:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(749x0:751x2):format(webp)/kendra-duggar-family-041526-1eeedf2d5dfb451aa8e7c559f75d8d5d.jpg)
Kendra Duggar (left); Kendra Duggar’s family (right).Credit : Washington County Sheriffs Department; The Caldwells/Instagram
NEED TO KNOW
Joseph Duggar was arrested in Florida on March 18 for alleged lewd acts involving a 9-year-old girl, per an affidavit
He and his wife, Kendra, also face unrelated charges in Arkansas, including endangering the welfare of minors
Kendra’s family broke their silence on the arrests on April 15, asking for “privacy” and commending the victim’s “courageous” act to “share her truth”
Kendra Duggar’s family is speaking out amid her and her husband Joseph Duggar’s legal troubles.
Nearly a month after Kendra was arrested and charged in Arkansas following Joseph’s separate arrest, the Caldwell family shared a statement on Instagram saying they are “troubled and heartbroken over the alleged actions committed by our son-in-law” and “devastated for the young girl” who Joseph allegedly confessed to repeatedly molesting, which led to his March 18 arrest.
On March 18, Joseph, 31, was arrested and charged with lewd and lascivious molestation of a victim less than 12 years old and lewd and lascivious behavior conducted by a person 18 years or older, per Florida’s Bay County Sheriff’s Office.
Joseph’s confession happened in a phone call with the child’s father — the girl was 9 at the time of the alleged molestations — and a detective with the local police department on March 17. During the call, Joseph “admitted his actions,” saying “he touched the victim over her clothing.” He also “admitted his intentions were not pure,” according to the affidavit.
Kendra’s family called the victim “courageous in every way to share her truth,” and said, “We stand by her, both in support and prayer, and forever will. Our love for this child remains at the forefront of our family’s priorities and minds. We are proud of her for being strong enough to share her story while also retaining her own identity and joy.”
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(749x0:751x2):format(webp)/Joseph-Kendra-Duggar-mugshot-032026-36941713866c4aad83f7629e60dc5c32.jpg)
Joseph and Kendra Duggar.Washington County Sheriff’s Department
“We pray all victims of crimes can be as courageous as this young girl is. They should be able to share their story, to trust in the judicial process, and to do so without fear of retaliation. You are not alone,” the statement continued. “At the same time, we also recognize how traumatic this incident has been for our grandchildren as well and continue to pray for their strength. Our love for them, and our daughter Kendra, remains.”
Before asking for “privacy,” the statement added, “The only way to freedom is to shine light in the darkness. And in this time, part of the light in our lives has come through the outpouring of love and prayer from people near and far. Thank you who have given in all the ways, through prayer, finances, time, energy and words of encouragement. We love you all.”
Our new app is here! Free, fun and full of exclusives. Scan to download now!
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(webp)/People_Onsite_ATF_Overlay_DesktopVersion_070125_qr_code11-6a9808bc1dfa4c2a9603155d7a5343d3.png)
Separate from Joseph’s Florida charges, Kendra and Joseph are both facing four counts of endangering the welfare of a minor in the second degree and four counts of false imprisonment in the second degree, in relation to the Arkansas charges, the Washington County Sheriff’s Office said.
A spokesperson for their family told PEOPLE at the time that the charges against Kendra, 27, are “totally unrelated” to the felony charges her husband is facing in Florida. “She’s not suspected or accused of participating in his alleged crime,” the spokesperson said.
Related Stories
What to Know About Joseph Duggar’s Wife Kendra and Children
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(webp)/Joseph-Duggar-Family-031826-5-ba7d7b039126462f99b0b5ed6f233e6c.jpg)
Kendra Duggar Tells Joseph to Cut Off Communication, ‘Board Up the Hatches’ and ‘Not Trust Anyone’ in Jail Calls
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(webp)/joseph-duggar-kendra-duggar-031926-a24d7140da064581a4fef0f28c4b793c.jpg)
Kendra was released on bail following her charges. Kendra and Joseph are scheduled to appear in an Arkansas courtroom on April 29.
Joseph has been in the spotlight since childhood, appearing on all four iterations of his family’s TLC reality series franchise beginning when he was 13 on 19 Kids and Counting. His wedding to Kendra was later featured in a 2017 episode of Counting On. They now share four kids.
On Monday, March 30, Joseph’s parents, Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar, addressed his legal troubles. In a statement, a spokesperson for the family said that Bob, 60, and Michelle, 59, are “heartbroken over this entire situation.”
“Right now, they are focused on loving their family and helping Kendra and her children during this difficult time,” the spokesperson said. “They are praying for the victim. They ask for privacy and appreciate the kind words and prayers offered by so many.”
In 2021, a federal jury convicted Joseph’s older brother Josh Duggar, 38, of receiving and possessing material depicting minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Josh was sentenced to over 12 years in prison.
If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual abuse, text “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor.
News
“We’re not married—you don’t own me,” he said at the bar after I asked why he gave his number to the waitress. I nodded. Then I moved out while he was out partying. He came home to half-empty rooms…
“We’re not married—you don’t own me.” He said it like a victory—like disrespect was something to celebrate. And in that moment, I realized something just as clearly: He was right. And he had no idea what that was about to cost him. The bar went quiet in a way that didn’t make sense for a […]
At 2:21 a.m., my phone kept vibrating… and by 2:25, my entire marriage had already been replaced. I reached across the bed in the dark, careful not to wake my seven-year-old daughter, Gail, curled beside me. The house was quiet—too quiet. Glenn wasn’t home. Another “late supplier dinner,” he had said, like always.
At 2:21 a.m., my phone kept vibrating… and by 2:25, my entire marriage had already been replaced. I reached across the bed in the dark, careful not to wake my seven-year-old daughter, Gail, curled beside me. The house was quiet—too quiet. Glenn wasn’t home. Another “late supplier dinner,” he had said, like always. The name […]
The night my marriage truly died, my husband stood in our marble kitchen and told me, with chilling impatience, that I had grieved my father long enough.
The night my husband told me to “move on” from my father’s death… I realized he wasn’t waiting for my grief to end—he was waiting for me to sign everything away. My name is Sarah Miller, and for ten years I lived inside a life so polished it looked perfect from the outside—and so hollow […]
A deaf farmer marries an obese girl as part of a bet; what she pulled out of his ear left everyone stunned. The morning Clara Valdez became a wife, snow fell over the Chihuahua mountains with a sad patience, as if the sky itself knew that this was not a day of celebration, but of resignation.
They said he married her as part of a cruel bet… but what she pulled from his ear would silence an entire town. The morning Clara Valdez became a wife, the snow over the Chihuahua mountains fell too quietly—like even the sky knew this wasn’t a wedding. It was a transaction. Clara stood in front […]
I watched my father throw my clothes, my books, and the last photo of my mother into the fire like my life meant nothing. Then he looked at me and said…
THE FIRE HE LIT PART 1: THE NIGHT EVERYTHING BURNED He didn’t just throw my things into the fire… he tried to burn the version of me that didn’t belong to him. I was nineteen when my father decided I no longer deserved a life of my own. It started in the backyard. Late August. […]
I went to pick up my daughter… but her broken doll on the front step was the first sign something inside that house had gone terribly wrong.
THE DAY I ALMOST LOST MY DAUGHTER PART 1: THE SILENCE The first thing I saw wasn’t my daughter. It was her doll. Rosie. Lying on the front step. Broken. One arm twisted unnaturally, stuffing spilling out like something had torn her open in a hurry. Her stitched smile—once bright and comforting—was crooked now, hanging […]
End of content
No more pages to load
