Anna Cardwell— the oldest daughter of Mama June Shannon— died on Saturday after a battle with Stage 4 cancer, and now her family is making plans for where Anna’s two daughters, Kaitlyn and Kylee, will live.
As The Ashley previously reported, Anna was married to Eldridge Toney at the time of her death; however, Eldridge is not the biological father of either girl. According to TMZ, Mama June will take custody of Anna’s oldest daughter, 11-year-old Kaitlyn, while eight-year-old Kylee will live with her dad Michael Cardwell, who is Anna’s ex-husband.
“We’re told the family had a plan in place for Kylee to move in with her dad should something happen to Anna,” TMZ reported.
Michael is not the biological father of Kaitlyn; however as recent as a few months ago, she was visiting him alongside Kylee, according to photos posted on Michael’s Facebook page. He apparently treated Kaitlyn as his daughter.
“Kaitlyn and Kylee are close as well, and will continue to see each other,” TMZ reported.
Anna never publicly revealed who Kaitlyn’s biological father is, although her high school boyfriend Caleb Clark is believed to be the dad, as Kaitlyn was given his last name. However, during a 2018 vlog, Anna stated that she had not spoken to Kaitlyn’s dad since Kaitlyn was two months old.
“A lot of people ask me about Kaitlyn’s dad. I’d rather not talk about it because I don’t want to ruin — I don’t want to mess up his life,” she said. “He’s very happy where he’s at, and I’m very happy where I’m at. We do not talk.”
Since Kaitlyn’s bio dad is not in the picture, Mama June will be reportedly taking custody of her.
“Our sources say Kaitlyn and Mama June have a very close bond — she’s June’s first grandchild — so, everyone in the family agrees, moving her to Grandma’s house is the best situation for her,” TMZ reports. “We’re also told June plans to become Kaitlyn’s legal guardian.”
(Anna became estranged from Mama June a few years after Kaitlyn’s birth, but Anna and June eventually reconciled after Anna was diagnosed with Stage 4 adrenal carcinoma in January.)
TMZ reports that Kaitlyn and Kylee are very close to their stepdad, Eldridge, so he will remain in the girls’ lives.
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Anna’s services will be held in Georgia on Wednesday.
My question is if Mamma June gets custody of the older grandchild. How long until she puts her in beauty pageant and fattens her up. Because Mamma June will be looking for money somehow.
My kid would never ever go to the same woman who basically chose my abuser over me, never fucking ever.
This is sad on so many levels ..
That is the most backwards idea they’ve come up with. No judge is going to grant June custody of her granddaughter when she lost custody of her daughter. I’m not trying to be mean when I say that, I know she’s doing her best to stay sober etc.
To split these girls up, who have just lost their mother, is only going to inflict more trauma on them. They should be kept together and happy
The family may have decided this, but I don’t see a judge approving it. If June has lost custody of Alana then that same court is not going to grant her custody of the granddaughter. This is so heartbreaking for those little girls, they have watched their mother die a horrible painful death and now they will be separated from each other. What an absolutely tragic life Anna had from beginning to end. I pray her soul can rest easy.
Huh, what? That seems like a bad idea. A judge still has to sign off on this and I wonder if they actually will. June is an addict who lost custody of her own daughter not that long ago. But, I’m not sure where Kaitlyn otherwise. This whole thing is tragic.
Along with qhat everyone has said below me in regards the horrible mother she was to her own children , but isn’t she going blind?
That’s just recipe disaster and hope nichael gets them both.
I wouldn’t trust mama June with a houseplant let alone with that little girl. Its sad she can’t be raised by someone stable.
It’s hard for me to imagine that this is what Anna wanted.
Or that the family is united in feeling this is the best solution.
But should “mama” June be the one to have the honor to raise Anna’s daughter, I do hope there are many drop ins to check how things are going by the family (so no moving away) and no hesitation to call CPS.
I’m sorry didn’t JUNE DATE THE MAN WHO MOLESTED ANNA?!?! Then DATE HIM AGAIN after he was released from prison for molesting a different girl since she called her own daughter, a liar, and refused to press charges????? Hmmmm and I’m sorry. Isn’t she paying pumpkin child support for Alana the child she fed to death almost, turned into a meme, and then abandoned for a crack pipe?? I don’t know where the child authorities are in this state, but they need to step up!!!! NONE of these people in THAT family, including pumpkin, who utilizes her children, as well as a kardashian/ Jenner pimping them out for money online… should have custody of the small children they viewed they go to the fathers families, or stay with the man who’s been raising them, but they should stay all hell away from these people as you very much know I guarantee they’re going to put that child on TV something Anna was strictly against as soon as possible to make more money sure they’ll be a big people or US magazine spread saying oh I’m raising my granddaughter what a martyr I’m such a saint …. No, absolutely not. They’re all like that I don’t give pumpkin a pass. She’s been even worse, begging for money online than telling people to shut their mouth that she’s got gets paid blah blah blah kudos to you for raising your little sister that also gave you control of her money let’s not pretend you did this for altrusic reasons. #disgusting & #pathetic…. These people are as bad as Janelle, if not worse…. Anna was molested by junes BF and she had BOO-BOO the clown alone with him after he was released… JUST NO
An absolutely horrible idea. Michael raised her since she was an infant and seems to have a normal family, so if he’d be willing (don’t know if he is) then it would be in the girls’ best interest to stay together with him. Even their step-dad, who has been in their lives for years and I believe lives close to Michael, would be a better option if he’d take her. I know neither has the legal right to Kaitlyn, but damn.
June couldn’t keep custody of Alana and is a known drug user, completely unstable, and has knowingly allowed pedophiles to have access to her daughters. Just about anybody would be a better option. Poor Kaitlyn.
Mama June messed up her own kids so don’t let her get her hands on another child. How wonderful would it be if little sisters dad could adopt big sister so they could stay together. God bless them all!
Wait no. This is all wrong..
June doesn’t even have custody of her own kid, so why on earth would she get custody of Kaitlyn. She is probably better off going to her ex husband so the girls can remain together. I know he’s not her biological dad but he was there for majority of her life
I can speak from personal experience on this – it’s a terrible thing to do to kids. Absolutely terrible.
This is so, so, so sad.
Didn’t Pumpkin have custody of Alana because June is a mess? I don’t think this is a good idea.
The youngest dad should get guardianship of the oldest to keep the girls together. Separating them is double traumatic after them losing their mother
Totally agree.
This is so wrong in so many levels. These girls just lost their mother and now they will need to live apart from each other. What’s worse, the eldest will live with a woman that wasn’t fit to take care of her own child, a legally blind woman with addiction issues and with a history of getting back with the man that molested her own daughter which was this girl’s own mother!! This is so f*cked up!!