Why Mama June Is At Peace With Not Having Custody Of Alana 'Honey Boo Boo' Thompson

Mama June Shannon is not bothered after losing custody of her daughter, Alana "Honey Boo Boo" Thompson.

While promoting their family's WE tv reality series "Mama June: Road to Redemption," the 42-year-old matriarch revealed why she is at peace after losing custody of the 16-year-old to daughter Lauryn "Pumpkin" Efird, 22.

Mama June claimed that she still "communicates" frequently with Alana despite the official transfer of custody.

"Alana's fixin' to be 17 in just a couple [of] months. So honestly, me and Pumpkin sat down and was just like, 'Hey, it's not like I don't see Alana, it's not like I don't talk to her,'" Mama June said on Friday's episode of Page Six's "Virtual Reali-tea." "Because I do. I do see her, I do talk to her. We do communicate. So it wasn't like any difference. The only difference is she's not sitting right here beside me in my home every day."

The reality star also claimed that no specific incident resulted in the court granting Lauryn custody of Alana.

"Alana made that choice to stay in that environment," the mom of four explained. "People don't understand the custody thing. It's not like somebody 'lost custody.' In the state of Georgia, you do temporary guardianship every year and [Alana] had been with [Lauryn] in my addiction."

"Well, at the age of 12, you're able to make your choice," she added.

Despite not having custody of her youngest child, Mama June, who secretly wed Justin Stroud on March 23, said that she currently has "good" relationships with all of her daughters, including Jessica Shannon, 25, and Anna Cardwell, 27.

Back in April, a judge in Georgia granted Lauryn sole custody of Alana and gave her the right to decide on their mother's visitation rights, according to court documents obtained by Page Six.

The "Mama June: From Not to Hot" star is allowed to contact Alana by phone every day and was ordered to pay Lauryn $800 monthly in child support until her youngest daughter turns 18.

Lauryn was first awarded temporary guardianship over Alana in 2019 after Mama June was arrested on drug possession charges that year with then-boyfriend Geno Doak.

Last month, Mama June addressed her relationship with Alana, telling Entertainment Tonight that her "door is always open" for her youngest daughter.

"Our relationship is going good. You'll see that throughout the season," Mama June told ET. "[Alana] is turning 17 in August. So, that's the thing. She is graduating next year. A lot of people still look at her as that 6-year-old little girl, but she's [grown up]."

"Mama June: Road to Redemption" airs Fridays at 9 p.m. EDT on WE tv.