Family Reaction to Joseph Duggar's Arrest

Deanna Duggar, the 63-year-old aunt of Joseph Duggar, has voiced her strong opinion regarding his recent legal troubles. Following Joseph’s arrest on child molestation charges, Deanna stated she hopes his wife, Kendra Duggar, initiates a divorce.

In an interview published on Monday, March 30, Deanna told Page Six, “I think Kendra should divorce him. She needs a new life. The best thing to do would be to divorce him and go on with her life.”

Details of the Criminal Charges

Joseph Duggar, age 31, was arrested earlier this month. The charges against him include lewd and lascivious behavior involving the molestation of a victim under the age of 12, as well as lewd and lascivious behavior committed by a person 18 or older.

Specifically, Joseph is accused of molesting a 9-year-old girl in 2020 while the family was vacationing in Florida. Days after his arrest, his wife, Kendra, 27, was also taken into custody.

Kendra Duggar's Separate Charges

Kendra Duggar faces four counts of endangering the welfare of a minor in the second degree and four counts of second-degree false imprisonment. Deanna expressed uncertainty about the specifics of Kendra’s charges but emphasized a need for family accountability.

“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,” Deanna commented.

Background on the Duggar Family

Deanna Duggar is the sister of Joseph’s father, Jim Bob Duggar, 60. Jim Bob and his wife, Michelle Duggar, are known for having 19 children, documented on the former TLC shows 19 Kids and Counting and Counting On.

Deanna and her daughter, Amy Duggar King (39), also appeared on the reality programs. Amy has since become an outspoken critic of her uncle’s family since the network ended its association with them.

Context for Kendra’s Arrest

A spokesperson for the Duggar family informed Us Weekly that Kendra’s legal issues involve a misdemeanor charge “totally unrelated to the Florida case.” An insider suggested that authorities visited the couple’s home to investigate the initial charges against Joseph.

The source explained on March 21 that Kendra’s arrest was precipitated by the home visit. “After his charge, they automatically do a home study if minors live there. They came to her house.”

The child endangerment charges reportedly stemmed from this police investigation. The insider stated that police found “two rooms where the lock of the doorknob was on the outside instead of inside,” leading to the arrest on grounds of alleged wrongful detention.

Joseph and Kendra’s Family Life

Joseph and Kendra were married in 2017. They share four young children: Garrett (7), Addison (6), Brooklyn (5), and Justus (3).

Deanna stated she has not seen Joseph in “a few years” but was in “shock” upon hearing about the arrest. She found the situation “so horrible to hear this again in the family.”

She expressed hope that her nephew would seek help through “rehabilitation.” This situation echoes past family scandals, as Joseph’s older brother, Josh Duggar, admitted in 2015 to molesting underage girls, including his sisters. Josh is currently serving a 12-year federal sentence for child pornography charges from 2021.