Mama June Shannon Claims Anna 'Chickadee' Cardwell's Ex Michael Wants Custody of Stepdaughter for Financial Reasons

Mama June Shannon accused late daughter Anna "Chickadee" Cardwell's ex-husband, Michael Cardwell, of seeking custody of her granddaughter for financial reasons.

"He has no legal rights to Kaitlyn," the reality star told a news outlet. "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 continued. "We are following the wishes."

The 44-year-old also explained that Anna hadn't made legal guardianship arrangements for her daughters — Kaitlyn, 11, whose father has not been publicly confirmed, and Kylee, 8, who is currently living with Michael — prior to her passing because it was a "hard thing for her" to do.

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

"Well, honestly, we all knew what she wanted, and that is something hard for her to still be alive," June noted, referring to Anna's alleged wishes that Kaitlyn would live with her after her death.

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

Despite June's insistence that Anna didn't want her ex to have custody of the 11-year-old, Michael's attorney claimed he had "not heard anything to that effect," nor had he seen any "documentation as far as any final wishes for Ms. Cardwell."

As OK! previously reported, June was awarded temporary custody of Kaitlyn on December 15, 2023.

"The child does not have a legal father," the Here Comes Honey Boo Boo star alleged in her petition for custody. "Since the mother's passing, child has remained in the care, custody and control of Petitioner" later noting June was "not aware of any interested parties other than herself that would have standing to seek custody of the child."

However, Michael previously argued he's been a consistent parental figure in Kaitlyn's life since she was a baby.

"[Michael has] engaged in consistent caretaking of the child and established a bonded and dependent relationship with the child," his legal filing read. "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 claimed Anna had a "very sordid relationship with her mother throughout her life and went various periods of time without speaking to her."

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Mama June and Michael's lawyer both spoke with The Sun about the ongoing custody situation.