Mama June Shannon has gained custody of her daughter Anna “Chickadee” Cardwell‘s daughter Kaitlyn after a prolonged courtroom battle along with her former son-in-law Michael Cardwell.
In response to courtroom paperwork obtained by PEOPLE, Shannon was awarded custody of her 12-year-old granddaughter by a Georgia decide on Friday, Sept. 20. InTouch was the primary to report the information.
The decide dominated that the Here Comes Honey Boo Boo star, 45, could be granted full custody of Kaitlyn, after Michael — who shouldn’t be the kid’s father however started courting Anna in 2013 when Kaitlyn was 8 months previous — filed to regain custody and visitation of his stepdaughter in December 2023.
Anna died at age 29 on Dec. 9, 2023, following a analysis of stage 4 adrenal carcinoma. She left behind Kaitlyn, whom she welcomed throughout a earlier relationship, and 8-year-old daughter Kylee, whom she shared with Michael.
A Wilkinson County decide wrote within the ruling that whereas Kaitlyn did typically spend time along with her sister Kylee whereas in Michael’s custody and stayed with him for so long as 5 weeks at a time this previous 12 months, “[Michael] by no means supplied any important monetary help for this youngster [Kaitlyn].”
Moreover, the courtroom paperwork state {that a} household therapist testified that Kaitlyn “fears being taken away from” Shannon and “expressed a want to remain” along with her grandmother.
“Authorized and bodily custody of the minor youngster is to stay with the Defendant [Shannon] and Plaintiff [Michael] can have no proper to visitation as such, until in any other case expressly agreed to by the events and the minor youngster,” the decide wrote.
Shannon was awarded momentary custody of Kaitlyn earlier this 12 months because the courtroom proceedings continued, InTouch reported.
In Michael’s preliminary filings, he argued that Anna’s two daughters should not be separated, and claimed that Shannon and Anna had a tough relationship. In her personal go well with asking for custody of Kaitlyn, Shannon alleged that Michael had been abusive to Anna throughout their marriage, and acknowledged that it was in Kaitlyn’s greatest curiosity to proceed dwelling along with her, per InTouch.
Michael’s legal professional denied the abuse claims, telling the outlet in a press release: “Michael denies these allegations. That is the primary time that any of those allegations have been made towards him. He and Anna had an important relationship once they have been married and easily separated because of variations in opinions and personalities.”
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Shannon has lengthy been candid about her want to have custody of Kaitlyn, even before Anna’s death. In a June 2024 episode of Mama June: Family Crisis, as Anna was within the midst of her most cancers therapy, Shannon instructed her daughter she was nervous about Kylee and Kaitlyn being cut up up.
“Kaitlyn will probably be higher off with me, as a result of there may be stability,” Shannon mentioned, after Anna had beforehand expressed a want for her husband Eldridge Toney to achieve custody of each women. “However Eldridge has been in Kaitlyn’s life since she was round 5 years previous. Truthfully, she must put this s— on paper.”
Anna and Toney started courting in 2017 following her divorce from Michael. They got married in March 2023, shortly after studying of Anna’s most cancers analysis.