The judge has given Mama June Shannon a win in her custody battle against Michael Cardwell. She is fighting for custody of her granddaughter, Kaitlyn Shannon but her late daughter, Anna Cardwell’s ex-husband also wants the tween. So, what has the judge done to benefit June’s case? Keep reading for more details.
Judge Gives Mama June A Win In Custody Battle
Mama June Shannon is currently fighting for custody of her granddaughter, Kaitlyn Shannon. When her daughter, Anna Cardwell was diagnosed with stage 4 adrenal carcinoma, she did not want to think of the end. Yet, June and Anna’s sister, Pumpkin knew she had to make some major decisions in the event she did not make it. Anna had two daughters, Kaitlyn and Kylee she would be leaving behind. Kylee was her child with Michael Cardwell so she knew he would get custody of her if she passed.
Sadly, Kaitlyn’s biological father could never be identified so Anna had to name a guardian. She wanted her second husband, Eldridge Toney to have custody but June felt she could give Kaitlyn a better life. In the end, nothing was filed so June and her husband, Justin Stroud took over. Immediately, Michael came in and filed for custody. He maintained that he had a great relationship with Kaitlyn after the divorce and even paid for her expenses. Now, the two have met in court and June has already gotten a small win.
According to In Touch Weekly, the court signed off to get records from DCFS (Department of Family and Children Services). This was per Mama June’s request and the motion states:
“Such evidence and testimony is material to the matters before the court to allow the court to make an informed decision regarding the best interest of the minor child in this custody action.”
All of this makes sense given the fact that June has alleged Michael Cardwell was abusive toward Anna during their time together:
“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.”
She stated this after Michael claimed Anna Cardwell and June had a “sordid” relationship. Anna had been very open about her mother’s false promises and betrayal toward her. She also sued her and TLC for nonpayment of $300K worth of earnings from Here Comes Honey Boo Boo.
Up In The Air
To get those records was a small win but still a win for Mama June Shannon. For her part, she will be turning over her drug test reports since early 2023. Fans have long questioned her sobriety so this will finally put those rumors to rest. As for what Kaitlyn wants, she has filed a declaration to the court stating that she wanted to stay with her grandmother. However, some disputed whether or not she actually wrote this or not. In the end of it, Kaitlyn did say she wanted to speak to the judge on the matter:
“I also wish to speak to the Judge to inform the court of my wishes.”
If she gets that opportunity, this could change the direction of the battle. Or, the records could be enough to seal the deal. Michael Cardwell has vehemently denied any wrongdoing:
“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.”
Time will tell what will happen and where Kaitlyn will be placed but hopefully, it will truly be where she will thrive and what is best for her.
Do you think that this is a win for Mama June and that she deserves custody or are you torn on all of it? Let us know in the comments below.
