Amy Duggar and Jim Bob Duggar
Credit: TLC(2)
Amy Duggar King is pretty sure her uncle, Jim Bob Duggar, is trying to control the family narrative amid his son Joseph Duggar’s arrest on child molestation charges.
King, who is estranged from Jim Bob and his wife Michelle Duggar due to their strict fundamentalist lifestyle, said that she would “take bets” that the patriarch “called a family meeting the second this all came out” about Joseph, who stands accused of molesting a 9-year-old girl while on vacation in Panama City, Fla., in 2020.
“[He] already texted on a big family group chat, which I used to be a part of… anyways, and said, ‘All right, I’m so sorry that we’re going through this again as a family,'” King theorized about Jim Bob in a TikTok video posted on Friday, referencing his eldest child, Josh Duggar, who is currently serving a 12-year sentence for possessing child pornography.
She continued to assume that Jim Bob told the family, “‘What’s most important is that we band together and that we show family loyalty and that we love each other no matter what. Right now, we need to just be closer than ever, including our social media. Now, post about your life, post about recipes, post about your kids, post about whatever, but just don’t mention, don’t mention Joseph, because, you know, it’s not that big of a deal, and we’re being attacked as Christians, and it’s a really, really, really sad world we live in where they would want to attack, you know, such a godly Christian family.”
King speculated that her uncle most likely told his family not to post or talk to anyone about Joseph’s situation.
“‘If [you’ve] got an interview, send it to me. I’ll take care of it. My people will take care of it,'” she continued, “‘And just keep on, just keep on posting whatever it is that you’d like, and just don’t add anything extra to it. OK? It’s all going to be taken care of. Let’s let this just blow over.'”
Joseph Duggar’s mugshot.
Credit: Washington County Sheriff’s Department
Jim Bob and Michelle have yet to share a statement on Joseph’s arrest, but Entertainment Weekly has reached out to the family.
Some of his siblings, however, have spoken out.
Joy-Anna Duggar shared a statement on her Instagram Stories Thursday, writing, “What has come out about my brother is heartbreaking and deeply disturbing. 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. 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.”
Jason Duggar and his wife, Maddie, added in their own statement: “Our hearts are burdened because a child’s life has been turned upside down due to evil actions of someone who should have never hurt the vulnerable. This is something unthinkable.”
And Jinger Duggar Vuolo shared her “pain and heartbreak” over Joseph’s arrest on her and husband Jeremy Vuolo’s podcast.
“It’s been one of those weeks that feels like years, and I did not think that my heart could break like it has this week,” Jinger said on Wednesday. “The pain and heartbreak that we’ve had over this and just thinking of how it’s affected so many, yeah, that’s just unthinkable.”
The Duggar family
Credit: Tlc/Kobal/Shutterstock
Joseph, 31, was arrested on charges of 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 on March 18. He is in solitary confinement awaiting extradition to Panama City.
A few days later, his wife, Kendra, with whom he shares four children, was also booked into the Washington County Detention Center on four charges of endangering the welfare of a minor and four charges of false imprisonment. Kendra’s charges are “totally unrelated” to Joseph’s initial booking, according to PEOPLE sources, and she’s “not suspected of participating” in that incident.
Her bond was set at $1,470, and she was released two hours later. She’s due back in court on April 29.
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“To protect the integrity of the investigation and the privacy of those involved, no further details will be provided at this time,” the Tontitown Police Department said in a statement at the time.
In the wake of the news, King spoke out on social media about the status of Joseph and Kendra’s young children.
“I have no idea where the kids are,” she wrote on Instagram. “I just hope and pray they are being well taken care of and someone is holding them tight and that they are safe.”
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