Mama June Awarded Temporary Custody of Late Daughter Anna Cardwell’s 11-Year-Old Child as Court Battle Heats Up
Jan. 2 2024, Published 10:30 a.m. ET
Mama June scored a small victory in her fight with the ex-husband of her late daughter Anna 'Chickadee' Cardwell over custody.
According to court documents obtained by RadarOnline.com, June filed a ‘petition for change of child custody and for emergency ex parte relief’ in Georgia Court. The petition was filed days after Anna's ex Michael Cardwell filed a petition for custody.
In her filing, June said she is the grandmother to 11-year-old Kaitlyn whose father is “unknown.” She said, “The child does not have a legal father.”
June said since Anna passed on December 9, Kaitlyn has lived with him. She said she was previously awarded temporary guardianship of the child.
“More recently, approximately one month before her passing the mother and child began residing with [June],” the filing read. June said she is not “aware of any interested parties other than herself that would have standing to seek custody of the child.”
In addition, she said it would be in the best interests of the 11-year-old to live with him full-time. She asked for primary sole legal and sole physical custody of Kaitlyn.
A judge granted June’s emergency motion and awarded her sole custody until a future hearing.
As RadarOnline.com previously reported, in early December, June’s daughter Anna died at the age of 29 after a cancer battle.
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Anna fought cancer for months.
Mama June announced the tragic news to the world with a post on social media. She told fans, “With the breaking heart, we are announcing that @annamarie35 is no longer with us. She passed away in my home last night peacefully at 11:12 PM.”
Anna had been diagnosed with cancer in January. She underwent chemotherapy but it was unsuccessful.
Anna left behind her husband Eldridge and her two children, Kaitlyn and Kylee.
A couple of weeks after Anna’s death, Michael Cardwell, the biological father to Anna’s daughter Kylee, filed a petition for custody against Mama June for custody of both children.
Anna secretly married Eldridge before her death.
He claimed that 11-year-old Kaitlyn should live with him. Michael said his 8-year-old Kylee was already with him after her mother’s death.
However, he asked for custody of Kaitlyn, whom he did not father, because he felt the children should not be separated. He said he has raised Kaitlyn like his own and even paid for her education.
June told TMZ she planned to fight the custody lawsuit. She was recently served with Cardwell's paperwork but has yet to respond to his petition.
Following her death, Mama June said, “She gave one hell of a fight for 10 months she passed away with her family around her like she won’t and we will be updating y’all with more information as we get it today. We love y’all and continued prayers and thoughts for our family during this difficult time."