Amy King (née Duggar) said she is “sickened, heartbroken and deeply angry” after learning of cousin Joseph Duggar’s arrest.
“My first thoughts are with the victim, a child who deserved to be safe, protected and surrounded by people she could trust,” King, 39, told Us Weekly in a statement on Friday, March 20. “The courage it took for her to come forward, especially after years of carrying something so heavy, cannot be overstated. That bravery deserves to be honored above all else.”
Amy later read her statement aloud in an Instagram video, adding, “I can’t believe this is happening again.”
Joseph, 31, currently awaits extradition to Florida, where he is accused of having molested a 9-year-old girl while on a family vacation to Panama City Beach in 2020. The victim, now 14, told police that “Duggar eventually apologized for his actions and the incidents stopped after the apology.”
He was confronted by the girl’s father on Tuesday, March 17, and allegedly confessed at that time, according to a press release from the Bay County Sheriff’s Office.
Joseph — a dad of four who shares sons Garrett and Justus and daughters Addison Renee and Brooklyn with wife Kendra Duggar (née Caldwell) — has been charged with 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.
King revealed that she was “utterly shocked to hear about these allegations and Joseph’s arrest,” also noting, “At the same time, I am not surprised that another alleged predator has emerged from this toxic system.”
“For years, I have spoken out about the importance of truth, accountability and protecting children, even when it meant going against my own family,” she continued. “Family ties should never equal automatic trust or access, especially when it comes to the safety of children.”
“When an image is protected over truth, and silence is chosen over accountability, it creates an environment where abuse can thrive.”
“I have worked hard to break cycles in both my extended family and my immediate family,” she went on. “My boundaries are in place for a reason, and I have used my voice to expose the darkness and advocate for the protection of children, a journey I wrote about in [my book] Holy Disruptor: Shattering the Shiny Facade by Getting Louder with the Truth as a way to help others recognize harmful patterns, speak the truth, and find their voice in toxic systems.”
“I am praying for the victim and her family as they walk through what is sure to be an incredibly difficult road ahead,” King added. “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. I’m praying for eyes to be opened and above all, I pray that justice will be served to the fullest.”
King also shared a cryptic message about “healing” as news broke of Joseph’s arrest.
Prior to this recent development, the mom of one has been very outspoken against Joseph’s older brother Josh Duggar’s actions after he was sentenced to 12 years in prison for charges related to receipt and possession of child pornography in May 2022. (Josh, 38, is the eldest child of Michelle and Jim Bob Duggar’s 19 kids.)
King has distanced herself from Josh as well as her uncle Jim Bob, 60, and aunt Michelle, 59, she exclusively told Us in October 2025. As a mom herself, she found his crimes to be deeply disturbing.
King, who shares son Daxton, 6, with husband Dillon King, told Us, “Now that I have a child, now that I know the beauty of it and the innocence of them, I will do everything in my power to speak on how to protect children, and that’s a boundary I will never cross.”
