Thibault Monnier, Pacific Coast News/Georgia Bureau of InvestigationHere Comes Honey Boo Boo star Anna Marie Cardwell, known by the nickname "Chickadee" on the reality show, says she was molested as a child by mother Mama June Shannon's then-boyfriend, in comments made days after the series was canceled amid reports the two had reconciled.
Cardwell, 20, made her remarks to People magazine in an interview posted on Saturday. Shannon has denied reports that she and her ex Mark McDaniel, who registered as a sex offender in March after serving 10 years in prison for a 2004 aggravated child molestation conviction, were back together.
People quoted Cardwell as saying that when she was 8 years old, McDaniel dated her mother and "would try and touch me and all that stuff." He and Shannon have not responded to her remarks. Earlier this week. McDaniel also had no immediate comment about the dating reports, when contacted by E! News.
Cardwell was one of several family members featured on Here Comes Honey Boo Boo, a spinoff of Toddlers & Tiara that debuted in 2012 and focused on little sister and frequent child beauty pageant contestant Alana Thompson. The show made the Georgia family famous and spurred catchphrases such as "You'd better redneckonize." Caldwell, a mother of one, was seen on the series getting engaged to her boyfriend Michael. The two wed in May.
Shannon and co-star and Alan's father, Sugar Bear, whose real name is Mike Thompson, announced their split in September.
TLC announced the cancellation of Here Comes Honey Boo Boo on Friday. A source told E! News that the cable network reached out to Cardwell to offer counseling.
Shannon posted a "truth video" on Facebook that day.
"Just got a phone call this morning from TLC and as of right now there will be no more production of the show. The statement of me dating a sex offender is totally untrue."
"I would not ever, ever, ever put my kids in danger. I love my kids too much. That is my past. I have not seen that person in 10 years and don't seem to want to see that person."
McDaniel's son Michael told E! News on Thursday that his father and Shannon were not dating. Meanwhile, the rumors continue.
People quoted Cardwell as saying, "Mama said the story isn't true and she said she hasn't seen Mark since he's been out of jail. My whole body believes that she is telling the truth...but my mind is going back and forth from—you know, hey, she's telling the truth or she's not telling the truth, but most of me believes her."
She also said that she would not allow her mother to see her 2-year-old daughter, Kaitlyn, "unless Mark is out of the picture or away because I don't want him nowhere near my child."