Mama June fans were devastated by the news of Anna “Chickadee” Cardwell’s passing due to cancer. However, it has come to light that Anna and her sister were not intended to live together. Anna’s ex-husband, Michael Cardwell, who is also the father of Kylee, has been treating Anna’s other daughter, Kaitlyn, as his own and even pays for her school fees. This revelation has emerged amidst reports of Michael fighting for custody of Anna’s older daughter.
Anna Cardwell was previously married to Michael for a few years. When she met and married Michael, she already had a daughter named Kaitlyn from a previous relationship. In 2015, Kaitlyn became a half-sister to Kylee. Although the couple separated in 2017, Michael remained involved in Kylee’s life and treated Kaitlyn as his own child. The news that Kaitlyn now lives with June Shannon has shocked fans who hoped the girls would not be separated.
It is important to note that although Anna Cardwell married Eldridge Toney earlier this year, they did not have any children together. As Eldridge is not the father of either child, he cannot claim custody of them. Currently, June Shannon and Michael Stroud, both of whom have struggled with addiction, have custody of Kaitlyn.
Fans of Mama June’s show are hoping that Michael wins custody of Kaitlyn, as they were appalled by the decision to separate the sisters. Court documents reveal that Michael considers Kaitlyn his stepdaughter and has played a significant parental role in her life. He even pays for her school fees, as stated in the court papers. While Anna Cardwell allowed her ex-husband to co-parent her first child, despite him not being the biological father, fans believe that Michael has a strong case against June. Radar Online obtained additional court documents that show it is Michael, not June, Anna, Eldridge, or anyone else, who is responsible for Kaitlyn’s tuition at a Christian academy in Irvington, Georgia.
According to the court records, the cost of Kaitlyn’s education includes a registration fee of $325 per student and an annual tuition fee of $3,870, amounting to $90 per week. Michael Cardwell stated in the court records:
“I am the only living person who has shown a constant and continued interest in the minor child’s well-being.”
He believes that it is in the best interest of the child to provide her with a life where she is already an integral part of his family. Furthermore, he noted that even Anna Cardwell did not want to be raised by her own mother. Instead, between the ages of eight and 17, Anna’s grandmother took on a parental role.