Two years after the death of his wife Anna Cardwell, Eldridge Toney is moving on.
Eldridge— who was married to the “Mama June: Family Crisis” star at the time of her death in December 2023 at the age of 29— proposed to his girlfriend Jessie English on Christmas Day. They began dating earlier this year.
“Mrs. Toney has a nice RING to it! Our love story just got a new chapter! Eldridge Toney, I love you!” Jessie captioned the engagement announcement posted to Facebook.
Anna’s aunt, Jo “Doe Doe” Shannon, expressed how happy she is for Eldridge.
“Congratulations. Love seeing you smile again,” she wrote in the comment section of his engagement announcement.
As ‘Mama June: Family Crisis’ fans are aware, Eldridge and Anna began dating in 2017, and, although he helped her raise her daughters Kaitlyn and Kylee, did not have any children of his own with Anna. The couple married secretly in March 2023 after Anna was diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer. Elridge helped care for Anna until her death in December 2023.
He has remained in his stepdaughters’ lives since Anna’s death. (As The Ashley has previously reported, Kylee went to live with her father Michael Cardwell after Anna died, and Micheal and Anna’s mom Mama June Shannon battled over custody of Kaitlyn, with June eventually receiving full custody.)
“[Anna] was the one I was supposed to grow old with,” Eldridge wrote in late 2023, noting how hard it was to go back to the now-empty home he once shared with Anna and the girls. “She was my one true love, she was that for me. I will never stop loving her. There will never be another Anna.”
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In July, Eldridge opened up about his grieving process and announced that he had started dating Jessie. In the caption of a photo of him, Jessie, Jessie’s daughter and Kaitlyn, Eldridge wrote that losing his wife “was the hardest chapter” of his life but that he knows Anna would have wanted him to “keep living.”
“ … The grief, the silence, and the empty spaces she once filled were overwhelming,” Eldridge wrote. “There were days I didn’t think I’d ever feel whole again.
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But healing doesn’t mean forgetting. It means honoring the love we shared while finding the strength to keep living– truly living. She would have wanted that. “Not for me to stay in sorrow, but to smile again, love again, and build something meaningful from the pain. I carry her memory with me every day– not as a weight but as a reminder of how deeply I was loved and how deeply I can love in return.”
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In August, Eldridge posted to his Instagram that he believes Anna would love Jessie and her daughter.
“Anna would love y’all and she would be glad that I found someone to take care of me the way you do,” he wrote. “I believe she sent y’all my way for a reason! Grief is not easy but having y’all around sure does help. I love y’all!! Thank you for all you do! @jessie_english03 I love and miss you @annamarie35 #grief #movingforward #wetv”
It is unknown if Eldridge will be featured on the next season of ‘Mama June.’
RELATED STORY: Mama June Shannon Remembers Daughter Anna Cardwell on the Second Anniversary of Her Death
(Photos: Instagram)
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It must have been very hard for him to be by Anna’s side while she was basically dying and the both of them so young
I’d also like to say that he is very wise and handling this in a way that sounds like he probably has received therapy.
I love how he says Anna isn’t a “weight” to carry and moving on isn’t “forgetting.” A lot of people get stuck thinking you have to constantly hurt or you are “forgetting” the person.
You are right, but it’s hard to not feel guilty if you have a good day or you find yourself enjoying a holiday. You can’t help but feel guilty that you’re feeling good that day, when the person you miss so much is gone.
Absolutely. I know what you’re saying. I’ve seen people who drink heavily and cry constantly for the rest of their lives. They won’t work. Do anything.
Good for him. He seems like a nice kid from what I’ve seen. I’m a big fan of his B&B shirt. lol
He’s super young, glad for him to find someone.