Mama June Shannon says her granddaughters Kaitlyn and Kylee are doing well, despite losing their mother, June’s oldest daughter, Anna Cardwell just four months ago.
As The Ashley previously told you, Anna passed away December 9 following a nearly year-long battle with cancer. The 29-year-old was survived by her husband, Eldridge Toney, and her two daughters, 11-year-old Kaitlyn and 8-year-old Kylee.
(Eldridge– who quietly married Anna in March 2023, shortly after Anna was diagnosed with stage 4 adrenal carcinoma– is not the biological father of either child.)
Following Anna’s death, Kylee went to live with her father, Michael Cardwell, while Kaitlyn was placed in June’s care. While it may be the most practical arrangement in light of Anna’s passing, June said it doesn’t change the fact that her daughter should be here to watch her children grow up.
“This is the truth, Kylee’s dad shouldn’t be raising Kylee and I shouldn’t be raising Kaitlyn,” June said in a recent interview with ET. “[Their] mother, Anna, should be raising them and that’s what I say over and over again.
“I even tell Kaitlyn that very often, ‘I’ll never replace your mother,’” she added.
Though Kaitlyn currently remains in June’s care, Michael– who has been a constant father figure to Kaitlyn, despite the two not being biologically related– is currently fighting the Mama June: Family Crisis star for custody of the 11-year-old.
While June said she can’t speak for Kylee, as she hasn’t seen the 8-year-old since Anna’s funeral in December, she insists Kaitlyn is doing “amazing” right now, despite her world being “tossed upside down” in recent months.
“She’s going to public school,” June said. “She’s doing more amazing stuff than she was in her private school as far as grades and stuff.
“I’m sure Kaitlyn does have her good days and she has her bad days– just like me, I have my good days, my bad days,” she added.
Anna’s husband Eldridge revealed to People earlier this year that despite June and Michael’s ongoing custody battle, he has been able to maintain a relationship with both of his step-daughters, as he made a vow to his wife to keep her memory alive for her daughters.
June noted that watching the current season of ‘Mama June: Family Crisis’– on which Anna appears– has been “emotional” and that she and the rest of the family are preparing for the episodes that are set to air this summer to become harder to watch as they near Anna’s final appearances on the show.
As The Ashley previously told you, Anna reportedly wanted her fight against adrenal carcinoma documented for her family’s reality show, so she allowed a WeTV crew to film her final days.
“That’s going to be traumatic for a bunch of us to watch,” June said.
New episodes of ‘Mama June: Family Crisis’ air Fridays on WeTV.
RELATED STORY: Mama June Shannon Responds After Kail Lowry Calls Her Out For Mishandling Daughter Alana Thompson’s Reality TV Earnings
(Photos: Instagram; WeTV)
Why on earth would the courts allow Mama June to have custody of her own kids, let alone, Kaitlyn?! I feel so incredibly bad for those girls. Honestly, that cow doesn’t have her grand-daughters best interest at heart whatsoever. The fact that she thinks it’s necessary to split the sisters up is awful. Mama June may be sober but if she’s in RECOVERY, like NA or AA- which I personally am a part of- we do not operate like that. Most of our lives in sobriety is about doing the right thing and righting our wrongs even when it doesn’t serve our ego and own wants. She disgusts me…
It’s a horrible thing to separate kids. My older brother went to live with my dad and his new wife 1800 miles away. My dad’s new wife (a monster) turned my brother against his mom and sister and we didn’t see him again until he was an adult and started thinking for himself. Sickening how selfish people can be.
What a miserable bitch. “She’s doing great after her mother died and I stole her from her family”.
The fact that Michael had no legal obligation to Kaitlyn for years yet still remained her daddy and even paid for her to go to private school while June failed to take care if her own daughters and stole their money is really all we need to know.
The fact that June thought it would be a great idea to take that little girl instead of letting her go with her sister and dad after such a traumatic life altering event… just shameful. I think it really shows her true colours. Why would you want to add losing being with her dad and sister every day after losing her mother? Sad. I hope he’s able to pull through in the courts.
Is it true that scammer June, spent Caitlin’s money too??
Yes, Anna sued her at one point over it but couldn’t afford to keep the case going.
Kaitlyn needs to be with her daddy Michael!
I REALLY hope that Michael gets custody of Katelyn. She is a meal ticket to grifter June. June, Justin and surprisingly Josh have posted tik tok’s where they are yelling at her, cussing at her and making her cry. This little girl lost her mother and evidently her sister. She needs a loving supportive environment to be in. June can’t raise her own kids.
Are you serious? If so, that needs to be reported—that is flat-out abuse. Ugh, that poor child.
Oh. Great,let’s count on Mama June to raise grandkids now….Sweet Baby Jesus. Mama June is so toxic. She was terrible toward Anna and hasn’t been there for her or Anna’s girls.Anna only allowed June to be around the last 9 months of her life.
Imo Michaels been there and cared about Anna and both of the girls, he should be allowed to raise both of them, allow appropriate visitation.
June shouldn’t be raising an artificial house plant, let alone a vulnerable child. She probably just wants to put another minor child on TV so she can steal the majority of her money.
So June took her from her dad and made her switch schools right after her mom died. Sounds about right. I hope Michael has been able to get parenting time while he fights for custody.
Micheal isn’t her biological father but he definitely has been her Daddy. He has paid child support, raised Katelyn with Anna even after they broke up and stayed constant in her life. My fear is that because there isn’t a biological connection it may make it more difficult. Clearly he loves her and wants to protect her as his own.