Lauryn “Pumpkin” Efird’s divorce from Josh Efird may have surprised fans, but according to her mom, Mama June Shannon, the whole family “all knew” Pumpkin’s marriage was in trouble for years.
In an exclusive chat with PEOPLE, June didn’t hold back. “I’ll be honest, we all knew behind the scenes it was in the works for a long time for many years,” she said, confirming what fans might have only guessed.
Mama June tied this awareness to the heartbreaking loss of her daughter Anna “Chickadee” Cardwell in December 2023. “Anna passing away opened our eyes to a lot of s—. You know what I mean?” June said. “Life is very, very short. Don’t keep living life like, ‘Okay, I get up, I’m going to do this.’ Don’t make it a routine. You need to really live your life for yourself.” That tragic event helped the family realize how important it was to prioritize their happiness and not settle.
For Pumpkin, now 25, her joy comes from being with her kids and spending time doing things she loves with them. She shares four children with Josh, and their divorce was finalized in September 2024. Although the family is known for sharing big life moments on Mama June: Family Crisis, Pumpkin admitted she “may have been hesitant” to open up about her divorce on season 7. But she eventually got to a place where she was “okay” with everyone knowing there were problems in her marriage. “Everybody thought we were so picture-perfect and this one big happy family, because I didn’t want that side on there,” she said honestly.
Now, Pumpkin is in a new relationship with Darrin Kitchens and says things couldn’t be better. “We get along. He comes to a lot of family stuff. He and my kids get along,” she shared. “For me, I am in a much happier place and in a much happier relationship. I don’t really feel like I have to beg for the bare minimum anymore. It is just already there.”
Pumpkin also reflected on her past role in always caring for everyone else, saying, “It’s kind of nice just because I grew up filling everybody else’s cup, and I kind of felt like I was always leaving myself a little empty.” But now, with Darrin, “I kind of feel like I am back at the top. He kind of makes me feel that way.”
Fans can catch all the family drama and updates on Mama June: Family Crisis, which returns Friday, May 30, at 8 p.m. ET on We TV. With Pumpkin finally opening up about her marriage struggles and new love, it’s shaping up to be a must-watch season.
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