Anna Cardwell’s dying wish was for daughter Kaitlyn, 11, to live with Mama June and not ex Michael, TV matriarch insists
ANNA Cardwell’s dying wish was for her daughter Kaitlyn, 11, to live with Mama June Shannon and not with her ex-husband Michael after her death, the reality star matriarch has insisted.
In an exclusive statement to The U.S. Sun, June, 44, said she is following Anna’s wishes in fighting for permanent custody of her granddaughter.
Mama June Shannon exclusively told The U.S. Sun that she is only following her daughter’s dying wish in going for custody of her granddaughter
June told The U.S. Sun that Anna told Michael’s mother the day before she died from adrenal cancer at 29 years old that Kaitlyn was not going to live with him.
“He has no legal rights to Kaitlyn,” June began.
“For the first time ever, she stood up to them, she even told Michael the same.
“The Michael thing is about money, and Kaitlyn ain’t a money symbol. Kaitlyn wants to be raised by her biological family.”
June claimed she wished she had Anna’s final requests for her two daughters legally sorted out before her death, but the reality TV matriarch claimed that ultimately never happened.
“We are following the wishes. At the end of the day, I wish she would have done it when she was alive but she didn’t,” June said. “It was a hard thing for her.”
However, Michael’s attorney told The U.S. Sun that despite June’s claims that these were Anna’s final wishes- he was not made aware of any such statements.
“I have not heard anything to that effect,” he said. “I have seen no documentation as far as any final wishes for Ms. Cardwell.”
Michael is the biological father of Anna’s youngest daughter, Kylee, 8, of whom he has full custody.
When June was further pressed about why Anna never sorted out her affairs for her two young daughters, the star added: “Well, honestly, we all knew what she wanted, and that is something hard for her to still be alive. She couldn’t face that she was going to pass away so early, because she was so young.
“And I get where she was at with that. She struggled, but she let everybody know how she felt, especially at the end.”
JUNE’S CASE FOR KAITLYN
In legal documents first exclusively revealed by The U.S. Sun, June petitioned a Georgia judge for permanent sole legal and physical custody of Kaitlyn just days after Anna’s death on December 9 from adrenal cancer.
In the papers, June, who was awarded emergency guardianship of her granddaughter on December 15, argued that she is the best person to continue to care for Kaitlyn moving forward.
“Since the mother’s passing, child has remained in the care, custody and control of Petitioner,” the reality star said in the filing.
“Petitioner previously had temporary guardianship of the child. More recently, approximately one month before passing, the mother and child began residing with Petitioner.”
June argued that she is “not aware of any interested parties other than herself that would have standing to seek custody of the child.”
Despite Michael filing for custody of Kaitlyn the previous day in his own suit against June, the family matriarch’s filing does not reference him as a potential interested party.
MICHAEL’S CASE FOR CUSTODY
As The U.S. Sun exclusively revealed previously, Michael filed a lawsuit against June on December 17, arguing he should be awarded custody of Anna’s oldest daughter.
He filed his suit against June in a Georgia court after Anna’s tragic death.
Michael, who has full custody of daughter Kylee, 8, argued in the court documents he has “fully and completely undertaken a permanent, unequivocal, committed, and responsible parental role” in Kaitlyn’s life.
He has “engaged in consistent caretaking of the child and established a bonded and dependent relationship with the child,” which he said was fostered by Anna, despite Kaitlyn not being his biological daughter.
In his pleading to the court, Michael said that after he and Anna divorced, his regular visitation schedule with Kylee also included time with Kaitlyn.
He stated in his filing that he has an “independent relationship with the child, which was fostered and supported by a parent of the child.
“Both petitioner and parent understood, acknowledged, accepted and behaved as though the petitioner is a parent of the child and accepted full and permanent responsibilities as a parent of the child without expectation of financial compensation.”
Michael also called out Anna’s well-documented tenuous relationship with her mother June.
“Anna has been raised by her maternal grandmother in Griffin, Georgia since she was approximately eight years old and only returned to the home of June Shannon when she was 17.
“Anna has had a very sordid relationship with her mother throughout her life and went various periods of time without speaking to her.
“Likewise, June’s presence in the minor child’s life has been inconsistent,” he said in the documents.
Michael also argued that he has, and still is, paying for Kaitlyn’s schooling.
“Petitioner has been a stable and consistent part of the minor child’s life since she was eight months old and has continued to do so even after years from his divorce from Anna.
SAYING GOODBYE
On December 9, June revealed that her eldest daughter Anna, also known as “Chickadee,” lost her battle with stage 4 adrenal cancer.
On December 13, The U.S. Sun shared exclusive photos outside of White Columns Funeral Home in Georgia, where Anna’s funeral was held.
