Why Anna 'Chickadee' Cardwell Once Sued TLC

Anna "Chickadee" Cardwell is best known for the reality show "Here Comes Honey Boo Boo," which was a spin-off of TLC's "Toddlers & Tiaras," where breakout star Alana "Honey Boo Boo" Thompson showcased her pageant skills as a child. Their mother, June Shannon, known widely as "Mama June," has been both adored and considered controversial by the fanbase, especially thanks to her past legal issues, such as an arrest for drug possession and her dodgy taste in men. Sadly, troubles such as these only drove a wedge between Shannon and Cardwell, who also expressed her dissatisfaction with TLC.

The former reality star slammed the network for unpaid wages stemming from her time on the now-canceled "Here Comes Honey Boo Boo." The series, which followed the entire family and specifically  Honey Boo Boo's three sisters in the years after her days on stage, debuted in 2012. It only lasted for four seasons, officially being axed in 2014 over Shannon's relationship with convicted sex offender Mark McDaniel, who was convicted of molesting Cardwell in 2004. Even after the series ended, Cardwell sued TLC and her mother, which didn't help their already tumultuous relationship.

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In June 2015, Anna "Chickadee" Cardwell filed a lawsuit claiming that she was owed over $200,000 for "Here Comes Honey Boo Boo." The suit, which was lodged against TLC, her mother, June Shannon, and Honey Boo Boo LLC alleged that they mismanaged money intended for a trust for Cardwell and her daughter Kaitlyn, who was two years old at the time. After the show ended, Cardwell was paid $15,400, which was her cut of the final payout. 

However, the former reality star asserted that she was owed considerably more. In December 2014, months before her lawsuit was filed, Cardwell appeared on "Dr. Phil," where she shockingly claimed that her mother drained her trust, spending most of the money in it, something Shannon said she had good reason for. Prior to the lawsuit, Shannon claimed she only used the money in Cardwell's trust to cover her daughter's living expenses. 

The matriarch even filmed herself giving her daughter the $15,400 check. Once the lawsuit came into play, Shannon told TMZ that she didn't owe Cardwell any more money because TLC had deposited Cardwell's checks directly into her bank account. The outcome of the lawsuit was publicized when Cardwell briefly reunited with her mother in 2021. "That didn't go anywhere and it was a long process, and I was like 'you know what screw it,'" she told The U.S. Sun. 

Anna "Chickadee" Cardwell and June Shannon spent years not speaking. They finally came face to face for the baby shower of Shannon's other daughter, Lauryn "Pumpkin" Efird, in June 2021. Shortly after, Cardwell suggested to The U.S. Sun that she wasn't compensated in the lawsuit against TLC and her mother. "Yes, it's a lot of money, but still it's like it's not like I want to stress myself over trying to get it," Cardwell explained. TLC hasn't commented on the case.

Sadly, Cardwell was diagnosed with stage four cancer in January 2023. This brought her and Shannon back together in the months leading up to her passing on December 9, 2023. In an Instagram post announcing Cardwell's devastating death, Shannon confirmed that her daughter passed away inside her home with her loved ones by her side. Though the reality star didn't receive the payday she sought, it appears Cardwell later made her peace with the situation.