are reassessing the future of the series.”
But even after June has denied the allegations, TLC has so far stuck by their decision to cancel the show.
“Supporting the health and welfare of these remarkable children is our only priority,” the network said in a statement given exclusively to TMZ. “TLC is faithfully committed to the children’s ongoing comfort and well-being.”
This may be TLC looking for a reason to cancel the series. Since it’s debut in 2012, they have been accused of exploiting the children on the series. New York Daily News wrote an article after it’s premiere criticizing the series, beginning with “it’s child abuse” and later writing that “TLC and parents are making a big Boo Boo by exploiting a 7-year-old with a Honey of a TV show.”
The Guardian came out with an article in 2013 stating “Honey Boo Boo may pretend to show a sympathetic depiction of its characters, but the editing and framing of the show make it hard to avoid the sense that the cast is being presented not so much as a different class, but practically a different species although.”
TLC may be fed up with all the bad media attention as it seems they have used this new rumor to cancel the show altogether.