Joseph Duggar‘s sister is saddened by his arrest scandal.
Joy-Anna Duggar opened up about adjusting to the new normal after details of his arrest came to light. Through it all, she found that taking each day step by step, whilst leaning on her faith, has been her scheme for self-support.
Joseph Duggar was arrested in March for lewd and lascivious behavior after allegedly molesting a 9-year-old child in Florida in 2020. He is currently facing other charges of endangering the welfare of a minor and false imprisonment, all of which he pleaded not guilty.
Joseph Dugger’s Sister Is Having A Hard Time Coping With His Arrest
Joy-Anna Duggar aired her feelings about her brother’s arrest scandal, describing it as the hardest time she’s ever gone through. She opened up during a recent episode of her sister, Jinger Duggar’s, eponymous podcast, where she explained how she is getting through the difficult phase.
“I think we’re all grieving in different ways, but I think it just feels so heavy,” she said before adding, “I definitely think as time goes on, certain things have gotten lighter, but I’ve really been struggling.” Continuing the conversation, Joy-Anna revealed that the good thing she got out of the whole ordeal is leaning on the Lord more.
Her faith had been her support while facing these unplanned incidents, and even though months have passed since Joseph’s arrest, it has still been hard to move forward. The ninth child of Jim and Michelle Duggar shared that she picked a cue from a song she had found a few days prior to Joseph’s arrest.
She told her sister on the podcast that because she naturally tends to question God when things go wrong, she had to learn to trust and remember the previous hard time God came through. In her words, she has been “setting up Pillars of Praise.”
Inside Joseph’s Arrest And Charges
Joseph was arrested on March 18 in Arkansas for lewd and lascivious behavior after allegedly molesting a 9-year-old child in Florida in 2020. The alleged incident took place while the family was on vacation at the time. According to the Bay County Sheriff’s office, Joseph asked the victim to sit on his lap repeatedly.
As the vacation continued, he also asked her to sit next to him on a couch and covered them with a blanket. “During this time, Duggar manipulated the victim’s underwear and grazed her genitals. Duggar would also continue to rub his hands on her thighs.”
The victim, who is now a teenager, told the police that the reality TV star “eventually apologized for his actions” at the time before “the incidents stopped.” US Weekly reported that two days after Joseph’s initial arrest, it was revealed that he was also facing other charges.
Four counts of endangering the welfare of a minor and four counts of second-degree false imprisonment. His wife, Kendra Duggar, was also arrested for the same misdemeanor charges but was released on bond within hours of the same day.
Joseph appeared in court on March 20 and waived his right to an extradition hearing and ultimately agreed to be transferred to Florida to face the charges. Following his extradition to Florida later that month, he pleaded not guilty to all charges before being released on a $600,000 bond.
How Members Of The Duggar Clan Addressed The Scandal
Many members of the Duggar family broke their silence within days and weeks of Joseph’s arrest, including his brother Josh, who is currently serving time for possession of child pornography. Josh expressed understanding for the phase his younger brother was passing through, noting that he had Joseph in his prayers.
Amy Duggar King, Joseph’s cousin, released a statement expressing that she was “utterly shocked” by the allegations against him and praised the victim for mustering up the courage to come forward after years of dealing with “something so heavy.” Amy also added that she was praying for Joseph, his wife, Kendra, and their four kids.
Jessa Duggar Seewald addressed her brother’s arrest in a statement on behalf of herself and her husband on March 20, which she later deleted. She released another statement the following month, part of which read:
“This is a profound wrong, and we know it grieves the heart of God, who cares deeply for children and the vulnerable. We are lifting her in prayer, asking for comfort, healing, and justice.”
The news site shared details of other statements released from Joseph’s parents, his sisters Joy-Anna, Jill, Jinger, and brother Jason, among others. His aunt Deanna advised Kendra to file for a divorce and walk away from the drama.
The Former Reality TV Personality Wants Unsupervised Daddy And Kids Time
Joseph and Kendra, who tied the knot in 2017, share four kids. As investigations surrounding his active child molestation case are ongoing, the father of four was barred from having any unsupervised contact with minors.
The Blast reported that he filed a petition asking the court to make changes to the no-contact order, specifically so that he could see his four biological children without supervision.
During a court appearance on May 18, 2026, the judge made no immediate decision on the motion and scheduled it for a hearing in the Bay County Circuit Court, which is currently still pending.
Before this, the former TV star’s lawyer filed a separate petition to a Florida court asking for permission to investigate some of the investigators who had contact with the 14-year-old who accused him.
They sought a subpoena that would activate a disclosure of every data collected during the first phase of the child abuse investigation.
Joseph Duggar Was Reportedly Outed By His In-laws
Christian Influencer Amy Paul analyzed the case tied to Joseph’s name, alleging that it was Kendra’s family, the Cadwells, that turned him over to the police.
She added that turning the reality TV personality over to the authorities was a tough decision that had to be made for him because “he wasn’t man enough to take responsibility for himself.”
Paul also accused the Duggars of retaliating against their daughter-in-law’s family, adding that she was “appalled at the lack of Christian charity” that was shown to the Cadwells.
As reported by The Blast, the Christian influencer also alleged that Kendra’s parents were forced out of their home, and their power and water were turned off.
When Joseph was arrested, the Cadwells released a statement expressing that they were heartbroken by the shocking news but would continue to support their daughter through the trying times.
We are devastated for the young girl, a child who was courageous in every way to share her truth. We stand by her, both in support and prayer, and forever will,” part of their statement shared on Instagram read. The Cadwells noted that they will continue to have their grandchildren and Kendra in their prayers.
Which of the Duggar clans will address Joseph Duggar’s arrest next?