The members of the Duggar family continue to speak out following Joseph Duggar‘s shocking molestation of a minor.
The latest to address the topic is Joseph’s immediate older sister, Jinger Duggar. She reacted to the heartbreaking incident alongside her husband, Jeremy Vuolo.
Jinger and Joseph Duggar are part of the massive Duggar clan headed by Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar. The couple welcomed 19 kids, sparking the reality TV series, “19 Kids and Counting,” and a spin-off show, “Counting On.”
Joseph Duggar’s Older Sister Saddened By His Ties To The Molestation Of Minors
Jinger and her husband, Jeremy, dropped a 7-minute episode detailing their reactions to Joseph’s scandal on their podcast. The episode titled “Addressing My Brother’s Arrest” dropped on Wednesday, March 25.
Jinger could not hide her sadness, explaining that it had been “a really difficult week” for her and Jeremy after Joseph and his wife, Kendra, were arrested just days apart. Naturally, Joseph’s crimes weighed heavily on her mind, particularly due to a past incident.
Jinger recalled that the molestation of minors had previously occurred in her family when her older brother Josh Duggar was accused of molesting minors, including two of her sisters. “You can’t be prepared for news like this, even though we’ve experienced something very similar before,” she said.
Jinger Duggar Says ‘Unthinkable Choices’ Impacted Their Family
Although Jinger did not mention Josh by name, she noted that one of her siblings had “made unthinkable choices and decisions that have affected all of us.” She explained that the heartache of the past did not make Joseph’s actions easier to swallow.
“The pain and hurt that’s caused to us … is just so hard. It’s hard to know what to do sometimes, moving forward. You just feel the weight of it,” Jinger added of her family’s dark past. She and her husband, Jeremy, stressed that their hearts had been shattered by the news “on many levels.”
The couple emphasized that they were not only hurting for themselves but for the young victim. “Where do we go from here? We are praying for the victim. We are praying for all of those affected,” Jeremy said. Their podcast episode followed the reactions of other Duggar siblings.
Jill And Jessa Duggar Condemn Their Younger Brother’s Actions
The Blast covered the reactions of the older Duggar daughters, Jill and Jessa Duggar, who were also the minors molested by their brother Josh. Jill was the first to break her silence, dropping a statement on her family blog.
Jill stressed that she and her husband, Derick Dillard, were appalled by Joseph’s crimes because they “strongly condemn abuse.” They supported the victim and hoped justice would be served, implying that they did not want leniency for Joseph.
Jessa echoed similar sentiments in a joint statement with her husband, Ben Seewald. The since-deleted message on her Instagram Story covered the couple’s shock at Joseph’s actions, which they dubbed “deeply grievous to God,” and their support of the victim.
Joseph Duggar And His Wife Were Arrested On Separate Charges
In their respective statements, Jill and Jessa noted that their hearts were with Joseph’s wife, Kendra, and their children. The Blast shared that the couple was arrested days apart, with Joseph getting booked on March 18 and Kendra on March 20.
Many wondered if Kendra was connected to her husband’s molestation crimes, but sources confirmed otherwise. A source close to the investigation explained that Kendra and Joseph were each slammed with four counts of endangering the welfare of a minor and four counts of false imprisonment.
The case was set in Arkansas and unrelated to Joseph’s molestation case in Florida. A spokesperson for the Duggar family shared the same narrative, noting that Kendra’s arrest had nothing to do with her husband’s case. A source close to the family added that her charges stemmed from a home investigation.
Kendra Duggar Looked Calm And Collected During Her Booking Process
According to the source, the couple was booked on child endangerment and false imprisonment charges in Arkansas because of the exterior locks on their doors. The discovery appeared to be linked to the Duggar family’s dark past.
In 2015, the Duggar children revealed that their parents had installed locks on their bedroom doors following Josh’s molestation of his sisters. PEOPLE obtained a video of Kendra’s booking process, capturing her looking calm and collected.
Kendra arrived at the Washington County Detention Center in Arkansas around 5 p.m. on March 20 wearing a loose shirt and jeans. She did not appear to be wearing any jewelry, including her wedding ring, and was processed in less than four minutes. Kendra reportedly regained her freedom less than 90 minutes later.
Joseph Duggar remains behind bars after being accused of molesting a 9-year-old in 2020.