Amy Duggar King has thanked fans on behalf of her family following the arrests of her cousin Joseph Duggar and his wife, Kendra Duggar.
The 19 Kids and Counting alum, 39, shared a message from the “God Lady Talk” Instagram account on Friday, March 27, which read, “Surround yourself with people who pray for you behind your back.”
Amy added a personal message, writing, “Thank you all for your prayers, for me and my cousins. Messages are just flooding in from the sweetest people.”
Joseph, 31, was arrested last week 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. A 14-year-old girl came forward with accusations that Joseph molested her when they were on vacation in Panama City Beach, Florida, when she was 9 years old in 2020.
Amy Duggar ‘Angry’ Over Joseph’s Arrest, Calls Out ‘Toxic’ Family System
On the heels of Joseph’s detainment, his wife, Kendra, 27, was arrested in Arkansas for allegedly endangering the welfare of a minor, second degree, and four counts of second degree false imprisonment. Joseph is also facing the same charges. (A source told Us Weekly that the child endangerment charges are completely separate from Joseph’s molestation case.)
Amy has been the most vocal member of the Duggar family in the wake of her cousin and his wife’s arrest, having originally voiced support for Kendra.
“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 March 19. “I’m praying for eyes to be opened and above all, I pray that justice will be served to the fullest.”
However, Amy backed away from her support of Kendra following the latter’s child endangerment arrest.
“I think that was a plot twist that no one saw coming,” Amy told TMZ on Saturday, March 21. “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.”
She went on, “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 has since revealed that she hasn’t “seen or heard from” Joseph in around five years, adding that she also has “no idea where [Joseph and Kendra’s] kids are.” (Joseph and Kendra share four children: sons Garrett, 7, and Justus, 3, and daughters Addison, 6, and Brooklyn, 5.)
“I just hope and pray they are being well taken care of and someone is holding them tight and that they are safe,” Amy wrote via her Instagram Story on Monday, March 23. “Sadly, I’ve never met them, they do not know me. So l’d be a stranger to them. And right now, they probably need someone they actually know.”
Joseph is currently in custody in Arkansas awaiting extradition to Florida to face molestation charges. Kendra was released from custody on March 20 after paying a $1,470 bond.
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).
