‘World will hear it': Mama June says late daughter Anna Cardwell's custody wishes were recorded on camera
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Mama June Shannon recently claimed that her late daughter Anna ‘Chickadee’ Cardwell recorded her custody wishes for her elder daughter Kaitlyn.
She further shared that Anna’s recorded custody plans will be shown in the upcoming season of ‘Mama June: Family Crisis’, premiering in February.
In a recent interview with The US Sun, Mama June opened up on the ongoing custody battle between her and Anna’s ex-husband, Michael Cardwell regarding the custody of the late 29-year-old’s older daughter.
As of now, Mama June has received the temporary sole guardianship of Kaitlyn.
‘We are following Anna's wishes'
In the interview with The US Sun, June, 44, shared, "We are following Anna's wishes at the end of the day. People will see that all this season of the show."
June further claimed that Anna’s wish for Kaitlyn’s custody had been recorded on WeTV camera and the viewers will be able to see during the upcoming season.
Kaitlyn is Anna’s elder child. Her father has not been publicly confirmed and he is not a part of her life.
When June was asked whether fans would be able to hear it from Anna’s mouth, the mother-of-four said, "A lot was covered on camera. The world will hear it from Anna's mouth."
She then went on to say, "This is a hard season to watch, for sure.”
Saying that Anna voiced her desire for the custody of Kaitlyn and Kylee, 8, June said, "Like I said when I've been going live on TikTok, a lot of people need to realize that a lot of our life has been documented."
Anna Cardwell died on December 9, 2023.
'We've not seen any official documents'
Mama June is locked in a legal battle regarding the girl’s custody with Anna’s ex-husband Michael Cardwell.
Cardwell, though not the biological father of Kaitlyn, has petitioned for the custody of her citing the well-being of the 11-year-old.
One of the attorneys of Michael shared with the news outlet that while they have heard of June’s claims regarding Anna’s wish, they are yet to see proof.
They said, "We have heard that before, I believe that's been Ms Shannon's claim for some time, but we've seen no documents and no footage of anything."
"To be frank, this is a court case that is going to play out in a courtroom in front of a judge and not over any reality TV show," continued his lawyer.
He said in conclusion, "We've not seen any official documents or any even informal documents that pertain to her decisions.”
Mama June claimed Michael Cardwell has 'no legal rights to Kaitlyn’
Previously, the reality star claimed that Michael does not have any legal binding with Kaitlyn and said, "He has no legal rights to Kaitlyn.”
She even claimed that just a day before her death, Anna told the same to Michael’s mother that Kaitlyn was not going to live with him. She recalled, "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,” claimed June.
She continued, "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," before adding, "It was a hard thing for her."
Michael Cardwell’s petition
On December 17, 2023, Michael filed for a petition seeking the legal custody of Kaitlyn and argued he has "fully and completely undertaken a permanent, unequivocal, committed, and responsible parental role" in Kaitlyn's life since she was eight months old.
He continued to say that he has "engaged in consistent caretaking of the child and established a bonded and dependent relationship with the child," which was “fostered and supported by a parent of the child".
In his petition, he added, "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.”
