A family-sized feud erupted on social media Monday when Mama June Shannon & Co. exchanged words, accusations and insults with Michael Cardwell’s wife, London Smith, regarding the ongoing conflict involving Kaitlyn and Kylee– the daughters of June’s late child, Anna Cardwell— not being allowed to see each other, due to the adults in their lives not getting along.
As fans of Mama June: Family Crisis know, following Anna’s death, Kylee was sent to live with her father, Michael, while June was awarded custody of Kaitlyn following a custody battle with Michael– whom both Kaitlyn and Anna once considered as Kaitlyn’s father, despite the two not being biologically related.
As The Ashley reported last week, during a recent interview with Entertainment Tonight, 13-year-old Kaitlyn revealed that she has not seen her younger sister Kylee in more than a year and claimed that Michael had “blocked” her from contacting him. While June (and others in the family) backed Kaitlyn’s claims in the interview, June took to TikTok this week to double down on her granddaughters comments, insisting that Kaitlyn was expressing “her own thoughts [and] her own feelings,” and reiterating her family’s claims that Michael and London are to blame for Kaitlyn and Kylee being kept apart.
In her profanity-laced rant, June stated that it isn’t the responsibility of Michael’s mom, Tonya Cardwell, to make sure that Anna’s daughters remain in contact with each other, as she has custody of Kaitlyn and Michael has custody of Kylee. June also argued that she has been willing to put her differences aside for the sake of her granddaughters and accusing Michael and London– who moved from Georgia to Alabama after tying the knot in September 2024— of not doing the same. (Last year, June blamed Michael and London’s relocation for putting a further strain between the families.)
“I’m not obligated to any-f**king-body but these children, which is Kylee and Kaitlyn,” June said. “They’re my blood!”
On Monday, June’s daughter Lauryn “Pumpkin” Shannon fired off a pair of lengthy rants to Facebook (in which she tagged London and others), claiming that, despite efforts to communicate with London and Michael, no one in her family has been able to see Kylee in almost two years. Pumpkin insisted that she and her family have “tried everything,” only to be “pushed out” by the couple. She also claimed that after Anna died, Michael and London promised Anna’s family that they would never keep Kylee from them or from Kaitlyn– a promise Pumpkin claims the pair ultimately broke.
“ … from that day forward they continued to slowly cut off communication, barely responding to text or anything,” Pumpkin wrote. “Every time they come to [Georgia] they expect Kaitlyn to be able to visit with them but never Kylee to visit with us. It’s on their terms and conditions. So that’s cool, keep lying to social media but we know the truth. Grow up and stop putting children into grown up problems and allow us to see our niece who we can’t see.”
Pumpkin also backed Kaitlyn (and June’s) claim that Michael “blocked” Kaitlyn, while claiming that London will text Kaitlyn on Michael’s behalf “once a month if that.”
“ANNA DIDN’T ASK FOR THIS!!” Pumpkin added. “SHE WANTED THE GIRLS TOGETHER ALWAYS!!!”
June later commented on her daughter’s post with a screenshot of an alleged exchange between herself and Michael, while continuing to accuse both him and London of trying to control the situation involving Kaitlyn and Kylee. June maintained that Michael is the reason Kylee does not see her mom’s family and, in another comment, she confirmed that she can obtain Grandparents’ Rights for Kylee in the state of Georgia; however, Michael would have to be in agreement, which June said he is not.
June went on to accuse Michael and London of controlling Anna’s life and of still controlling Anna’s husband, Eldridge Toney– who continues to be involved in his stepdaughters’ lives– by requiring that Eldridge’s visits with Kylee to be supervised.
June’s youngest daughter, Alana Thompson, also weighed in on the family drama, taking to the comment section of Pumpkin’s post to encourage all parties to “put their differences aside and stop letting personal feelings get in the way of family.”
“ … Life is too short for all this, and after everything that’s already happened, you would think people could put things aside for the sake of the kids,” she wrote. “We all know how much Anna loved her girls and how important family was to her. Anyone who really knew her knows she would never want them kept apart because adults can’t get over their problems. The girls deserve to have each other, and they deserve to grow up knowing their family without all this extra drama.
“At the end of the day this isn’t about who’s right or wrong, it’s about doing what’s best for the kids,” she continued. “And honestly, that should come before pride, before feelings, and before anything else.”
June’s mom, Sandra Hale– who raised Anna– responded to Pumpkin’s post as well, revealing that she hasn’t seen Kaitlyn in two years, as Pumpkin and June “have made no attempt to get us together.”
Meanwhile, Michael’s mom, Tonya, popped in to explain that she tried to be the go-between for the two families after Michael and London moved, but said Kaitlyn and Kylee’s visits ultimately ended in September 2024 due to June no longer responding to her.
“As every time I get Kylee I let June Shannon, Sandra Hale and Eldridge Toney know so that they can try to see her while she’s here in Georgia,” Tonya added.
Like June, Pumpkin went on to drop some screenshot receipts of her own, along with a second post slamming London and Michael for not keeping an open line of communication between their families. She also called out the couple (again) for blocking Kaitlyn from contacting Michael and for allowing London to reach out to Kaitlyn on Michael’s behalf.
