Joy-Anna Duggar broke her silence after her brother Joseph Duggar’s arrest.
“What has come out about my brother is heartbreaking and deeply disturbing,” Joy-Anna, 28, wrote via her Instagram Stories on Thursday, March 26. “My heart is with the victim, and I am grieved by the pain and harm caused.”
She continued, “I have been a wreck this week and am taking time to process.”
Joy-Anna further explained that she plans to take “some much-needed time” with her family away from social media in light of the situation.
“I have a few pre-filmed commitments that I have to post,” she wrote, seemingly referring to a trio of sponsored videos shared earlier Thursday. “Thank you for your prayers.”
Joseph, 31, was arrested on March 18 for lewd and lascivious behavior after allegedly molesting a 9-year-old child in Florida in 2020. The victim, now 14, told police that the Counting On alum “eventually apologized for his actions” at the time and “the incidents stopped.”
News broke two days later that Joseph, who is currently awaiting extradition to Florida, is facing four additional counts of endangering the welfare of a minor, second degree, and four counts of second degree false imprisonment. Joseph’s wife, Kendra Duggar, was also arrested for the same charges and released on bond that same day.
Kendra, 27, and Joseph have been married since 2018 and share four children. A spokesperson for the Duggar family told Us Weekly that Kendra’s arrest was “totally unrelated” to her husband’s case in Florida.
A separate source, meanwhile, explained that the child endangerment allegations were “precipitated” by Joseph’s arrest.
“After his charge, they automatically do a home study if minors live there. They came to her house,” the insider told Us. “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.”
Joseph is one of Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar’s 19 children. Many of his other siblings have spoken out since news broke of his alleged crimes.
“It’s been one of those weeks that feels like years. And I did not think my heart could break like it has this week,” Jinger Duggar said on the Wednesday, March 25, episode of her and husband Jeremy Vuolo’s podcast. “The pain and heartbreak that we’ve had over this and just thinking of how it’s affected so many, yeah, it’s just unthinkable. So hard and painful on many levels.”
Jill Duggar, for her part, noted in a separate statement that she and husband Derick Dillard “strongly condemn abuse.”
“We support the rule of law and hope that justice will be achieved. Our hearts go out to the innocent juvenile victim of this unspeakable crime and her family,” Jill, 34, wrote via her family’s blog. “We pray God gives her strength, comfort and hope, and that she is able to get all the help and support she needs and deserves in the days ahead.”
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.
