Mama June Shannon is ready to fight for custody of her oldest grandchild.
The WEtv star has filed for permanent custody of her granddaughter Kaitlyn, just 11 days after Kaitlyn’s mom, Anna Cardwell, died of cancer. The Sun broke the news on Wednesday that June is asking for permanent sole legal and physical custody of the 11-year-old.
June’s custody filing came just one day after Michael Cardwell— Kaitlyn’s former stepdad and the father of Anna’s other daughter Kylee— filed for custody of Kaitlyn. (Following Anna’s death, Michael got custody of Kylee, since she is his biological child, unlike Kaitlyn.)
Interestingly, June states in her request for custody— which was filed on Monday— that she is “not aware of any interested parties other than herself that would have standing to seek custody of the child.”
However, The Sun reported that June was actually served with Michael’s legal papers on Sunday, so she was absolutely aware that Michael was seeking custody.
Anyway, June states in her paperwork that Kaitlyn should remain with her because the girl has lived with June for the last month. (Anna passed away at June’s house, where she was in hospice care for the last three weeks of her life.)
June— who has had emergency guardianship of Kaitlyn since December 15– said she’s been taking care of Kaitlyn since Anna’s death.
“Since the mother’s passing, child has remained in the care, custody and control of Petitioner,” June stated.
As The Ashley previously reported, Michael is asking that the court award him custody of Kaitlyn. In his filing, Michael stated that he has been helping to raise Kaitlyn since she was an infant, and has continued to take care of Kaitlyn, even after he and Anna divorced.
He also claims that he has been Kaitlyn’s consistent father figure since she was an infant, and that Anna considered Michael to be Kaitlyn’s father. (As The Ashley previously reported, Anna and Michael split in 2017, but Michael would take both girls—- not just Kylee–- during his custodial visits. He has also continued to pay for Kaitlyn’s schooling.)
Michael brought up the fact that, despite June being around for Anna since she was diagnosed with cancer in January, she and Anna had previously been estranged for years.
“Anna has had a very sordid relationship with her mother throughout her life and went various periods of time without speaking to her,” Michael wrote. “Likewise, June’s presence in [Kaitlyn’s] life has been inconsistent.”
“[Michael] is the only living person that has shown a constant and continuous interest in the child’s minor child’s well-being, and being in the custody of [Michael] will be in the child’s best interest,” he states in his filing.
The Ashley can confirm that June has hired a lawyer to fight for custody of Kaitlyn. (Michael also has an attorney listed on the court paperwork.)
June has yet to mention her custody battle with Michael publicly. While Anna’s final days were reportedly filmed for Mama June: Road to Redemption, it’s unknown if June’s custody fight for Kaitlyn will be covered on the show.
(Photos: Facebook, WEtv)
Hopefully the judges do the right thing and give that little girl to her father . He is her father in every sense of the word and the sisters should be together . Junes big backed ass couldn’t even take care of her own kids . And chose a to be with a pedophile AFTER she knew he molested Anna . If you don’t raise your own kids , you shouldn’t have the privilege of raising someone else’s. Big June is nasty af and those babies have already lost enough
I don’t think Anna would’ve wanted her girls separated and she probably said to her family that she wanted Michael to have both children. June just wants media attention
And a storyline for her show…as well as a new generation beauty pageant star.
not shocking ~ #trashistrashing 🗑️
June really does not have a selfless bone in her body. Please God let the sweet girl go to her daddy and sister!
The fact that she would split those girls up and take ONE away from the only father she’s ever known right after her mother died proves what a terrible person this woman is and I wish people would stop putting her disgusting ass in the press.
Unless Anna told June directly that she wanted her to have custody, June is a mega A hole for fighting for custody and separation these two sisters right after losing their mom. I wonder why this wasn’t figured out when Anna was stage 4 and stopped treatments.
Even if this is what Anna wanted ( which I doubt it was), that child does not need to be with June IMO
Is there a petition somewhere that we could start to let the judge know we all agree that giving custody to MJ would be the WORST thing that could happen now?! Seriously….
This should have been sorted out years ago. Why didn’t he adopted her? That would make everything so much easier. Also, isn’t June legally blind on top of an addict in rehab? She would need the assistance of other people to care for Kaitlyn, she can’t do it by herself.
The bio father would need to consent for Michael to adopt her. That may have been an issue.
June said literally on her TT they tested 6 guys with no luck & she told Anna to just stop.
Nice mother huh?
She’s ready to fight for custody, by bribing the child with stuff she’s begging others to buy and send to her, June is fkn horrible.
I pray Michael gets custody, June gave custody of her own minor child, she’s unfit to look after a box of tissues, let alone a child she barely had as my involvement with.
she’s doing this for benefit’s $$, it’s cruel to part to sisters, who have lost their mom, I heard she’s not interested in seeing kylee???
You don’t split up to siblings who are closely bonded and inseparable from each other, poor kylee must be so devastated to lose her sister as well, June your a selfish woman.
Hopefully a judge with common sense and morals will say to to June.
she barely had Any involving with, I mean.
Why wasn’t this sorted out before Anna’s death? This seems like the very first thing that should be agreed, signed and sorted before she died. How awful for those kids now to have lost their mum and now the adults supporting them are fighting
Sorry to say it but June only wants the kiddo for money she will collect from SSI now that her mother has passed.
I’ve no doubt about that.
So sad for the children, and I cannot possibly imagine Anna would want her child, raised by the woman who dated her abuser.
A woman she was pretty much estranged from.
It’s all heart breaking.
So June Bug is coming up on nearly an entire week of emergency guardianship?! Holy shit, what a salt of the earth model parent and citizen she is. I mean, with such impressive stats like these, Michael has no chance in hell at getting the kid. It’s also not like she would be going for custody to simply keep her pathetic show going for a few more years with a new storyline. No, never.
Seriously, if Michael has a GoFundMe, I’d donate to it. Keep her drug addled fat ass away from any and all kids.