Amy Duggar tearfully responded to the news of her cousin Joseph Duggar’s wife Kendra’s arrest on Friday.
“I don’t know what’s going on, and our local news is saying that there’s more and there’s been someone else who’s been arrested,” a visibly emotional Amy, 39, told her followers in a video shared via her Instagram Stories.
“I don’t know, I just thought everyone should know there’s more to this story. I don’t know what it is though.”
Hours later, Amy followed up her post with a picture of a black screen to her Stories. She neglected to provide any further explanation.
Kendra was arrested on Friday in Arkansas, days after her husband was arrested for allegedly molesting a 9-year-old girl in Florida.
The pair were both hit with four second degree counts of endangering the welfare of a minor, and four second degree counts of false imprisonment.
Kendra was taken to the Washington County Jail, where Joseph is currently being held. However, the mother of four was released from custody hours after the arrest.
In Florida, Joseph is also being charged with lewd and lascivious behavior involving a victim younger than the age of 12 and lewd and lascivious behavior conducted by a person 18 or older.
Police previously confirmed that the Arkansas charges are unrelated to Joseph’s Florida case.
In response to Joseph’s arrest, Amy previously told People in a statement that she was “sickened” and “deeply angry” about the situation.
“My first thoughts are with the victim, a child who deserved to be safe, protected and surrounded by people she could trust,” she said in the statement.
“The courage it took for her to come forward, especially after years of carrying something so heavy, cannot be overstated. That bravery deserves to be honored above all else.”
She added that she’s “not surprised that another alleged predator has emerged from this toxic system.”
Joseph’s brother, Josh — who is currently serving a 12-year prison sentence for receiving and possessing child sexual abuse material in 2021 — called the allegations “false” on Thursday as he responded to the news of Joseph’s arrest.
Their sister Jill Duggar and her husband, Derick Dillard, said they were “shocked” by Joseph’s arrest in a Thursday blog post, but emphasized they support the victim and “strongly condemn abuse.”
If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call the Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-330-0226.
