The Duggar family’s public image has been further damaged due to recent legal crises involving Joseph Duggar, leaving many in a state of disbelief.
As the details of the allegations against Joseph continue to surface, voices from within the extended family are beginning to call for drastic changes.
Joseph was recently arrested and is facing several charges relating to sexual misconduct with a minor. His wife, Kendra Duggar, was taken into custody shortly after but soon released.
Deanna Duggar Urges Kendra To File For Divorce
Joseph’s aunt, Deanna Duggar, is publicly pleading with his wife, Kendra, to end their marriage following his shocking arrest. In an exclusive interview with Page Six, Deanna expressed that she believes divorce is the best option for Kendra to start over.
“She needs a new life. The best thing to do would be to divorce him and go on with her life,” she added.
Kendra, who married into the family in 2017 and shares four children with Joseph, currently faces her own legal hurdles. Both she and Joseph were charged with four counts of endangering a minor’s welfare and four counts of false imprisonment.
Deanna admitted that while her heart goes out to her niece-in-law, she acknowledges that “wrong decisions” have been made within the household.
“My prayers are for the victims. For Kendra, for Joseph, for the whole family, wake up and repent of their pride, their feeling of the world is against them, get things right in their family,” she said.
Deanna, the sister of family patriarch Jim Bob Duggar, has been estranged from the core family for years alongside her daughter, Amy King.
Kendra Duggar Was Arrested Days After Her Husband Was Taken Into Custody
While Deanna is publicly calling for a clean break from Kendra and Joseph’s marriage, the legal reality for the couple has become increasingly intertwined through simultaneous arrests.
Just as Joseph was facing the prospect of being sent to Florida for his 2020 sexual assault allegations, law enforcement in Arkansas moved to take Kendra into custody as well.
The Blast confirmed that on Friday, March 20, the Tontitown Police Department executed arrest warrants for both husband and wife following an investigation into their domestic life.
While Kendra was released from the Washington County Jail just hours after her booking, Joseph remained in the detention center due to his ongoing case involving a nine-year-old victim.
The Couple Is Facing Charges Relating To The Welfare Of A Minor
While the sudden arrests have physically separated the couple, the specific legal details of their cases highlight a complex web of allegations.
According to The Blast, Joseph and Kendra are both facing four counts of endangering the welfare of a minor and four counts of false imprisonment in Arkansas. A source close to the investigation clarified that these specific charges are tied to their domestic situation in Arkansas and are not connected to the molestation case currently being prosecuted in Florida.
A spokesperson for the Duggar family has also stepped forward to stress that Kendra is not a suspect in her husband’s Florida case. The representative reiterated that her arrest was an independent legal matter, focusing solely on the Arkansas allegations rather than the more severe felony charges Joseph faces elsewhere.
Kendra Seeks Privacy At Undisclosed Location Following Her Release
Following Kendra’s arrest, she was released shortly after. However, she chose not to return to the Tontitown property she shared with Joseph. Instead, she was reportedly moved to a remote and private location immediately after posting bail.
During a recorded jail phone conversation, Kendra confirmed to Joseph that she was staying in a secure and very private environment.
According to The Blast, she described her new surroundings as a “good place,” while Joseph cautioned her against revealing any specific details about her whereabouts over the phone.
The move appears to be a deliberate attempt to find stability and distance the children from the ongoing legal chaos.
Jim Bob And Michelle Express Heartbreak Over The Recent Charges
While Kendra has sought physical distance and privacy at an undisclosed location, her parents-in-law have finally broken their silence regarding the allegations against their son. Jim Bob and Michelle have reportedly been left devastated by the recent events involving Joseph and the disturbing nature of the claims.
Through a formal statement, the longtime reality television parents addressed the situation, per The Blast.
According to a spokesperson for the couple, Jim Bob and Michelle are “heartbroken over this entire situation” following Joseph’s arrest.
In their statement, the representative noted that the pair is focused on “loving their family and helping Kendra” as she navigates the fallout of the criminal charges. In addition to supporting their daughter-in-law, Jim Bob and Michelle also acknowledged the gravity of the accusations by stating they are “praying for the victim” involved in the Florida case.