Inside Joseph & Kendra Duggar’s Marriage Before Arrests

by

Until a month ago, Joseph Duggarwas mainly known as one of the 19 Kids and Countingbunch.

Similar to many of his ten siblings, Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar’s seventh child has started his own family. He and his wife, Kendra Duggar, generally kept a low profile on social media, sharing glimpses of their life together—like date nights and trips—as they quickly grew their family to four children in five years.

Similar to his brother, Josh Duggar, who is currently in prison for possessing child pornography, Joseph is now facing a sex crime accusation. This has drastically changed life for him and his wife, Kendra.

The 31-year-old man entered a not guilty plea on March 31st regarding allegations of molesting a 9-year-old girl during a 2020 vacation in Panama City Beach, Florida. He and his wife, Kendra, 27, are also facing charges in Arkansas of endangering a child and unlawfully restricting a minor’s freedom.

Joseph and his partner have been reunited after he spent two weeks in jail while being transferred to Florida. They are now together as they wait to find out what happens next.

“We’ll get through this, one day at a time,” Kendra, 27, told her husband during a jail call on March 23rd. She explained that thinking about everything at once was overwhelming, so they were focusing on just getting through each day, and even each moment, as it came.

Faith has always been central to Kendra and Joseph’s journey, and honestly, it’s what brought them together! They met as children at her family’s church, and it’s been a core part of their lives ever since. It’s so inspiring to see how deeply their beliefs guide them.

They had been friends for five years, and their friendship had deepened over the previous six months. In March 2017, he asked her to start dating him.

Joseph asked Kendra to join him at a car auction, hoping to spend time with her without raising her suspicions. He’d already gotten her father’s blessing to start dating her and didn’t want her to realize he was planning something special.

He explained on a September 2017 episode of Counting On that after the auction, he planned to take her to the house where he was born and ask her to begin a courtship. He felt it would be meaningful to show her where his life began as they started a new chapter together.

He was understandably quite nervous, but he showed his commitment by bringing a silver ring engraved with both of their names, demonstrating he’d given it a lot of thought.

Kendra looked truly surprised, noting as she accepted Joseph’s ring, “It means we can hug.”

By the time the show aired on TLC, Joseph had already proposed to Kendra – with her permission – at his sister Joy Anna Duggar’s wedding to Austin Forsyth in May 2017. In fact, they had secretly gotten married before the wedding even took place.

Joseph, then 23, described getting married on September 8th at First Baptist Church in Siloam Springs, Arkansas, as “an amazing feeling.”

He told People magazine that having a wife and raising a family centered around his faith has always been a lifelong dream. He and his wife are thrilled to see what the future holds for them, trusting in God’s plan.

They started growing their family tree right away, welcoming son Garrett in June 2018.

On their second wedding anniversary, Kendra shared a heartfelt message for Joseph: “The better I get to know you, the more deeply I fall in love. I especially love your kindness and patience.”

I’ve been following her journey for a while now, and it’s been so lovely to watch her family grow. She was pregnant with their first daughter, Addison, who arrived in November – such a sweet little girl! Then, in February 2021, they welcomed another daughter, Brooklyn, and just last year, in 2022, their son, Justus, joined the family. It’s wonderful seeing all her kids!

The couple hasn’t shared anything on their family-focused Instagram account since November 2021, when they celebrated their daughter Addison’s second birthday.

A jail call recording from March 25th, obtained by TopMob News, revealed Joseph discussing Kendra’s past health problems. Kendra described her current condition as a “miracle,” especially as they prepared to rent out their home. She asked Joseph to pray for her, explaining she’d been feeling extremely tired for the past two days.

Josh Duggar’s wife, Anna, who has seven children with him while he’s in prison, emailed Joseph on March 21st saying she’d talked to Kendra and that Kendra seemed to be doing well.

Except for, Anna continued, “when she talked about it being a month before she can see the kids.”

And Kendra has been funneling her energy into reuniting with them.

She told her husband, when he called from jail on March 24th, that watching Joseph get arrested was incredibly difficult, but her own arrest that same day was even harder.

It really struck me when Kendra said it – those babies weren’t just children to her, they were her future, everything she was planning to dedicate her life to. Taking them away felt like taking her whole self, her whole purpose.

During a conversation, Kendra explained that no matter what happened, her priority was clear. She’d focus on that first, and then figure things out as they went, trying to make sense of everything else later.

