What the Duggar Family is Saying About Joseph & Kendra’s Arrest

Warning: The article below contains discussions of sexual assault and child abuse.

On March 18, Joseph Duggar was arrested on charges of lewd and lascivious behavior involving unlawful sexual activity with a minor, after the former star of 19 Kids and Counting allegedly molested a 9-year-old girl during a family vacation in Panama City Beach, Florida, in 2020.

On March 21, his wife, Kendra Duggar, was also arrested and charged with four second-degree counts of endangering the welfare of a minor and four counts of second-degree false imprisonment.

In response to these charges, members of the Duggar family have been speaking to the press.

Jason “Jase” Duggar, the 12th child of Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar, and his wife Maddie Grace, shared a joint post on Instagram in which they firmly sided with the victims, calling Joseph’s actions “evil.”

“We, like many, have spent the week completely shocked, confused, and grieved to list a few emotions. We are disgusted to hear the news about my brother, however, this isn’t about how it impacted our lives,” wrote the couple.

The post goes on to say, “We are angered by what has happened, and we pray God’s righteous hand and the court system will serve justice in the situation as deserved.”

The statement ends with, “We stand with innocent children always.”

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A post shared by Jason Duggar (@jaseduggar)

Joseph’s sister, Joy-Anna Duggar, the ninth of 19 children born to Jim Bob and Michelle, shared a post on her Instagram Stories (preserved by People) on March 26 that stated, “What has come out about my brother is heartbreaking and deeply disturbing.”

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Joseph Duggar's Wife Kendra Arrested as Couple Faces Child Endangerment Charges

“My heart is with the victim, and I am grieved by the pain and harm caused. I have been a wreck this week and am taking time to process,” she posted. “I have a few pre-filmed commitments that I have to post, but I will be taking some much-needed time with my family. Thank you for your prayers.”

The fourth child of Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar, Jill M. Dillard (formerly Dugger), wrote a response to the allegations on her blog, “The Dillard Family.” Written on March 19, the post read: “We were shocked yesterday evening to learn of Jill’s brother (Joseph Duggar’s) arrest. We first learned of anything related to his charges yesterday via a text from a friend who messaged us about the recent media reports of Joseph’s arrest and his alleged confession to molesting a juvenile female in 2020. We are shocked and heartbroken.”

“We strongly condemn abuse. We support the rule of law and hope that justice will be achieved. Our hearts go out to the innocent juvenile victim of this unspeakable crime and her family. We pray God gives her strength, comfort, and hope, and that she is able to get all the help and support she needs and deserves in the days ahead,” continued the post, which then ended with well wishes for Kendra and Bible quotes.

Cousin Amy Duggar King, who originally supported Kendra, retracted her support in a statement to TMZ. In an Instagram Reel from the outlet shared to her page, she said, “Now that information has changed, and there’s more that is coming out, and there’s a lot of question marks right now, I’m just going to steer that statement towards the kids, because that’s what matters right now.”

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A post shared by TMZ (@tmz_tv)

Joseph and Kendra Duggar face child endangerment and false imprisonment charges, separate from his child molestation charges. The arrest comes more than a decade after his brother Josh’s own legal issues first became public. On May 21, 2015, In Touch Weekly revealed a 2006 police report detailing sexual molestation allegations against Josh. Then, in April 2021, six years after the Duggar family’s reality show was canceled, Josh was arrested for sharing child pornography as well as “images depicting the sexual abuse of children, including toddlers.”

Josh Duggar was also accused of molesting four of his sisters and a babysitter, accusations which were investigated in 2006 but not pursued due to the statute of limitations.

If you or someone you know is the victim of child abuse, contact the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child (1-800-422-4453). If you or a loved one are in immediate danger, call 911.

If you or someone you know is the victim of sexual assault, contact the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network‘s National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673). If you or a loved one is in immediate danger, call 911.