Honey Boo Boo’s father, Mike ‘Sugar Bear’ Thompson, has ‘gone MIA’ shortly before his scheduled check-in at Lamar Odom’s Kansas rehab center, it reported TMZ on Friday.
Sources told the outlet that the 17-year-old star’s father was supposed to “fly out to Kansas on Thursday night” to begin treatment at Gold Bridge Treatment Center to combat his addiction to prescription drugs.
However, Thompson, 51, “never got on that flight” and has been “muting the radio of the Odom group” ever since. Sources explained that Lamar and his group assume Sugar Bear “just chickened out.”
The reasoning is because Mike initially stated that he “couldn’t attend rehab because of work” and later changed to the explanation that he “couldn’t go because he was in the hospital for another health problem.”
Despite Sugar Bear not showing up, sources told TMZ that “Lamar’s team” has no intention of “giving up” Thompson and “I hope he changes his mind about seeking help.”
‘Missing’: The father of 17-year-old Honey Boo Boo, Mike ‘Sugar Bear’ Thompson, 51, has ‘disappeared’ shortly before his scheduled check-in at Lamar Odom’s Kansas rehab facility, TMZ reported on Friday
Treatment: Sources told the outlet that the star’s father was supposed to “fly out to Kansas on Thursday night” to begin treatment at the Gold Bridge Treatment Center to combat addiction to prescription drugs.
Mike shares his daughter, Alana ‘Honey Boo Boo’ Thompson, with his ex, Mama June Shannon. He later married Jennifer Lamb in 2017 until he finalized their divorce in 2021.
The television personality is known for making appearances on shows like Mama June and Here Comes Honey Boo Boo.
Sugar Bear failed to show up at Lamar’s rehab center just a day later TMZ reported that the reality star contacted the 43-year-old former Los Angeles Laker player to secure a spot at one of his drug and rehab centers.
The news also comes amid sources claiming that Sugar Bear is estranged from his daughter, Alana, though it’s unclear if his addiction issues are related to their problems.
She asked for help after Alana was seen reuniting with her mother ‘Mama’ June Shannon for their first hug in ‘five or six years’ on the latest episode of Mama June: Family Crisis.
Sources close to his father told the publication that he had contacted Odom over the weekend to ask if he could check into one of his treatment centers.
The former professional basketball player, who overdosed in 2015, has also bought a total of three drug treatment centers in California, TMZ reported in April.
While one residence is ‘a residential treatment home for women’, the remaining houses focus on ‘residential treatment and detoxification for men’.
Family: Michael shares a daughter, Alana ‘Honey Boo Boo’ Thompson, with his ex, Mama June Shannon; seen with Mama June, Honey Boo Boo and Lauryn ‘Pumpkin’
Battle with addiction: Sources claim that Thompson’s battle with addiction stemmed from his fight with diabetes, which is recounted on Alana and June’s reality show.
According to Odom’s representative, the sports star himself promised to be “very involved” with patients on their own road to recovery and that he is “ready to start saving lives.”
Jackass star Bam Margera is a celeb who recently checked into one of Odom’s facilities in Calabasas, but notably left his detox early.
Insiders also claimed that Thompson’s battle with addiction stemmed from his struggles with diabetes, which have been chronicled on Alana and June’s reality shows.
He has reportedly become addicted to some of the prescription drugs he takes as part of his diabetes treatment, though it’s unclear what the drugs are or what they were intended to treat.
Thompson has also struggled with “severe anxiety and depression,” which can make one more susceptible to addiction and drug abuse, or worsen conditions. They can also be caused by drug abuse.
Sources said Thompson suffered a setback a month ago when his girlfriend broke up, which has been affecting him ever since.
They also told the publication that Sugar Bear hopes to repair his relationship with his daughter Alana after graduating from rehab.
She has had a difficult personal experience with addiction after her mother, June Shannon, became addicted to illegal drugs in recent years in the midst of a self-destructive relationship with her ex-boyfriend Geno Doak.
‘Anxiety’: Thompson has also struggled with ‘severe anxiety and depression’, which can make one more susceptible to addiction and drug abuse, or worsen conditions.
Restoring bond: They also told the publication that Sugar Bear hopes to mend his relationship with his daughter Alana after graduating from rehab.
Mama June has been trying to restore her relationship with her daughters Honey Boo Boo, 23-year-old Lauryn ‘Pumpkin’ and 26-year-old Jessica ‘Chubbs’, who was portrayed in the final sixth season of Mama June: Family Crisis.
June was arrested in 2019 and charged with felony possession of drugs and also drug paraphernalia, which resulted in Lauryn being awarded temporary custody of Honey Boo Boo and last year, she was awarded full custody of the almost 18-year-old.
During an episode that aired earlier last week on June 30, the star revealed to her daughters during an emotional therapy session that she had been “clean and sober for three years.”
Also during the episode, where Mama June was joined by Alana, Lauryn and Jessica, as well as therapist Dr. Ish, Honey Boo Boo shared a special moment with her mother.
June and her three daughters were gathered inside a kitchen around a counter, with the therapist starting a short session for the family to express their emotions aloud to develop ‘closeness’.
Touching moment: Sugar Bear reached out for help after Alana was seen reuniting with her mother ‘Mama’ June Shannon for their first hug in ‘five or six years’ on the latest episode of Mama June: Family Crisis
June and Alana shared a candid conversation, which resulted in the 17-year-old tearfully telling her mother, ‘I want to be like, my mom did this, or my mom does this for me, or I go home to my mom today…’
Mama June then hugged Honey Boo Boo tight, with her daughter resting her head on her mother’s shoulder to continue crying.
The episode then cut to a confessional in which Honey Boo Boo admitted to viewers that, “This is the first time Mommy has really given me a hug in probably about, I’m not going to lie, probably about five or six years.”
‘And it feels good to get a loving hug from your mom. Like, she really felt good. I am not going to lie.
