Lauryn "Pumpkin" Shannon is just doing her best on Mama June: Family Crisis. While Mama June Shannon is nowhere to be found, living apart from her family with boyfriend Geno Doak, Pumpkin has stepped up to take care of younger sister Alana "Honey Boo Boo" Thompson while also raising her own daughter, Ella. And doing her best means standing up to Alana's manager Gina Rodriguez (not the Jane the Virgin star).
In the below exclusive sneak peek of the new season of Mama June: From Not to Hot, now subtitled Mama June: Family Crisis, Gina tells the girls about an audition Alana has for LA Fashion Fest, as well as a gig for Pumpkin's daughter Ella.
"So, I booked a little photoshoot," Gina tells Pumpkin.
"I don't know if I'm OK with Ella being, like, a model yet," Pumpkin tells her. "I mean, I already have to be, like, a momager to that one over there. So, like, I just don't know if I'm ready to add Ella to that mixture too."
But Gina has big plans. "I think it's going to be great. She's the next Honey Boo Boo," Gina says. "Before you know it she'll be doing beauty pageants, photoshoots, movies…"
Pumpkin is staying firm. In a confessional, she reveals she and Josh agreed to not want Ella to grow up to be "the next Honey Boo Boo," because, "we seen how much pressure that put on Alana and I just want her to kind of do her own thing," she says.
Pumpkin said she left a voicemail for her mom, telling her about the meeting with Gina, in hope it would spark incentive to go to rehab or seek out help for her problems. "The thing is, I have to move on with my life too. Like, I can't just ponder on, trying to get you better," Pumpkin says.
"I mean, my main focus right now is just making sure that Alana is OK, she's got what she needs, and then taking care of my little family as well. It's kind of hard adding on an extra person, but I know Alana's safe and she's not around what she's not supposed to be around," she says.
Mama June: Family Crisis airs Fridays, 9 p.m. on WE tv.