14 DAY TRIAL // Here’s something to break the hearts of all those Here Comes Honey Boo Boo fans who were still hoping there was no truth to rumors that Sugar Bear cheated on Mama June: new photos seem to confirm that his wandering eye did cause the split.
June Shannon and Mike Thompson, parents of former kiddie beauty pageant queen Alana (aka Honey Boo Boo) and the biggest reality stars around, announced last week that they were taking some time off to figure out where their relationship was going. Unofficially, word has it that June, aka Mama June, caught Mike / Sugar Bear prowling dating websites and took that as a sign that he was “cheating” on her.
Cheating “scandal,” a probable ploy to boost ratings for the reality show
Whichever the reason for the split, it was a done deal, as Mama June made it clear in her original statement. However, because of the cheating rumors, countless voices noted that there was something very convenient about the timing of the breakup, thus deciding that it was a probable ploy to boost ratings for the reality series. Some theories went even beyond that, saying that producers set up Sugar Bear to make him look as if he planned on cheating, and then leaked the rumors to the press – obviously thinking that this would drive interest in a new season of Here Comes Honey Boo Boo after the underwhelming performance of the previous one. To sum up, there was a 50-50 chance the split was bogus. The hottest thing these days with reality stars is to stage a cheating scandal, so that they have something to film for a new season of their show.
No, Sugar Bear really did have a wandering eye
As unfortunate as this might sound, this would have been the best scenario, where true Honey Boo Boo fans are concerned. TMZ obtained several photos that seem to confirm that Sugar Bear was cheating on his longtime partner, so chances are the scandal and the split are both genuine. The pics were taken the weekend before Mama June kicked him out of the house and show him riding the mechanical bull with a young woman who was at the same bar he was, celebrating her 21st birthday.
“[He] was at the bar with an older woman, but traded up when the birthday girl spotted him and asked him to party with her and her friends,” the report says. There is no indication of anything inappropriate going on between the two, but TMZ suggests that even the fact that he’s out partying sans Mama June and with other women is a clue into his intentions. In other words, he didn’t sleep with the younger woman… but he would have, if given the chance.
Scandal or no scandal, the increased media attention will improve ratings
Here Comes Honey Boo Boo is proof that all good things come to an end, even in reality television. Though often criticized, the series was a hit with TLC until its most recent season, whose performance Honey Boo Boo herself is believed to have undermined with a very unfortunate and poorly-received appearance on Jimmy Fallon. She acted like such a “tiny insufferable monster” during the taping that many fans went online to call for a boycott of the series, pleading with TLC to pull the plug on it. Needless to say, ratings dropped considerably – and continued to do so after premiere night, with each new episode. A scandal of this magnitude could be just the thing the series needs to get back on track, or else face cancelation.