'He has no legal rights': Mama June Shannon claims Anna Cardwell's ex Michael wants custody of stepdaughter for 'money'

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Mama June Shannon is accusing Anna "Chickadee" Cardwell's ex-husband Michael Cardwell of seeking the custody of Kaitlyn for financial reasons.

During an interview with a news outlet, the 44-year-old reality star also claimed that Anna’s 11-year-old daughter Kaitlyn “wants to be raised by her biological family,” per OK! Magazine.

‘He has no legal rights to Kaitlyn’

Mama June was temporarily granted custody of Kaitlyn, whose father's identity has not been publicly confirmed.

Referring to Michael, June said, "He has no legal rights to Kaitlyn.” She added that "for the first time ever,” Kaitlyn “stood up to them" and she allegedly "even told Michael the same."

Mama June continued, "The Michael thing is about money, and Kaitlyn ain't a money symbol.”

“Kaitlyn wants to be raised by her biological family. We are following the wishes,” added the mother-of-four.

She further mourned the fact that Anna did not make any legal guardianship arrangements for both her daughters because it was a "hard thing for her" to do. While a custody battle ensued between Mama June and Michael Cardwell regarding the custody of Kaitlyn, Kylee, 8, is currently living with Michael.

"At the end of the day, I wish she would have done it when she was alive, but she didn't,” mourned June.

Claiming that Anna wanted Kaitlyn to stay with her grandmother, June said, "Well, honestly, we all knew what she wanted, and that is something hard for her to still be alive.”

She continued, "She couldn't face that she was going to pass away so early, because she was so young," before adding, "And I get where she was at with that. She struggled, but she let everybody know how she felt, especially at the end."

Mama June has been awarded temporary custody of Kaitlyn

After Anna Cardwell's death on December 9, 2023, Mama June was granted temporary custody of Kaitlyn.

In her petition to obtain custody, she said, "The child does not have a legal father," before adding, "Since the mother's passing, child has remained in the care, custody and control of Petitioner."

The petition further added that June was "not aware of any interested parties other than herself that would have standing to seek custody of the child."

Meanwhile, Michael claimed in his petition that he has "engaged in consistent caretaking of the child and established a bonded and dependent relationship with the child.”

The filing further added, "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."

In his legal petition, Michael further claimed that he has been a father figure for Kaitlyn "even years after his divorce" from Anna in May 2020, before disclosing that he is funding Kaitlyn’s schooling at a Christian academy in Irvington, Georgia.

Michael also noted that he has "fully and completely undertaken a permanent, unequivocal, committed, and responsible parental role" in Kaitlyn's life, adding their "bonded and dependent" relationship was encouraged by Anna, per Radar Online.