Honey Boo Boo’s Mom is Actually Doing Something Smart with Her Reality Show Money

  • Share
  • Read Later
JB Lacroix / Getty Images

June Shannon and Alana Thompson 'Honey Boo Boo' are seen at The Grove on October 15, 2012 in Los Angeles, California.

Say what you will about 7-year-old pageant star Alana Thompson — a.k.a. Honey Boo Boo — and her proudly redneck family, stars of the hard-not-to-watch-it TLC show Here Comes Honey Boo Boo. But thanks to her mother, June Shannon, Honey Boo Boo is set up for some long-term financial stability.

Shannon, also known as Mama June, told TMZ that she’s taking all the earnings from the show and dumping it directly into five separate trust funds. One, of course, is for HBB; three are for Mama June’s other daughters and one is for her granddaughter. According to TMZ, the family reportedly earns between $15,000 and $20,000 an episode.

(MORE: TV to Look Forward to in 2013)

Apparently, the girls aren’t allowed to touch the money until they turn 21 — with exceptions for school or medical emergencies. “I want my kids to look back and say, ‘Mama played it smart,'” Shannon told TMZ. “Not like those other reality TV people.'”

In fact, Mama June has arranged for TLC to deposit the money directly into the trust funds. All she receives is an email confirming the amount. In the meantime, Honey Boo Boo’s father, Mike “Sugar Bear” Thompson, makes money through his work as a contractor, which is how the family continues to pay the bills. June said she has no plans to buy anything extravagant, and the family’s only recent large-scale purchase was a Ford Expedition in 2005.

Of course, it’s hard to say if Honey Boo Boo herself will be as frugal as her mother once she turns 21 and gains access to her fortune. Here’s hoping she doesn’t blow it all on go-go juice and ‘sketti.

MORE: Toddlers in Tiaras? Mais Non! France Seeks to Ban Child Pageants