Late TLC Star Anna "Chickadee" Cardwell's Ex-Husband Revealed Her First Baby Daddy's Name

Anna kept the father of her first daughter, Kaitlyn, a secret before she died in December 2023.

Elizabeth Randolph - Author
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Jul. 1 2024, Published 2:06 p.m. ET

Viewers of TLC's reality series, Here Comes Honey Boo Boo, are still sending their thoughts and prayers to Alana "Honey Boo Boo" Thompson and her mother, June "Mama June" Stroud. In December 2023, Mama June shared with fans that her daughter and Alana's older sister, Anna "Chickadee" Cardwell, had died at age 29.

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Anna's passing came after a lengthy battle with stage 4 adrenal cancer. The reality star had two children during her life — her daughters Kylee and Kaitlyn.

Anna was a devoted mom who often shared how much she loved her children on her social media accounts. Since her death, the children have lived separate lives because they do not share the same father. Here's what we know about Anna's baby daddies and why one of them sued Mama June.

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Anna "Chickadee" Cardwell had two baby daddies before she died in December 2023.

Anna only shared one of her baby daddies with the world before she died. Her first child, Kaitlyn, was born in 2012. Throughout her life, Anna never shared who Kaitlyn's biological father was, and his current whereabouts are unknown. However, her ex-husband, Michael Cardwell, revealed Kaityln's father's name, Caleb Clark, in court, but more on that later.

A few years after Kaitlyn was born, Anna married Michael Cardwell in 2014. The pair were married for three years, and Michael is the biological father of Anna's daughter, Kylee, born in 2015. In April 2015, she announced on Facebook that they were separated and had changed their romantic statuses.

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"For those who hasn’t [sic] seen mine and Michael status we are separated it’s just a lot on both of us and have a lot to thinking about but this is only temporary right now," Anna said at the time, per InTouch Weekly. "But I love him and always will no matter where this goes so people I ask don’t be blowing up my inbox [please] and thank [you].”

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Anna Cardwell's ex-husband, Michael, sued her mom, Mama June, for custody.

Although Anna and Michael split up, he remained active in both of her daughters' lives. When she died in December 2023, he took sole custody of Kylee, while Mama June took custody of Kaitlyn. However, one week after Anna died, Michael sued June to have custody of Kaitlyn as well

According to The U.S. Sun, Michael shared that Anna's first baby daddy, Caleb Clark, never took a DNA test to prove he was Kaitlyn's father nor supported her. Michael said the evidence shows the father has no legal right to Kaitlyn.

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Michael also doesn't think Kaitlyn should live with Anna's mom. In the court documents, he argued that he had "fully and completely undertaken a permanent, unequivocal, committed, and responsible parental role." He also stated he "engaged in consistent caretaking of the child and established a bonded and dependent relationship with the child," which was fostered by Anna over the years. According to him, Anna agreed that Michael's visitations for his biological child, Kylee, would also include Kaitlyn due to their bond.

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"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," the documents read.

Michael has also claimed that Mama June and Anna had a "sordid relationship" before she died and that June didn't have custody of Anna her entire life. He added June was also "inconsistent" in Kaitlyn's life prior to taking custody of her. The custody battle is ongoing.

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