Amy Duggar King is trying her best to protect her son, Daxton, from the difficult headlines surrounding the Duggar family.
“I will always shield him from that,” Amy, 39, shared on “The Dory Jackson Interview” series via YouTube on Wednesday, May 13. “When he’s older, I’m going to explain, ‘Hey, mom was on a show’ and really kind of tell him, but until then, I get to shield him from a lot of that.”
The former 19 Kids and Counting star said she is grateful her 6-year-old son has the opportunity to be homeschooled, which helps prevent other kids from asking questions about other Duggar family members.
“Listen, he is the most social kid on the planet. He has a social calendar, let me tell you,” Amy said with a laugh. “But as far as, like, shielding him from abuse and hard things about being a child being hurt and all, he doesn’t need to know that. He’s 6 years old. He needs to live in innocence. And I love that he’s having such a beautiful, happy childhood — a safe childhood. That’s most important.”
In May 2022, Amy’s cousin Josh Duggar was sentenced to 151 months in prison following his December 2021 conviction on child pornography charges.
More recently, Amy’s other cousin Joseph Duggar was arrested in March on suspicion 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.
He pleaded not guilty to the charges and was released on March 31 after posting a $600,000 bond.
In her candid interview with journalist Dory Jackson, Amy — who said she hasn’t spoken to Joseph, 31, in several years — opened up about the pressure she sometimes feels to stay strong for her son amid the child abuse and sexual assault allegations.
“I just could not take it all in. It was a lot to absorb,” Amy said when reliving the moment she first heard of Joseph’s arrest. “This is now 2.0, right? That’s hard. And [Dakota] was like, ‘Mommy, are you OK?’ And I was like, ‘Mommy’s really hurt right now. My heart is really in pain. Mommy’s gonna be OK.’ And he just, like, gave me a hug.”
She continued, “I always tell him every day, ‘You are safe, you are loved, and you are our treasure every day.’ … There are times you break down because you’re just, like, ‘What has happened in my family? How has all this happened? And where did it start, and where’s it going to end?’ There’s so many questions. It’s hard to be strong all the time.”
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673). If you or someone you know is experiencing child abuse, call or text Child Help Hotline at 1-800-422-4453.
