Mama June Shannon says she's experiencing "true love" for the "first time" with her husband Justin Stroud.
The reality star, whose struggles with drug addiction and weight loss have been chronicled in multiple shows, has given WeTV viewers an intimate look inside her marriage in recent seasons of "Mama June: Road to Redemption" and on social media.
“You (have) showed (me) what true love really is to feel love for the first time in 41 years," she captioned an Instagram post from 2022.
Meanwhile, Stroud has called his wife "my angel that god sent me from heaven" and has said Shannon makes him feel like he's "falling in love" every day.
Before meeting Stroud, Shannon said she thought she would "never be married." Now, she says he represents “forever” for her.
The couple has been through ups and downs in recent years while navigating family drama and the loss of one of Shannon's daughters to cancer. Through it all, Stroud has been a stable, uplifting influence.
As "Mama June: Road to Redemption" returns for another season, we're sharing everything you need to know about the man who Shannon calls her "best friend" and "voice of reason."
Stroud met Shannon in 2021 through her drug abuse rehab program
During an episode of "Mama June: Road to Redemption," Shannon revealed that she met Stroud through her drug abuse rehabilitation program.
"Then me and Justin just started hanging out and I realized that I was starting to catch a little bit of feelings more than just friends with Justin. I told Justin, 'Hey, I really like you. I want to see what happens.' Then six days later he asked me to be his girlfriend," she recalled.
Later on, she took to Instagram to reveal that she slid into her future husband's DMs before they met in person.
"I never thought on June 9th that night (seeing) a man in the back of someone’s TikTok live would turn out 2 b the man I would experience true love 4 the first time in my life with the man that would make me not be a runner anymore the man that would change my mind about never getting married & That would become my best. Friend & my life partner," she captioned an Instagram post in 2022.
Stroud is also in recovery
Similar to Shannon, Stroud has also struggled with addiction, though he hasn't elaborated on the subject much, and he supports her through the ups and downs of her journey.
“He’s in recovery himself, so he kind of understands,” she said during the show.
Shannon noted that Stroud supports her “in my recovery and whatever I wanna do.”
“He doesn’t worry about my bank account. Like, he makes me extremely happy,” she added.
Shannon has said Stroud is 'a lot different' than her exes
While introducing Stroud to members of her support group during an episode of her reality show, Shannon explained that she had recently ended her relationship with her ex-boyfriend, Geno Doak, when she met Stroud.
The reality star went on to say that Stroud is "a lot different than Geno, Sugarbear, any other man who has been in my life."
Mike "Sugar Bear" Thompson is the father of one of her daughters, Alana "Honey Boo Boo" Thompson.
Moreover, Shannon said her relationship with Stroud is rather refreshing.
“Honestly, he’s showing me how somebody can actually be treated good," she said.
Shannon proposed to Stroud after a few months of dating
It didn't take Shannon long to know that Stroud was the one for her. After a few months of dating, the reality star popped the question to her future husband.
"Then on feb 23rd I asked him to marry me yes ladies it’s 2022 u can ask a man to marry u," she captioned an Instagram post.
When Shannon asked Stroud to marry her, he was in jail after recently being arrested. In an interview with Access Hollywood, the reality star explained how the proposal came about.
"He was in jail for that little short period of time, the 27 days that he spent (there), yes. I had a whole thing planned out in Florida and I can't help (that) things happen. So it just happened the way it happened," she said.
The couple got married in a courthouse ceremony in 2022
A month after getting engaged, the couple tied the knot at a courthouse on March 23, 2022 on their six month anniversary.
"Some ppl say 6 months is too quick but I knew that through everything I have been through god finally sent me my Prince Charming I love this man to death n im glad im finally got my happily ever after n my forever so like I tell Justin all the time I’m one lucky person to have him," Shannon captioned an Instagram post.
A few months after the wedding, Shannon shared new details about the ceremony, calling it "spur (of) the moment."
On their first wedding anniversary, Shannon sent her husband a shout-out on Instagram, calling him "the most imperfect person but the most perfect person in my eyes."
Shannon said that many people "didn't want us together" and "thought we wouldn’t not make it," but said they have proved their haters wrong.
"We have been through ALOT to say the least as friends and as a couple that most would not b able handle (we) have done it together and have figure out every situation together I have never experienced that before so it has been very nice," she wrote.
They got married again in 2023
The lovebirds tied the knot for the second time in February 2023 on the beach in Panama City, Florida.
Shannon's four daughters were all in attendance for her big day. The ceremony was later featured in an episode of the reality show.
“This was the first time the family had all been together since 2014,” the bride said in a press release. “It was really special to get married in a place where my family and I have had so many memories!”
In an episode of "Mama June: Road to Redemption," Stroud admitted that he regretted accepting Shannon's proposal while he was in jail. The moment occurred while the couple was preparing for their second wedding ceremony.
“This ain’t how I wanted this to go, like, this whole marriage, you know?” he said. “And how it went down, like, that’s not what I wanted. Like, that’s not how I wanted it to go.”
“You were at the courthouse and signed the papers, too,” Shannon replied.
Stroud then said, “Yeah, but that’s just it, you asked me in jail. You know, it happened while I was in jail.”
Stroud went on to explain that he was "emotionally messed up" at the time of their proposal and had recently exited rehab. "And just I wasn’t emotionally in it, June,” he said.
When Shannon asked if Stroud is now "emotionally into" her, he seemed confused why she would ask that question.
“What are you talking about?” he said.
Stroud was the family's 'biggest rock' while Shannon's daughter Anna Cardwell was sick
Shannon's eldest daughter, Anna Cardwell, died of adrenal cancer in December 2023. At the 29-year-old's funeral, Shannon's daughter Lauryn "Pumpkin" Efird told People Stroud was the "biggest rock" for her family while Cardwell underwent treatment.
When Cardwell entered hospice care, Efird said Stroud “carried 90% of the weight” and took care of whatever the family needed so they could tend to Cardwell's needs.
“Because he’s not blood, it was even that much more amazing how he really just stepped up and (showed us) what a good person he is,” Efird said.
Shannon's youngest daughter, Alana Thompson, also praised Stroud for his support of her family during the challenging time.
"I mean, he’s not even blood, but he was doing everything," she said.
He supports her in her weight loss journey
Shannon's weight-loss journey was chronicled in a TV series "Mama June: From Not to Hot." In recent years, the reality star has gained back some of the weight she lost.
In May 2024, Stroud posted a TikTok video of himself visiting Shannon at the gym and said he's "very proud of her" for jumping back into her fitness journey.
"It's not really about losing weight. It's about being able to be healthy, being here for moments in life that you need to be here (for). And especially you want to be around for your children's life, you want to be around for the grandkids. It's just about being healthy at the end of the day," he said.
Stroud went on to say his wife has inspired him to start working out with her.
