I Suck at Commitment and So Does Sugar Bear

I was on the blogging train, doing a consistent job. Then this week my commitment faltered at the hands of my groggy and snotty gross sickened face. That said, I'm canceling this week's Philly Phriday because my OCD won't allow one to come after the other. It'll throw off the look of everything. PLUS. There was an absolutely earth shattering statement released today. Ready?


Can you possibly handle it?


I am sad to announce that Mama June and Sugar Bear of Here Comes Honey Boo Boo have separated.

Mama June released this statement to TMZ: "Sugar Bear and I have decided to take some time apart to figure out some things in our relationship.  We are taking things day by day but regardless of what happens the girls will always be our #1 priority.  We want to thank ya'll for your support."

I'm heartbroken and quite interested to see how the folks over at TLC handle this. Season four ended with Anna's wedding in mid-August and there has been no word from TLC execs about a fifth season. Ratings have declined, so there is fear that the show is on its way out. Mama June did, however, say "Don't worry we'll be back" in a video that was posted on the show's Facebook page to promote the Season 4 finale. 

I mean, consistently recording ratings of 1.1 to 1.8 isn't all that bad for the network, especially since Thursday nights bring tough competition. Plus, Long Island Medium barely rates over a 1.6 these days anyway. 

TLC and Authentic Entertainment are currently shooting the fifth season. We know this because TLC EVP Howard Lee tweeted a picture of June from her younger years with the caption "June's gonna kill me. Working on new season & saw this pic of her in her younger years! Have to share" on September 8th. Honey Boo Boo is Lee's brainchild, he developed it and brought it to air, so he has a hand in a lot of the production still. 

To add to the drama, internet trollers found an online dating profile that supposedly is owned and operated by Sugar Bear, who claims he is single. It's an interesting screen shot from the website plentyoffish.com. I searched his username (georgiafighter31054) but nothing came up, so clearly TLC (or Sugar Bear) jumped on it as soon as the information started circulating. 

I've got one eyebrow raised because I have a hint of skepticism floating around my brain. I'm thrown by the fact that Mama June went to TMZ first to release the statement of their separation. If you wanted to cause the biggest stir and garner the most attention, you'd head to TMZ. The news is already trending on Facebook. Twitter's calmed down a bit and Buzzfeed has yet to write their own quirky coverage. If this was something serious and more private, the couple (I hope) would have handed it over to the PR and Talent teams at TLC. This wouldn't be the first time celebrities used break-up rumors and the internet to attract more and more publicity. The whole Solange-JayZ-Beyonce-elevator fiasco was apparently all a hoax to boost her record sales. 

There are, obviously, more reasons to believe that this is actually the real deal. There is no premiere date for the fifth season. If this was a stunt, the breakup would have been kept secret until there was a premiere date, that way articles reporting on the break up would also allude to the new season. Free publicity, guaranteed to get internet traffic. Also, I find it hard to imagine Mama June being okay with lying, even if producers suggested it. The whole show succeeds because they're an authentic family. The only thing they've purchased as a family with the money from the show is a new car, the rest is in college funds for the girls. 

Either way, it's going to be a tough time for my girl June these next few weeks and my thoughts are with her and her family. No one deserves to have their whole life thrown into a tizzy over someone's selfishness.