Whatever Happened To Mama June's Ex-Fiance Sugar Bear?
This article contains mentions of drug addiction.
What started as a booty call became a love story that turned sour. Yes, we're talking about June Shannon aka "Mama June" and Mike "Sugar Bear" Thompson. From the moment they appeared on television, viewers couldn't take their eyes off Shannon and Sugar Bear's hectic life.
According to Bustle, the couple first met in an online chat room in 2004, and June admitted that she was looking for a booty call, but it turned into so much more. Just a year later, they welcomed Alana Thompson, better known as Honey Boo Boo. Years after meeting and creating a new family, Sugar Bear decided to get down on one knee and pop the question to Shannon in 2012. He said, "The girls need a father figure that's gonna be around for a while. It would be a great, extreme honor — um, will you marry me and be my wife?"
A year later, the couple walked down the aisle in a memorable camo attire ceremony, but it turns out, it wasn't legally binding, per E! News. Apparently, the nuptials were just a "commitment ceremony," and they were technically still just fiances. It might have been a good thing that they didn't tie the knot because, in 2014, Shannon called it quits from Sugar Bear after she claimed the reality star was cheating on her, per TMZ. After their split, Sugar Bear slowly left the spotlight, and many have wondered what has happened to him since his breakup with Shannon.
Sugar Bear has been struggling with drug addiction
Sugar Bear's life took a turn after his split from June "Mama June" Shannon. According to TMZ, the former reality star became addicted to prescription pills meant to help with his diabetes. It had gotten so bad that Sugar Bear had reportedly reached out to Lamar Odom, who has also dealt with addiction, in hopes of being admitted to one of the former NBA player's treatment centers. The two first connected in 2022 through their managers and kept close contact since, so Sugar Bear reached out to him for help. Sugar Bear reportedly had a positive outlook on the situation and hoped rehab would help him reconnect with his daughter, Alana Thompson.
Everything was set up and ready for Sugar Bear to admit himself into rehab on a Thursday in July 2023, but the reality star never showed, per the Daily Mail. Sugar Bear reportedly skipped the flight to the treatment center and had given Odom and his team "radio silence." Sugar Bear reportedly then gave the center different reasons he had to skip out on checking in, from work to saying he had a health issue. It's unclear what exactly stopped him from going, but the center and Odom's team revealed to TMZ (via the Daily Mail) that they wouldn't "give up" on helping Sugar Bear. Since July 2023, it's unclear whether Sugar Bear got the help he needed or whether he is still struggling with addiction.
If you or anyone you know needs help with addiction issues, help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
Sugar Bear had a health scare in the midst of a makeover
Sugar Bear looks different from his days on TLC because he underwent a complete transformation. According to Page Six, Sugar Bear had a major makeover in 2022, which cost a pretty penny – $66,800 to be exact. What did he get done for almost $70,000, you might be asking? Well, the reality star had a $33,000 hair transplant to cover up his receding hairline. He also received Botox around his eyes and eyebrows to remove any pesky wrinkles, but that's not it. Sugar Bear went from rotting teeth to pearly whites, but it didn't come without some scares.
The reality star went into the dentist's office excited about getting a new set of teeth, but he didn't walk out with a new smile. Instead, the doctor discovered white spots on his lower gum, per TMZ. Worried that this could be something serious, the dentist suggested he see a cancer specialist. Sugar Bear listened to his dentist, and luckily, it was a benign tumor, which the doctor removed via surgery. This pushed back his makeover, but it was better to be safe than sorry. Once healed, the reality star moved on with his nearly $70,000 transformation and has never felt better. He shared (via Page Six), "I haven't stopped looking in the mirror ... I never thought I could have a smile I would be proud of and I really love the Botox because I look a lot younger."