In a follow-up comment, Pumpkin questioned why the two won’t allow Kylee to spend the night at her house.
London took to the comments of Pumpkin’s post alleging that June and her family have not tried to talk to Kylee in two years and have only asked to see Kylee on two occasions. In another comment, London insisted that Michael did not block Kaitlyn, but rather stopped texting the teen “when June started replying” for her.
“ … trust me Kaitlyn has MADE IT VERY CLEAR she has turned into one of y’all and now hates the only man she’s ever called father,” London wrote. “I think that took like 3 weeks for that to happen once she was in y’all’s care. So so sad.”
In other comments on Pumpkin’s post, London accused Mama June & Co. of being “drama based and full of hate and lies,” and claimed that Anna didn’t want either of her daughters in June’s custody after she died.
“Anna sat on my porch and told us she didn’t want her kids with June. She wanted Kylee with us and Kaitlyn to be with Eldridge and we continue to do week on week off [visits],” London commented. “She just didn’t have time to get it in writing.”
While London commented on Pumpkin’s post and demanded that the mom of four “grow up,” she also argued that Pumpkin and the rest of the family are able to contact Kylee, yet they continue to justify the fact that they do not speak to the 10-year-old.
After calling London “a fool” in her reply, Pumpkin warned London to be ready for the day that Kylee learns the truth about the situation, to which London said she “can’t wait” for Kylee to be old enough to “know everything,” as she’s currently “too young to be getting into this drama.”
New episodes of ‘Mama June: Family Crisis’ air Fridays on WeTV.
(Photos: WeTV; Instagram; Facebook)
22 Responses
So everyone is just ignoring how the Caldwells are controlling and are doing their own shady stuff? It’s so easy to blame June when the Caldwells are the actual bad guys. Forcing Eldeidge to see Kylee with only supervised visits? How they talk about Kaitlyn too? The Caldwells are the ones to blame for all this. They clearly don’t care about either of the girls. Also, are the sisters not allowed to text each other? That’s what it seems like.. And seeing how people talk about Kaitlyn, a minor, is sickening. Enough already. Both families need to come together to work it out for the sake of Kaitlyn and Kylee. Which only June seems to care about..
Literally no one believes that. June allowed her bf to SA her young daughter, took the boyfriends side and then got back together with him after he got out of prison for the assaults. She also lost custody of her youngest child just a few years ago because. I would consider any parent who left their child in Junes care to be a bad parent. She’s a horrible person who only cares for herself. He doesn’t care about her kids or grandkids, she cares about control. The Caldwells are NOT the problem. Any sane person can see that.
LOL no one in their right might thinks that the Caldwell are the problem here. No one who isn’t Kylee’s parent needs to see her unsupervised. Period. It’s crazy to act like a parent is being unreasonable for not allowing non-parents unsupervised access to their child.
What did they say about Kaitlyn? That June and the Shannons convinced her that the only dad she has ever known doesn’t want her and was abusive/controlling? That’s exactly what happened. What June did to that child is sick. The Caldwells are right to keep Kylee away from them. They couldn’t save Kaitlyn, but they can save Kylee.
*right mind
You know what else Anna wouldn’t want, Pumpkin? Your mother alienating Kaitlyn from the man Anna chose to be her father as soon as she passed. Do they really not see how disrespectful this whole situation is to Anna’s memory? She chose Michael to be Kaitlyns father. She encouraged the relationship even after she was remarried. June fighting him for custody was so incredibly disrespectful to the choices Anna made for her children and their family. The children are being kept apart by June! She didn’t even raise Anna. But the woman who did raise Anna is being kept from Kaitlyn as well. Ask yourself honestly if Anna would want Kaitlyn to be raised by June or Michael?
P.S.
I just want to add. Michael put in the work, the time and the effort to be a father to Kaitlyn. None of that mattered to Anna’s family after she passed. They alienated her from him anyway. So what parent would then allow their other child to be unsupervised around those people?? What are they going to say to Kylee when he isn’t there? He’s the only parent she has and he’s a good parent for not risking Anna’s family attempting to alienate her from her father like they did her sister.
If Anna’s dying wish was for her daughters to stay together, why was June fighting for Kaitlyn in the first place? And since she did that and won, what is she hoping happens now? Does she want custody of Kylee too? This sounds to me like her fault. Crazy day when Alana is the voice of reason…
Plain and simple, the only one to blame for all of this is Anna. She knew that she was terminally ill, and she should’ve made that her number one priority, to make sure that her babies got to be together and got to stay with whoever it was specifically she wanted them to be with. That honestly should have been the main thing on her mind, to get her affairs in order legally, and then there would’ve been no question about it. Very sad indeed, for the little girls, but it really could have been avoided.
June fought Michael for custody and now Anna’s family want to pretend he’s the bad guy who separated the kids? They’re all insane! Anna told them what she wanted and her family ignored it. There is no way she would want June to have custody of Kaitlyn over Michael. That man was her father for most of her life. There was no legitimate reason for June to fight him for custody. She is the reason they’re separated!
