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The death of 18-year-old cheerleader Anna Kepner aboard a Carnival cruise ship sparked grief, confusion and tension within her large, fractured family.
Her mother’s account — that she quietly attended the funeral against her ex-husband’s wishes while fearing arrest over unpaid child support — underscores how tragedy and estrangement can collide in the public eye.
“The song ‘I Am Not Okay’ by Jelly Roll is exactly how I feel,” Heather Wright, the estranged mother of Anna, told Fox News Digital.
TEEN FOUND DEAD ON CARNIVAL CRUISE SHIP DIED FROM MECHANICAL ASPHYXIATION, RULED HOMICIDE: REPORT
Anna Kepner was identified by her family as the passenger who died onboard the Carnival Horizon. (Instagram/Anna Kepner)
She split with Anna’s father, Christopher Kepner, when their daughter was 4 and moved to Oklahoma, she said. Despite the estrangement, however, she said she tried to keep in touch over the years.
“She was my daughter, and I loved her with all of my heart and soul,” she said.
She said she was kept out of her daughter’s life after she moved away. She was even left out of her daughter’s online obituary, at first. An edited version added her name and removed references to other relatives.
Wright said she was told not to attend her daughter’s memorial service, which was held last week, claiming that her estranged ex threatened to have her arrested over years of unpaid child support.
CHEERLEADER’S CRUISE SHIP DEATH HAS FAMILY POINTING FINGERS
Anna Kepner’s estranged biological mother, Heather Wright, has opened up about her daughter’s mysterious cruise ship death in a series of TikTok videos. (Heather Wright/TikTok)
“They said I never went, but I did,” she told Fox News Digital. “I didn’t want to be seen, so I made sure no one seen me — plus they can’t stop me from going anyway, even though Chris said he would have me arrested for back child support.”
Christopher Kepner has not responded to Fox News Digital’s attempts to reach him. He is now with his third wife, Shauntel Kepner, whose 16-year-old son has been described as a “suspect” in court documents as part of an ongoing custody dispute between her and her ex-husband, Thomas Hudson.
ANNA KEPNER DIES MYSTERIOUSLY DURING FAMILY VACATION ON CARNIVAL CRUISE SHIP: TIMELINE OF EVENTS
Anna Kepner, her father, stepmother and several siblings in a family photo. (Shauntel Kepner/Facebook)
There have been no publicly announced criminal charges in the case, and the FBI has not publicly designated the teen or anyone else as a suspect.
However, both Shauntel and Hudson have referenced the FBI investigation in court filings.
The FBI, which is conducting the investigation, declined to comment.
Anna Kepner, 18, was found dead aboard a Carnival cruise ship on Nov. 7, during a vacation with her family. (Anna Kepner/Instagram)
Anna, 18, was found dead aboard the Carnival Horizon on Nov. 7 during a family vacation with her father, stepmom, grandparents and some of her siblings.
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Anna’s death has reportedly been ruled a homicide by “mechanical asphyxiation,” but authorities have not announced any suspects or arrests. She was found dead in her cabin in a room she shared with her stepbrother, relatives have said.
“Why am I the bad guy?” Wright asked. “He put them in the same room together.”