14 DAY TRIAL // News that Mama June and Sugar Bear, stars of TLC’s hit series Here Comes Honey Boo Boo, broke up after he was caught “cheating” on her shocked fans more than any other Honey Boo Boo-related development. Non-fans couldn’t help but notice how convenient the timing of the split was and how much it boosted interest in the show, which has been taking a hit in the ratings in its most recent season.
Convenient or not (although there’s really not much denying possible that the breakup will help ratings for new episodes), the split is real, the Daily Mail reports after one of its journalists spent 2 days in Georgia, with and around Honey Boo Boo’s family. The “TLC bubble,” they call it.
The network had no idea the two broke up, it was entirely Mama June’s decision
As per the same account, it was Mama June who decided to announce the split from Sugar Bear, as well as leak the details of his “cheating,” namely that he got caught prowling on dating websites, where he was posing as a single man looking for a “serious relationship.”
TLC bosses and producers on the reality show had no idea the two were having problems, much less expect either of them to go public with such a shocking announcement. In fact, the Mail says, they were left “scrambling” for ways out of this and were forced to re-write all the plotlines for the next season, to make all developments center around the split.
This could be yet another piece of evidence that it’s real, that it’s not yet another PR stunt meant to drive interest in a project that, according to many, has overstayed its welcome: Honey Boo Boo went down in the ratings significantly with its most recent season, and some very angry voices online even call for its cancelation because of the damage it’s clearly doing to the former kiddie beauty pageant girl, Honey Boo Boo herself.
Mama June is buying a new house, Sugar Bear is crashing with a friend
TLC didn’t know things were about to fall apart between two of its biggest stars, but it’s definitely on top of the situation now. Mama June is shopping for a new house, one which must also be fit to shoot the next season, as per producers’ instructions.
Meanwhile, the Mail informs, Sugar Bear is crashing with a friend, whilst under strict orders not to speak to the press – about the split or anything else. Everyone is surrounded by a lot of security, but Sugar Bear is TLC’s most guarded possession right now, because he might be the most tempted to speak up to clear his name from the cheating allegations.
Whether he does or not will make no difference as regards his now-defunct relationship with Mama June, because she’s determined to move out and move up: she’s been looking at real estate pricier than the family’s current home and she’s not even consulting him on her choices. Clearly, the breakup is for good, the aforementioned media outlet concludes.
Still, you shouldn’t believe everything you read or see
Reality television was never about real life as we understand it, and much less so in recent years when there’s been an abundance of shows in this genre. This translates into an urgent need to “up the drama,” which means that what we’re seeing on the small screen is even less “real” than what was shown in the first reality shows of some years ago.
Mama June and Sugar Bear could be living apart, but there is still a solid chance their breakup is just for the cameras. We’ll probably see later on, but not before being exposed to the inevitable string of rumors, interviews, and fresh, split-centered episodes.