Pumpkin is delusional if she thinks any rationale parent would allow their child to spend the night with her degenerate family. They’re trashy, dysfunctional, and abusive. Kylee would not be safe there.
And it’s honestly infuriating to clearly alienate Kaitlyn from her dad, fight him for custody, and then complain that Anna wanted the girls together. Well, if June hadn’t fought for custody, they would be together.
They preach this ” family unity” but did they consider Anna ” family” before her cancer diagnosis?
If I were the parent of the daughter in question, I wouldn’t want my child anywhere near the Shannon family. They are all uneducated (except for Alana) deceitful, foul mouthed, loud and rude. It’s a shame that June got custody of the other daughter, because apparently she’s just like them now. Poor girls, they both lost their mama and now they’re being included in this mess
i think both june and michael are at fault here but there’s no hope for kaitlyn growing up and becoming sane if june genuinely tells her everything that’s going on with their adult business. like remember when 11 year old alana was talking about sugar bear’s affair with jennifer like why would a child ever need to know that?? just let these kids be kids it’s a miracle alana is normal-ish
Anna was beyond irresponsible for not making everything legal as she should have. I seriously can’t fathom how you know you are dying and not make sure your kids remain together and with the people you want to. It doesn’t matter what she said even if it was on camera, she didn’t make it legal and so she left her child at June’s mercy. The same June that got back together with the man who abused her.
That’s the woman in charge of your daughter now, Anna. And that’s on you.
I think you’re underestimating just how uneducated these people are…
The fact that June, who stated seeing her daughters abuser after he got out of prison, has custody of said daughter’s child, is unbelievable.
Unfortunately it was Anna’s job to protect her kids when she knew she was going to die. She didn’t get it in writing, and now 2 children are caught in the middle of everything.
So Michael isn’t refusing to let them see Kylee, he’s just refusing to let her spend the night with them (no sane person would let their kid around these people unsupervised) and he hasn’t blocked Kaitlyn, he just isn’t playing into June’s drama.
The whole Shannon family is trash and they’ve brainwashed that poor child against the family that would have provided her a normal and stable life.
For reals.
And now using SM to generate income about her.
Mama June wanted that SS check for Kaitlyn.
“ANNA DIDN’T ASK FOR THIS!!” Pumpkin added. “SHE WANTED THE GIRLS TOGETHER ALWAYS!!!”
Yeah, she did. So why did June fight Michael who Anna and Kaitlyn considered her father for custody? Money. Plain and simple. June didn’t give a damn about Anna until Anna having cancer and dying would be good TV for June. None of them have ever treated Anna right. Kaitlyn is being influenced by the toxic family that she is now stuck with. I’ve said it before and I will say it again Anna NEVER signed custody papers to June. There was a reason for that. Let’s not forget that June’s ex boyfriend raped Anna repeatedly as a child and served 9 years for the violent sexual assaults of her. And June (who brought Alana in her great wisdom) picked up Anna’s rapist from prison the very day he was released. She stole $136,000 from Anna. She is not a suitable parent for anyone so they can get off of their righteous high horse. I wouldn’t want my daughter anywhere near them.
Right? She expressed her wishes verbally, on camera they stay with her partner…
She just didn’t put it in writing and file it.
She didn’t want her mother to have her kids… and I’m flabbergasted the court let June have unsupervised visitation, let alone everything else. That’s horrifying.
It upsets me to this day. Never trust your wishes just will be respected by your family, put things in order.
Because the court may just decide a woman who victimized her children in all kinds of various criminal ways, morally bankrupt ways, failed to protect them, and a serious drug addict who sold her house and children’s toys, used her child’s accounts to go off on a raging bender across a plethora of motels… recently enough, and has a history of dating pedophiles…estrangement, and child abandonment is going to be the guardian of your kids.
yes I agree and honestly part of the problem is that Eldridge didn’t want the responsibility, which I don’t blame him and it seems like he has done a good job of remaining in BOTH girls lives but I don’t think he wanted custody. Michael, of course, was going to get Kylee, he’s her dad and he did his darndest to keep Kaitlyn too but June blocked it. The court doesn’t really have the best interest to do things “right” their commitment at that point was to find the closest biological relative. Since her father is unknown it defaulted to June. That should have never happened. Full stop. Anna should have done her due diligence to get it in writing with agreement from the other party who would take Kaitlyn on but I’m sure that’s hard to do, plan for your inevitable death, when you’re only 29. For as much as Pumpkin and June tried to bash Michael I think in all of those replies and screenshots its apparent that he has not blocked visits only doesn’t want Kylee staying the night or visiting unsupervised. The ONLY one being a parent honestly. Would you allow your child to stay the night or visit unsupervised with these Looney Tunes. They want her alone, and why is that??? The fact that they keep pushing to see her AWAY from her father is a red flag to me. If they truly cared about seeing their family they would follow her dad’s rules and see her with him or other supervision and build that trust. Sounds like Alanna thinks that also.