Here Comes Honey Boo Boo Canceled Amid Child Molester Scandal

Liz Raftery
Kaitlyn Shannon, Honey Boo Boo (Alana Shannon), Mama (June Shannon) | Photo Credits: TLC

A day after reports emerged that Here Comes Honey Boo Boo matriarch Mama June might be dating a convicted child molester, TLC has pulled the plug on the show, TVGuide.com has confirmed.

"TLC has cancelled the series Here Comes Honey Boo Boo and ended all activities around the series, effective immediately," the network said in a statement Friday. "Supporting the health and welfare of these remarkable children is our only priority. TLC is faithfully committed to the children's ongoing comfort and well-being."

Here Comes Honey Boo Boo's Mama June reportedly dating convicted sex offender

TMZ on Thursday reported that June (whose real name is June Shannon) is romantically involved with Mark McDaniel, 53, who was released from prison earlier this year after serving 10 years on charges that he had forced oral sex on an 8-year-old child who is allegedly one of June's relatives.

June denied the reports and said she dated McDaniel 10 years ago, but not since then.

"I want to make a post trying to clear up the rumors remember you can't believe everything you read!" June wrote on Honey Boo Boo's Facebook page Thursday. "Ppl sell stories to the tabloid everyday that r false! It isnt [sic] true i promise my kids r #1 priority over anything else and I would never put them in danger period over this or anything else they r my life this is my past I left him 10 yrs ago for it and I wouldn't go back."

June's 14-year-old daughter Lauryn "Pumpkin" Shannon also told RadarOnline the rumors were false. "My mom left Mark 10 years ago," she said. "They haven't seen nor talked [to each other] in 10 years."

As part of its original report, TMZ posted a recent photo of June and McDaniel together in a hotel room. June, 35, split from Mike "Sugar Bear" Thompson last month.

TLC has a full season of new Here Comes Honey Boo Boo episodes that it will not air, but the network will pay to provide tutoring and counseling services to June's children, according to TMZ, which was the first to report the cancellation news.

Do you think TLC made the right call?