Who Is Mama June Shannon's Husband? All About Justin Stroud
Mama June Shannon and Justin Stroud got married for the second time on Feb. 18 after first tying the knot in March 2022
Mama June Shannon has found her match. The WE tv reality star married her boyfriend of six months, Justin Stroud, in a courthouse wedding on March 23, 2022.
Nearly a year later, this time surrounded by friends and family — including Shannon's four daughters: Alana "Honey Boo Boo" Thompson, Lauryn "Pumpkin" Efird, Jessica "Chubbs" Shannon and Anna "Chickadee" Cardwell — the pair said "I do" for a second time in an "intimate" waterfront ceremony on Feb. 18, 2023.
Fans first got acquainted with Stroud on Mama June: Road to Redemption, as he accompanied Shannon to her support meetings. Speaking to the group, Shannon acknowledged it's nice being with someone who "kinda understands" her life experiences, sharing that Stroud has been on a "recovery" journey of his own.
Stroud, who affectionately calls Shannon "Junebug," is very supportive and also full of sage advice. One of Shannon's favorite quotes of his is, "Everybody is amazing rock stars, and if somebody can not be on your level, they're not worth your presence."
So who is Mama June Shannon's husband? Here's everything to know about Justin Stroud and his relationship with the reality TV star.
He met Shannon while in recovery
On Mama June: Road to Redemption, Shannon revealed she and Stroud first crossed paths when she was in treatment for drug abuse. During a support group meeting, Shannon recalled forming a friendship with Stroud, who was also "in recovery" at the time. Though things started out platonic, she quickly realized she was "starting to catch a little bit of feelings." Six days after telling Stroud that she likes him more than a friend, he asked her to be his girlfriend.
"He would send these sweet messages saying, 'Hey, how are you doing? Hope you are having an amazing day.' Noticing the little stuff, that's what made me fall for Justin," Shannon told The Sun.
She added, "Justin is an amazing person and he understands everything I've been going through. I've been able to share stuff with him that I've never been able to share with other people — not even my kids and so it's really nice to have that partnership."
Shannon proposed to Stroud after a few months of dating
In a heartfelt anniversary tribute on Instagram, Shannon revealed that she was the one who got down on one knee first. "On feb 23rd I asked him to marry me yes ladies it's 2022 u can ask a man to marry u," she wrote alongside a photo montage of her and her husband. She went on to call Stroud her "Prince Charming," adding that she's "finally got my happily ever after n my forever."
He and Shannon first married in a courthouse wedding in March 2022
Prior to their big "I do" in front of friends and family, Stroud secretly wed Shannon at a Georgia courthouse on their six-month anniversary, March 23, 2022. The couple shared how they commemorated their half-year milestone in a video posted to Shannon's Instagram. "We're here today to clear up some rumors," she said. "[We] are off the market. Guys, you know what, when you know, just know."
Shannon gave fans a closeup of her engagement ring, which appeared to be a round cut white diamond with a double halo setting, along with her diamond wedding band. Stroud also gave a quick glimpse of his wedding band in the clip.
"That's right, no jokes, I really was scared of the M-word, but hey, Justin made me not be scared of it anymore because he wifey-ed me up," Shannon added.
In March 2023, the couple celebrated one year of marriage.
"Today one year ago I married my best friend. people didn't want us together or thought we wouldn't make it but we have been through ALOT to say the least as friends and as a couple that most would not b able handle," Shannon wrote on Instagram, alongside a slew of images with Stroud. "thank you for allowing me to experience true love for the first time."
In a May 2023 sneak peek of the premiere episode of WE tv's Mama June: Family Crisis, Stroud spoke to Shannon about his disappointment with their marriage and her proposal. "This ain't how I wanted this to go, like, this whole marriage, you know," he says in the clip. "And how it went down, like, that's not what I wanted. Like that's not how I wanted it to go."
Shannon points out that he signed the marriage documents at the courthouse, to which Stroud says he only agreed because "you asked me in jail," adding that he was "emotionally messed up" at the time.
He and Shannon had a second "intimate oceanfront ceremony" in 2023
The pair said "I do" for a second time on Feb. 18, 2023, in an "intimate" and "glamorous" wedding at SpringHill Suites in Panama City, Florida, WE tv said in a press release. "We wanted to have a small and very intimate wedding, so we didn't have any groomsmen or bridesmaids," Shannon said of their nuptials.
The momentous occasion led to a special reunion between Shannon and her four daughters, all of whom walked her down the aisle. Her grandchildren, Stella, Sylus and Bentley Edfird, were also in attendance. "This was the first time the family had all been together since 2014," Shannon told PEOPLE. "So it was really special to get married in a place where my family and I have had so many memories!"
For their wedding cake, the newlyweds opted for six different flavors. Their first dance as husband and wife was to Ed Sheeran's "Thinking Out Loud."
The wedding will be featured in an upcoming episode of Mama June: FamilyCrisis premiering May 5 at 9 p.m. ET on WE tv.
He has a good relationship with Shannon's daughters
Stroud has put in the work to get in his stepdaughters' good graces. Speaking with The Sun, Shannon said her children were "at first standoffish" when she began bringing Stroud around. The WE tv star explained it was a bit "jarring" for them to see her wrapped up in a new relationship so soon after her breakup from ex Geno Doak, whom she was arrested with in 2019 on charges of possession of a controlled substance and drug paraphernalia.
"Me being in a toxic situation and me being in drug addiction, and then getting out of that relationship, even though I got clean in the relationship … then fast forward to six months later, almost eight months later, getting into this new relationship, that was jarring for them at first," Shannon told the outlet.
After taking the time to get to know Stroud, Shannon said her daughters have grown to "love and appreciate him" — and the feeling is mutual. "They all get along now, I mean, he's been a couple of family adventures with us and we hang out as a family. You know, they don't have a problem with him," she added.
He makes Shannon "extremely happy"
"I do have a wonderful man right here," Shannon told her peers during a support group meeting on Mama June: Road to Redemption.
From relationship milestones to birthdays, the reality star never shies away from publicly displaying her affection for Stroud. Shannon celebrated their one-year anniversary with a heartfelt letter to Stround on Instagram. She shared that he's the first person she's ever experienced "true love" with and their romance is a testament to preserving "even when the odds r against us."
Elsewhere in the episode, Shannon explained how Stroud is unlike her previous partners including Geno and Sugarbear. "Honestly, [Justin] showin' me how somebody can actually be treated good. He supports me in my recovery and whatever I wanna do. He doesn't worry about my bank account. Like, he makes me extremely happy," she gushed during a confessional, adding, "That motherf---er rocked my world."
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