Amy Duggar King has taken back her previous support of embattled cousin Joseph Duggar’s wife, Kendra Duggar, following Kendra’s arrest on a child endangerment charge.
“I think that was a plot twist that no one saw coming,” Amy, 39, said of Kendra’s arrest during a Saturday, March 21, interview with TMZ. “When I gave that [first] statement … that was just the information I was given at the time and thought to be true. Now that the information has changed and there’s more that is coming out and there’s a lot of question marks right now.”
Amy added, “I’m just going to steer that statement towards the kids because that’s what matters right now, is the kids’ safety, the victim and her family, and the four children that were in [Joseph and Kendra’s] home. That is where my heart lies. I’m just going to lay there.”
Amy was one of the first members of the extended Duggar family to speak out when Joseph, 31, was arrested on Wednesday, March, 18, on charges of lewd and lascivious behavior involving molestation of a victim less than 12 years old and lewd and lascivious behavior conducted by a person 18 years or older. (Joseph is accused of molesting a 9-year-old girl when they were on vacation together in Panama City Beach, Florida, in 2020.)
“Recognizing that we do not yet know the full picture, I am also praying for Joseph’s wife, Kendra, as she begins to process this, and for the protection of their children,” Amy originally said in a statement on Thursday, March 19. “I’m praying for eyes to be opened and above all, I pray that justice will be served to the fullest.”
Amy subsequently broke down in tears in a social media post on Friday, March 20, when Kendra, along with Joseph, were arrested on four unrelated counts of endangering the welfare of a minor, second degree, and four counts of second degree false imprisonment.
“I’m learning just like everyone else and looking through any kind of article that I can find, trying to get answers, because obviously this is [heartbreaking],” Amy told TMZ on Saturday. “This is really, really hard on everybody. … It’s not just about the people who are inside this bubble, that believe this certain system. It’s people who loved them. I loved Joe. I loved Kendra. There are so many people who are just wanting this to be not so serious.”
Amy expressed sympathy for the 14-year-old girl who came forward with molestation allegations against Joseph, saying the alleged victim “should have been safe, should have been loved.”
“My heart cannot wrap around that,” Amy admitted. “The person that I thought I knew is apparently not the person he is today. I will hold him accountable and I want justice to be served to the fullest.”
Speaking exclusively to Us Weekly on Saturday, an insider sought to distance Kendra’s arrest from Joseph’s child molestation case.
“Kendra’s arrest has nothing to do with Joseph’s — although one precipitated another,” the source told Us. “After his charge, they automatically do a home study if minors live there. They came to her house.”
They added, “Apparently, they had two rooms where the lock of the doorknob was on the outside instead of inside. They arrested her and took her kids for that, saying it’s evidence that she wrongly detains her kids.”
Us has reached out to the Duggars for comment.
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).
