Mama June’s Grandkid Kaitlyn Wants to Stay With Her, But Custody Battle Creates Tension Within Family

In a dramatic twist that has captured reality TV fans and concerned observers alike, 11-year-old Kaitlyn Shannon, granddaughter of the notorious "Mama" June Shannon, has expressed a strong desire to continue living with her grandmom amid a heated custody battle. She remarked, “I am electing and hereby expressing my desire and intent to reside primarily with my maternal grandmother, June Shannon. I do not wish to have set visitation with Michael Cardwell…I also wish to speak to the Judge to inform the court of my wishes.” The case took another turn when June filed a motion to access records from the Department of Family and Children Services, indicating that external factors could influence Shanon’s future.

As per Radar Online, the legal skirmish erupted following the tragic death of Kaitlyn's mother, Anna Cardwell, in December 2023, leaving Kaitlyn's future hanging in the balance. Cardwell’s passing from cancer set off a chain of events that quickly turned into a custody showdown. Shortly after Cardwell’s death, June filed an emergency petition to secure custody of Kaitlyn. In her filing, the reality TV star asserted, “When [Michael] resided in Alabama, he only visited with Kaitlyn at most once per month, sometimes going three months between visits.”

June's lawyer also stated, “Outside of one short period of disagreement, [June] and Anna had a stable parent-child relationship. [Kaitlyn] has spent her childhood regularly seeing and spending time with [June]. On the other hand, [Michael] has been an inconsistent presence in the child’s life since at least 2017.”

Initially, the court sided with June, granting her temporary custody of Shannon. However, this decision was promptly challenged by Michael, Anna’s ex-husband and Shannon’s biological father. Michael, who also shares an 8-year-old daughter, Kylee, with Anna, stepped forward to contest the custody arrangement, highlighting the significance of keeping the siblings together. Kylee has been living with Michael since Cardwell’s death, while Kaitlyn has been under June’s care. 

Michael’s petition claimed that he played a prominent role in raising Kaitlyn during his marriage to Anna and posed questions about June’s capability as a primary caregiver. His filing stated, "He helped raise Kaitlyn while he was married to Anna," as reported by InTouch Weekly. Adding to the complexity, June accused Michael of physical abuse towards Anna and Kaitlyn. She claimed, “During his marriage to Anna, [Michael] frequently physically abused Anna and the child and it would not be in the child’s best interests to be in [Michael’s] care and control.” 

His attorney, Donald Lewis Roberts, dismissed these accusations and remarked, “Michael denies these allegations. This is the first time that any of these allegations have been made against him. He and Anna had a great relationship when they were married and simply separated due to differences in opinions and personalities. They managed to get along throughout the divorce as well and had maintained a good relationship with his family and him. They’ve always stuck together for their children, and we will see what proof Ms. Shannon has for these types of claims, these very serious claims, to make on somebody — if she has any proof at all.”