Network threatens family with lawsuit, they’re not scared

Feb 25, 2015 11:02 GMT  ·  By
Honey Boo Boo has her pop debut ready but TLC is trying to block it from happening, at least for a while
   Honey Boo Boo has her pop debut ready but TLC is trying to block it from happening, at least for a while

Honey Boo Boo and her family want to make a reality TV comeback in the aftermath of the scandal that cost them their TLC reality show, which was canceled last year. Mama June, the one who caused the scandal that lead to the cancelation, is also back in the picture.

For the past few weeks, the fam has been shopping an idea for a reality show around town, while making appearances on other TV shows and working on plans to get Honey Boo Boo, real name Alana Thompson, a career as a pop star.

TLC is not ok with all this, it has emerged.

What pedophile scandal?

Last year, word got out (and was soon confirmed) that Mama June had rekindled a romantic relationship with one of her exes, who had just served 10 years behind bars on child abuse charges. It later emerged that the child he’d forced himself upon was actually Mama June’s daughter Chickadee, and no amount of denying from the matriarch was able to diminish the outrage.

TLC canceled all plans for a 5th season of Here Comes Honey Boo Boo, which was under production at the time, and said that they would never work with the family again.

Left without their main source of income, the family took measures to get back in the game, so a couple of weeks ago, they relocated temporarily to Los Angeles to pitch ideas to other networks. Admittedly, these ideas included a new reality show and a pop album for Honey Boo Boo.

Mama June and her youngest also taped an appearance on The Doctors on CBS, which sees Alana put on a diet because she’s obese and is running serious health risks, as we reported yesterday.

So it’s clear: the family is trying to move on from the pedophile scandal, mostly by acting as if it never happened - and hoping the good people at home will do the same.

TLC threatens lawsuit

There’s one thing that they overlooked, in their rush to get back in the saddle: even if they’re not shooting for Here Comes Honey Boo Boo and the 5th season of the show will never air, they’re still under contract with TLC.

TMZ reports that it expires at the end of May, and network bosses expect the family to stay put until then. That means that they’re not allowed to peddle themselves to other networks, let alone sign any other deals.

So any talks for a reality show and plans for Honey Boo Boo’s pop debut (which is reportedly produced by LA On The Track and is called “Movin’ Up,” featuring Pumpkin and Adam Barta) will have to wait until June, because TLC will sue them if they make money from other deals.

After all, the network did pay them for the unaired episodes, plus tutoring for the kids and health insurance. The same media outlet adds that the family doesn’t seem scared of the threat, because they’ve already lawyered up and are ready for a fight.