New audio of Joseph Duggar and wife Kendra Duggar shows the couple discussing her whereabouts after their arrests.
“It’s good to hear from you,” Kendra, 27, told Joseph, 31, according to a March 20 collect call he placed to her from Washington County Detention Center in Fayetteville, Arkansas, that was obtained by Entertainment Weekly.
In the audio, Kendra acknowledged that she missed Joseph’s previous call. Joseph explained that he sent her a free email, while phone calls cost him.
“I think I have 60 bucks, so I can at least use that to call,” he shared, sharing that he had $50 in his wallet when arrested. “I’m not gonna use it for anything else.”
Joseph Duggar Reveals He’s in Solitary Confinement in Call With Wife Kendra
The outlet reported that Kendra and Joseph then pivoted to talk about their children. (The couple, who tied the knot in 2017, share kids Garrett, Addison, Brooklyn and Justus.)
“Did you hear where I’m at?” she asked Joseph, with the outlet claiming that she seemed to know she was being recorded.
After hesitating, Kendra shared that “they brought me to a good place to stay that’s very private,” to which Joseph replied, “Oh, praise the Lord.”
Joseph went on to note that he was in solitary confinement for “23 hours of the day” during his stay at the Washington County Detention Center in Fayetteville. Joseph noted that the “8-by-10 area” of the facility where he’s being held is “pretty small,” but then said, “I’ve been able to read a lot actually, and resting some, but I’m not sleeping great through the night.”
News broke earlier this month that Joseph was arrested 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. The arrest came after a 14-year-old girl alleged that he molested her when they were on a 2020 vacation in Panama City Beach, Florida.
Kendra Duggar’s Arrest Video Released Amid Child Endangerment Charges
While appearing in court virtually on March 20, Joseph did not enter a plea. He also waived his right to an extradition hearing. Joseph entered a written plea of not guilty and requested a jury trial according to records viewed by Us Weekly on Sunday, March 29. Us confirmed via the Bay County Jail on Tuesday, March 31, that Joseph was in custody in Florida.
Days after Joseph’s arrest, Us confirmed that Kendra was also arrested and released that same day on a $1,470 bond. Joseph and Kendra are both facing charges of endangering the welfare of a minor and four counts of second-degree false imprisonment.
A source with knowledge of the case exclusively told Us on March 21 that Kendra’s arrest “has nothing to do with Joseph’s” molestation charge. The insider claimed that “one precipitated the other.”
“After his charge, they automatically do a home study if minors live there. They came to her house,” the source said. “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.”
A spokesperson for the Duggar family told Us in a statement, “[Kendra’s] is a misdemeanor charge totally unrelated to the Florida case.”
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.
