Joy-Anna Duggar Speaks Out After Joseph Duggar’s “Deeply Disturbing” Child Sex Abuse Allegations
The Duggar family is making their views known.
After Joseph Duggar was arrested March 18 for allegedly molesting a 9-year-old girl in 2020, several of his siblings have spoken out to publicly denounce the 31-year-old.
That includes sisters Jill Duggar Dillard and Jinger Duggar Vuolo, who’ve both stepped away from the 19 Kids and Counting family in recent years, publishing their tell-all memoirs Counting the Cost and Becoming Free Indeed, respectively.
“I did not think my heart could break like it has this week,” Jinger said on the March 25 episode of The Jinger & Jeremy Podcast. “The pain and heartbreak that we’ve had over this and just thinking of how it’s affected so many. It’s just unthinkable. It’s so hard and painful on many levels.”
As for Jill, she and husband Derick Dillard shared they were “shocked” and “heartbroken” to learn of Joseph’s arrest, noting they “strongly condemn abuse.”
“We support the rule of law and hope that justice will be achieved,” the couple wrote in a blog post March 19. “Our hearts go out to the innocent juvenile victim of this unspeakable crime and her family. 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.”
Joseph Duggar/Instagram
And it wasn’t just Joseph’s sisters who spoke out after he and wife Kendra Duggar were both charged with four counts of endangering the welfare of a minor in the second degree and four counts of false imprisonment in the second degree. (Kendra—who shares four kids with Joseph—was released from jail March 20, while he has been awaiting extradition to Florida for the case.)
His younger brother Jason Duggar, 25, also criticized him in a joint statement with wife Maddie Duggar.
“We, like many, have spent the week completely shocked, confused, and grieved to list a few emotions,” they wrote on Instagram March 26. “We are disgusted to hear the news about my brother, however, this isn’t about how it’s impacted our lives. Our hearts are burdened because a child’s life has been turned upside down due to evil actions of someone who should have never hurt the vulnerable.”
Joseph and Kendra have not spoken publicly on the arrests.
Read on to see what other Duggar family members have said about Joseph’s child molestation allegations.
Jill Duggar Dillard & Derick Dillard
“We were shocked yesterday evening to learn of Jill’s brother (Joseph Duggar’s) arrest,” the couple wrote in a blog post March 19. “We first learned of anything related to his charges yesterday via a text from a friend who messaged us about the recent media reports of Joseph’s arrest and his alleged confession to molesting a juvenile female in 2020. We are shocked and heartbroken.”
Derick and Jill—who spoke out against the family in the 2023 book Counting the Cost—said they “strongly condemn abuse.”
Jason Duggar & Maddie Duggar
The couple, who married in 2024, said they are “angered” by the “unthinkable” actions of his brother Joseph.
“We, like many, have spent the week completely shocked, confused, and grieved to list a few emotions,” Jason and Maddie said in a statement shared on Instagram March 26. “We are disgusted to hear the news about my brother, however, this isn’t about how it’s impacted our lives. Our hearts are burdened because a child’s life has been turned upside down due to evil actions of someone who should have never hurt the vulnerable.”
“Maddie and I have always had a special place in our hearts for the vulnerable around us, and we will continue to do so,” their message went on. “To fathom that someone would abuse their authority to harass the innocent is vile.”
They asked for prayers for the “brave” victim as well as Joseph’s family, saying, “His children must face the reality of losing a father that should have been a spiritual leader in their lives.”
Kris Connor/Getty Images
Josh Duggar
“Josh understands the stigma of being accused,” his attorney told the Daily Mail in a story published March 20. “He lives with the painful reality of how false accusations can destroy a life. He understands how the targeting of a person for publicity can twist the truth into sensationalized fiction.”
Noting that Josh—who is serving 12 years in prison for child pornography—is “not in frequent communication” with Joseph, the attorney said Josh “hopes and prays for his brother’s well being in this difficult time.”
Joy-Anna Duggar Forsyth
“What has come out about my brother is heartbreaking and deeply disturbing,” Joy-Anna wrote on her Instagram Stories March 26. “My heart is with the victim, and I am grieved by the pain and harm caused. I have been a wreck this week and am taking time to process.”
She added, “I will be taking some much-needed time with my family.”
Jinger Duggar Vuolo & Jeremy Vuolo
As Jeremy put it in March 25 episode of The Jinger & Jeremy Podcast, “It’s been a really difficult week for us to process and think through and pray through this with the podcast.”
As for Jinger—who moved to Los Angeles with Jeremy in 2019—she said, “I did not think my heart could break like it has this week,” adding, “The pain and heartbreak that we’ve had over this and just thinking of how it’s affected so many. It’s just unthinkable. It’s so hard and painful on many levels.”
“It’s hard,” she continued. “All we can do in those moments is cry out to God and ask him to sustain us and give help because you can’t just be prepared for news like this.”
Amy Duggar King/Instagram
Amy Duggar King
“I am sickened, heartbroken and deeply angry,” Joseph’s cousin said in a March 20 statement to People. “My first thoughts are with the victim, a child who deserved to be safe, protected and surrounded by people she could trust.”
Amy explained she was “utterly shocked to hear about these allegations and Joseph’s arrest.”
“For years, I have spoken out about the importance of truth, accountability and protecting children, even when it meant going against my own family,” she added. “Family ties should never equal automatic trust or access, especially when it comes to the safety of children.”
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