Lauryn "Pumpkin" Shannon, a former star of Here Comes Honey Boo Boo, says her OnlyFans account got her eight-year-old daughter barred from a private school in Georgia.
Pumpkin, 26, was in the process of enrolling her daughter, Ella Grace, at a "Christ-centered" school in Baldwin County when the acceptance was allegedly rescinded over what she called her "social media activity."
In a Facebook post, Pumpkin said she was called into an office and told her daughter would not be accepted because of her own social media, not her daughter's.
"I was told that my social media does not align with their school. Excuse me, what?" she wrote. "I was brought into an office and told that my daughter would not be accepted because of MY social media. Not hers. MINE."
School Admissions Process
Pumpkin told the Daily Mail her main frustration was the school's "lack of communication," saying she felt her time had been wasted going through a lengthy admissions process only for Ella's acceptance letter to be withdrawn days before she was due to start.
"I had already prior visited this school and was never made aware that they disliked my social media content," she said. "Never once was that discussed. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, one hundred per cent, and it's at their discretion, but they could've made it very clear before we started this process that she wouldn't be allowed there."
Ella Grace Now Homeschooled
Pumpkin said Ella will now be homeschooled, adding that she does not want her daughter in a "judgy" school that looks down on her family.
"We've found a homeschool teacher who's willing to provide the higher criteria Ella needs and now she will enjoy the comfort of not being put into a judgemental system," she said.
Defending Her OnlyFans Career
Pumpkin has admitted to sharing "hardcore" content on her OnlyFans account and has also been performing raunchy live shows at strip clubs. In a separate Facebook post, she defended her decision to become a sex worker, saying it was financially motivated and that she should not be judged for it.
"People love to talk about what certain ways of making money might cost your children someday, but nobody talks enough about what constantly struggling costs them right now," she wrote.
"What does it cost a child when mom has to work two jobs and barely sees them? What does it cost when she's physically there but completely exhausted? What does it cost when every unexpected bill is a crisis? When there's never enough time, never enough money, and never enough of mom left at the end of the day?" she continued. "I've lived that side of it and it wasn't that long ago!"
Family's Support and Earnings
Since joining OnlyFans, Pumpkin has said she has paid off her mortgage, cleared all of her debt and started saving for the future. Speaking to TMZ last week, she said her mother, "Mama June" Shannon, and her younger sister, Alana Thompson, known as Honey Boo Boo, have helped promote her OnlyFans page on social media.
"My family is super supportive," Pumpkin said. "I know that my mama's main goal is to make sure that obviously I make the amount of money that I need to make on exactly what I'm selling."
Pumpkin has said she cleared $10,000 on her first day on OnlyFans and now earns up to $15,000 a day. In a social media post in late April, she said she had made $500,000 since joining the platform in early March.
Filming With Boyfriend Darrin Kitchens
Pumpkin now films content with her boyfriend, Darrin Kitchens, who is a cousin of her ex-husband, Josh Efird. In an interview with the GWF podcast in April, she said she first wanted to join OnlyFans during the Covid pandemic, but Efird, who was still her husband at the time, was against it.
"I just wanna make money, you know what I mean?" she said.
After Pumpkin and Efird divorced in 2024, she began a relationship with Efird's cousin, Darrin. The couple now sell a number of sex tapes on Pumpkin's OnlyFans page for around $100 each. She has told TMZ she has "girl-on-girl" content planned and may film a threesome with Kitchens in future.
Strip Club Performances
Pumpkin has also started dancing at strip clubs across the country, earning thousands of dollars a night. She recently performed at Diamonds & Lace in Chattanooga, Tennessee, where patrons threw money at her as she twerked in a skimpy pleated skirt and lace bra.
Divorce and Family Background
Pumpkin filed for divorce from Efird in August 2024 after six years of marriage, and the divorce was finalized a month later. The couple have four children together. Pumpkin is also the legal guardian of her younger sister, Alana "Honey Boo Boo" Thompson.
The family first became famous after appearing on an episode of Toddlers & Tiaras in 2012, which led to their own TLC show, Here Comes Honey Boo Boo. That show was canceled in 2014, but the family returned to television a few years later on WeTV's Mama June: From Not to Hot, which has since evolved into a family reality show over eight seasons.
