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.

“I am not OK… 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

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

“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

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, 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.”

Women’s weightlifters Hailey Sikman and Jade Dickens thought they were competing at a normal World’s Strongest Woman championship last weekend. Instead, they witnessed the nation’s latest trans athlete controversy unfurl up close. 

Transgender athlete Jammie Booker won first place in the women’s heavyweight division, beating female competitor Andrea Thompson by one point. However, once Booker’s biological sex was revealed, Official Strongman revised the results to give Thompson first place. 

Sikman and Dickens told Fox News Digital they had no knowledge of Booker’s biological sex until after the competition. 

“Unfortunately, Jammie Booker got the best of Andrea Thompson right there at the end. And it wasn’t known to the promoters, to any of the athletes, until after the award ceremony and after everyone was gone that Jammie Booker is actually Jeffrey Booker, and he is a man,” Dickens said.

“I was beyond mad. … Had I known, I definitely would have done something about it, personally would have done something about it prior to the event being over. But nobody knew. Nobody knew he was a man.” 

Dickens said she believes the organization would have removed Booker from competition had it known of the athlete’s birth sex. 

“Had they had the knowledge, they would have taken care of it before the competition even started,” Dickens said.

Sikman also claimed she didn’t know of Booker’s biological sex until after the competition was over. Still, Sikman had her suspicions about Booker based on the athlete’s appearance. 

“He definitely conned himself in and manipulated a situation,” Sikman said. 

During the competition, Sikman tried to interact with the trans athlete, believing Booker was a woman, she said.

‘WORLD’S STRONGEST WOMAN’ COMPETITOR SPEAKS OUT AFTER WINNING TITLE FOLLOWING TRANS CONTROVERSY 

“I tried to talk to him, and he kind of just blew me off,” Sikman added. 

Dickens said of Booker’s behavior during the event, “I didn’t personally speak to him. … He was actually pretty quiet. … In my opinion, the reason he didn’t talk much was because his voice would have revealed he was male.” 

Sikman claimed she spoke to other competitors who recalled Booker’s behavior during the weekend.

“A lot of other women were saying he was just being arrogant and talking s—,” Sikman said. 

Dickens also recalled what she heard from other competitors about Booker’s conduct, saying, “In that competition atmosphere, everyone is doing a little digging. … [Trash talking] happens. It happens in all sports.” 

On Monday, Booker posted a video to Instagram thanking numerous people for their assistance in what was originally a victory.

A YouTube video from what appears to be Booker’s own channel, dating back to 2017, shows Booker claiming to be “trans.” 

According to Strongman Archives, Booker had not competed in women’s events prior to this past June. It is unclear whether Booker had previously competed as a man.

Official Strongman announced that Booker would be disqualified. Strongman said it had attempted to reach out to Booker, “but a response has not been received.” 

Sikman hopes to see stricter measures to prevent males from sneaking into women’s competitions, saying she hopes “genetic testing or some sort of vetting process” can be employed by Official Strongman.

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Dickens said she’s been an advocate for protecting women’s sports since 2018 because she had to witness males compete in her powerlifting federation in the past. She hopes the public takes notice of this issue. 

“People keep saying this is a non-issue, that this does not happen that often, that this is going to go away,” Dickens said. “Where is our trust? This just breaks down the fabric of womanhood. … We want to be trusting of everyone around us, and when men come in and deceitfully try to take what is rightfully a woman’s, it erodes the trust for that woman.” 

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A pregnant widow recalled the last text message from her husband before he was killed in an altercation outside a bar in Scottsdale, Arizona, earlier this month.

Thomas John “TJ” Pizzitola, 29, was found lying unconscious on a sidewalk around 2:15 a.m. on Oct. 11 near Pattie’s First Avenue Lounge, after he and two friends were kicked out for unruly behavior, FOX10 Phoenix reported.

Pizzitola and his two friends had been walking outside to a rideshare pickup when one friend allegedly bumped into a woman. Drew Meneses, 24, then allegedly sucker-punched Pizzitola, knocking him unconscious.

Pizzitola’s wife, Krisan, said she had dropped him off at the lounge for what was supposed to be a fun night out with his friends just weeks before their son was due to be born.

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“I texted him that I had gotten home and he texted me back and said that he wished that I was there, but that he was so proud of me for staying home and taking care of our baby boy and that he loved me,” Krisan told the outlet.

“That was the last text I ever got from him,” she added.

Pizzitola was rushed to a hospital, though he later died from a fatal brain injury.

On Oct. 22, police arrested five people in connection with his death, including Meneses, who was charged with second-degree murder.

Meneses is being held on $1 million bond. He told the court that the incident “was a bad night,” according to the outlet.

“It was not supposed to happen like that at all and there was no malicious intent for that at all,” he said.

Prosecutor Angela Andrews said cellphone video shows Pizzitola “standing with his arms to his side” when Meneses walks “up behind him and essentially sucker punch him in the head,” according to the outlet.

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The other suspects include Julius Husser, 27, Tony Becker, 26, and Mark Whitford, 23, all of whom were charged with aggravated assault. Husser and Becker each face an additional charge of assault. A fifth suspect, 27-year-old Krista Molina, was charged with assault and disorderly conduct.

Krisan is due to give birth to a baby boy next month.

“I’m trying so hard not to be so angry at this situation and try to be the strong woman that he thinks that I am,” she told the outlet.

Krisan added that she is going to name the child TJ Vito as a tribute to his late father.

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“All he ever wanted to be was the best father ever and the best husband,” she said. “But he wasn’t finished.”

A GoFundMe page for the family said Pizzitola will continue to help others through organ donation.