NEED TO KNOW
- In the season 7 premiere of Mama June: Family Crisis, which aired on May 30, Lauryn “Pumpkin” Efird admitted she was ready to file for divorce from her husband Josh Efird
- Both Pumpkin and Josh reflected on the downfall of their marriage in respective conversations
- Josh broke down in tears as he admitted to not knowing the fate of their relationship, but said he would love Pumpkin for the rest of his life
Lauryn “Pumpkin” Efird was ready to pull the plug on her marriage to Josh Efird — but was he feeling the same way?
In the season 7 premiere of Mama June: Family Crisis, which aired on May 30, Pumpkin and Josh lifted the veil and revealed that they’ve been having issues in their seemingly happy marriage and have been attending counseling sessions behind closed doors.
While visiting their couple’s therapist in a solo session, Pumpkin, 25, admitted that she was at her wits end after years of “crying and begging and pleading for us to communicate.” Nowadays, she revealed that Josh had been sleeping on the couch and their home has been filled with “tension,” unbeknownst to their four children.
“We really reached a point now where it’s like, we’re more roommates and taking care of the kids. It really honestly feels like we don’t have a marriage anymore,” she explained. “Neither one of us is happy, like we’re walking right past each other. We’re not even saying I love you anymore.”
Despite their efforts to repair their relationship, Pumpkin said it felt like their progress was “going nowhere” and she had come to the realization that she was at the point of asking for a divorce.
In a conversation with cameras, the mom of four admitted that she and Josh have shared “some really good times” but the circumstances of their lives have gotten in the way. She noted how their relationship was impacted by several factors, including their first child, who was an unexpected teen pregnancy, and taking over custody of her sister Alana “Honey Boo Boo” Thompson amid their mother Mama June Shannon’s drug addiction.
“Our marriage has always come at the bottom of the list,” she said. “All of that did a lot to me and Josh’s relationship, especially Josh.”
After years of trying to make things work, Pumpkin confessed she believed she stayed in an unhappy situation for too long — a “characteristic” she developed from watching her mother struggle to end her unhealthy relationships.
“I feel like I’m making the right decision for my kids. I also feel like I’m making the right decision for myself, just because I do have two little girls. You need to know when it’s your time to walk away,” she said.
Elsewhere in the episode, Josh had his own heart to heart conversation with Justin Stroud, Mama June Shannon’s husband. While getting lunch, Josh broke down into tears as he opened up about his marital issues and admitted he feared the end of their relationship.
“The air is different at home, the vibe is f—— different. I’ve been sleeping on the couch,” he said, adding how in the past, he and Pumpkin have always been able to set their pride aside and have a real conversation. “Like this time, bro, there’s no talking. There’s no like wheel for communication.”
Despite going to therapy, Josh said he felt like Pumpkin had given up on trying to save their marriage.
“You know when you can look at somebody, and you can tell that, like life has just kicked their f—— ass, and that they’re basically just over? They’re my s—, they’re over f—— life, they’re over any other obstacle,” he explained. “It’s basically just like calling it quits in a sense, but I can’t tell you that’s what it is. That’s what it looks like.”
“Just something doesn’t feel right. I drove here and I was sick to my stomach the whole way here,” he continued, adding that he didn’t want “s— to fall to the f—— ground.”
As tears formed in his eyes, Josh grew emotional as he reflected on how far they’ve come.
“If I could take everything I know now, and go back like 12 years, I could have fixed my issues,” he cried. “But I f—— can’t dude.”
“I want to change it, but I can’t force anybody to do anything. I don’t know where it’s gonna go,” he confessed. “I’ll love Pumpkin the rest of my life, bro. I won’t ever let that go.”
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Mama June: Family Crisis airs Fridays at 8 p.m. ET on WEtv.
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