MAMA June Shannon has been awarded temporary custody of her oldest granddaughter.
The TLC star has secured custody over Kaitlyn, 11, until a permanent decision can be made.
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June, 44, will retain custody over Kaitlyn until a further court hearing, according to TMZ.
The Toddlers and Tiaras alum has been fighting for custody of Kaitlyn since the pre-teen’s mom Anna Cardwell died aged 29 in December.
Anna’s ex-husband Michael Cardwell, with whom she shares a biological daughter Kylee, 8, is also fighting for custody over his once-stepchild.
As The U.S. Sun exclusively previously revealed, Michael filed a lawsuit against June on December 17, arguing he should be awarded custody of Anna’s oldest daughter.
He filed his suit against June in a Georgia court after Anna’s tragic death.
Michael, who has full custody of daughter Kylee argued in the court documents he has “fully and completely undertaken a permanent, unequivocal, committed, and responsible parental role” in Kaitlyn’s life.
He has “engaged in consistent caretaking of the child and established a bonded and dependent relationship with the child,” which he said was fostered by Anna, despite Kaitlyn not being his biological daughter.
MICHAEL’S PLEA
In his pleading to the court, Michael said that after he and Anna divorced, his regular visitation schedule with Kylee also included time with Kaitlyn.
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He stated in his filing that he has an “independent relationship with the child, which was fostered and supported by a parent of the child.
“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.”
After referring to the troubled relationship between June and Anna, the documents added: “Likewise, June’s presence in the minor child’s life has been inconsistent.”
Michael also argued that he has, and still is, paying for Kaitlyn’s schooling.
The filing read: “Petitioner has been a stable and consistent part of the minor child’s life since she was eight months old and has continued to do so even after years from his divorce from Anna.
“Petitioner is the only living person that has shown a constant and continuous interest in the child’s minor child’s well-being, and being in the custody of the petitioner will be in the child’s best interest,” he concluded in his petition to the court.
HEARTBREAKING LOSS
On December 9, June revealed the heartbreaking news that Anna had lost her cancer battle.
Anna stayed out of the spotlight following her stints on the TLC shows, but made headlines in March 2023 when her cancer diagnosis became public.
She was diagnosed with stage 4 adrenal carcinoma in January.
In July, June shared that her daughter’s diagnosis was terminal.
“For me, it’s an emotional rollercoaster sometimes,” she told Entertainment Tonight earlier this year.
“Mentally, it’s always on my mind. We know it’s terminal.”
June added: “She’s Stage 4. She’s not gonna go into remission. We’ve all accepted that, so I just tell people one day at a time ’cause you never know.”
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