In a prison phone call, Joseph Duggar‘s wife, Kendra Duggar, revealed what his family thinks of his recent arrest.
“Just know that everybody loves you, even if they’re disappointed,” Kendra, 27, said in a conversation from Thursday, March 26, later released by TMZ.
Joseph, 31, acknowledged that he understood the “disappointment,” but he “absolutely” feels the love of his family.
“I’m not upset or anything like that,” he added as Kendra expressed that they have to take the situation one day at a time. “Yeah, that’s what we have to do.”
What to Know About Joseph Duggar’s Wife Kendra’s Arrest for Child Engagement
According to Page Six, Kendra’s phone number appeared in Joseph’s call log every day — sometimes twice a day. The former reality star, who shares four children with Kendra, was arrested in Arkansas earlier this month on charges 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.
Joseph was charged with an additional four counts of endangering the welfare of a minor in the second degree and four counts of false imprisonment in the second degree. He was extradited to Florida on Tuesday, March 31, and entered a written plea of not guilty. He also requested a jury trial.
“He’s asking to be treated as fairly as anyone else, regardless of his status in the television industry,” his lawyer said during an arraignment in Bay County, Florida, on Tuesday.
Duggar’s lawyer noted that the family is “asking for the most reasonable bond,” adding, “He has no criminal history whatsoever.”
A Guide to Joseph Duggar’s Family With Wife Kendra After His Arrest
The State Attorney’s Office prosecutor, meanwhile, argued that the allegations are “a serious charge [from] the child.”
“We ask there be a no-contact [policy] in place with the victim, as well as no contact with any minors,” the prosecutor said. “While he doesn’t have a criminal history and no ties to the community … he was on vacation and stayed here a short period of time. … We ask for a substantial bond.”
The judge ordered that Joseph have “no contact with the alleged victim” and “no unsupervised contact with any minors under the age of 18.” His bond was set at $600,000 and he has since been released from custody.
Kendra, meanwhile, was arrested on the same charges of endangering the welfare of a minor on March 20 and subsequently released on a $1,470 bond.
A source exclusively told Us Weekly that Kendra’s arrest had “nothing to do” with her husband’s case in Florida.
“After his charge, they automatically do a home study if minors live there,” the source shared. “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.”