Joseph was released from the Bay County Jail in Panama City on March 31st after posting a $600,000 bond, and quickly reunited with Kendra in Arkansas, his lawyer told People magazine on April 3rd.

Kendra’s parents, Paul and Christina Caldwell, have publicly supported the person who has accused Joseph, and have also shared their love for their daughter and grandchildren.

Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar, Joseph’s parents, were deeply saddened by everything that happened, according to a spokesperson for the family. They are concentrating on supporting Kendra and their grandchildren through this challenging period.

In a phone call on March 26th, Kendra reassured her husband that their families still cared for him, despite any disappointment they might feel.

Read on for everything the Duggar family has said about Joseph’s arrest:

Joseph Duggar‘s parents broke their silence in a statement on March 30.

A representative for the Duggar family shared with Us Weekly that Jim Bob and Michelle are deeply saddened by everything that’s happening. Their priority right now is supporting their family and helping Kendra and her children through this challenging period.

I was really touched to hear from their spokesperson that they’re keeping the victim in their thoughts and prayers. They’ve asked for some space right now, which I completely understand, and they’re so grateful for all the support and kind messages everyone has been sending.

On March 19th, we were surprised and deeply saddened to hear about the arrest of Jill’s brother, Joseph Duggar. We found out through a friend who sent us a text message about news reports claiming he confessed to harming a young girl in 2020. We are still in shock and heartbroken by this news.

Derick and Jill, who publicly shared their experiences with the family in the 2023 book Counting the Cost, stated they firmly denounce abuse.

Josh is deeply aware of the harm that false accusations can cause, his lawyer explained to the Daily Mail on March 20th. He personally understands how such accusations can ruin someone’s life and how someone can be unfairly targeted for public attention, leading to distorted and exaggerated stories.

The attorney stated that Josh, who is currently in prison for 12 years for possessing child pornography, doesn’t communicate often with his brother, Joseph. He added that Josh hopes for his brother’s health and happiness during this challenging period.

Jana and her husband shared on Instagram that they were devastated to learn about the situation involving her brother, Joseph. They said the news was completely unexpected and they hadn’t known anything about it before it became public.

We are deeply saddened by the harm done to this child, and we condemn this unacceptable act. Our thoughts are with the victim and their family, and we hope justice will be served.

The couple, married earlier this year, expressed their outrage at the actions of Joseph, his brother, calling them shocking and unacceptable.

Jason and Maddie shared a statement on Instagram on March 26th, saying they were deeply shocked, confused, and saddened by recent news. While they were personally affected, their main concern was for the child whose life had been devastated by someone who abused their trust. They expressed disgust at the news regarding Jason’s brother, but emphasized that their focus was on the harm done to the vulnerable child.

Maddie and I have always cared deeply about protecting those who are vulnerable, and that will never change,” their message continued. “The idea that someone would use their power to harass others is truly disgusting.

The community requested prayers for the victim, described as courageous, and for Joseph’s family. They noted the heartbreaking impact on his children, who will grow up without the guidance of a father who should have been a strong spiritual influence in their lives.

Joy-Anna shared on Instagram on March 26th that she was devastated by the recent news about her brother. She expressed her sympathy for the victim and said she’s been deeply upset and taking time to cope with the situation.

She added, “I will be taking some much-needed time with my family.”

On the March 25th episode of The Jinger & Jeremy Podcast, Jeremy shared that they had a challenging week as they worked through and prayed about something, which impacted the podcast.

Jinger, who relocated to Los Angeles with Jeremy in 2019, shared that she was deeply heartbroken this week. She described the pain and sadness as unimaginable, and expressed how much it had affected many people. She said it was a very difficult and painful experience on multiple levels.

“It’s incredibly difficult,” she said. “In times like these, all you can do is pray for strength and support, because you can’t possibly be ready for news like this.”

In a statement to People magazine on March 20, Joseph’s cousin expressed feeling devastated, heartbroken, and furious. Their primary concern was for the young victim, who should have been safe, cared for, and surrounded by trustworthy people.

Amy explained she was “utterly shocked to hear about these allegations and Joseph’s arrest.”

As someone who’s dedicated my life to advocating for what’s right, I’ve always believed in speaking up for truth and responsibility, particularly when it comes to protecting children. And honestly, it hasn’t always been easy – I’ve even had to stand up to my own family at times. Because here’s what I’ve learned: family relationships shouldn’t automatically mean you trust someone blindly, especially when a child’s safety is involved. Protecting kids always comes first.

Read More

2026-04-19 10:18