Mar 21, 2026
3 min read
Kendra Duggar, the wife of "19 Kids and Counting" star Joseph Garrett Duggar, has filed charges against her husband after he was arrested in Arkansas.
Joseph Duggar's wife, Kendra, was also charged after the "19 Kids" alum's arrest.
The wife of "19 Kids and Counting" star Joseph Garrett Duggar will be sued with her husband after he was arrested in Arkansas and charged with child abuse in Florida.
Joseph Duggar, 31, and Kendra Duggar, 27, are charged with four counts of child endangerment and four counts of false imprisonment in Arkansas, the Tontitown Police Department announced on Friday, March 20.
Police have issued an arrest warrant for Kidra as Joseph remains without bail at the Washington County Detention Center in Fayetteville, Arkansas, but is expected to be extradited to Florida to face charges there.
The former reality star, who was the seventh-leading 19-year-old on the TLC series, was arrested on Wednesday, March 18 and charged with lewd and lascivious conduct including sexual activity with a 14-year-old victim who was nine years old at the time of the alleged incident, according to the Bay County Sheriff's Office in Florida.
USA TODAY could not locate an attorney representing Joseph or Kendra Duggar by press time, and has contacted the Duggar family and the Washington County Sheriff's Office for comment.
What is Joseph Duggar accused of Florida?
During a forensic interview, the child revealed several moments involving Joseph Duggar during the family's 2020 vacation to Panama City Beach, the sheriff's office said.
In one case, he told the child to sit on his lap and in another case manipulated the child's underwear and tore his genitals on the bed and under the blanket.The boy said he received an apology from Joseph and no further incidents occurred, according to the sheriff's office.
According to the sheriff, the child's father spoke with Duggar about the matter on March 17, and the TV personality confessed his actions to law enforcement in Tontitown, and Duggar was recently arrested by local police.
In 2015, 19 Kids and Counting was canceled after it was revealed that Josh, who is the oldest brother, abused his four sisters and a nanny when he was a teenager.He admitted to cheating on his wife and issued a public apology in 2015.
Jill Duggar reacts to her brother's arrest
Jill Duggar Dillard discussed her brother Joseph Duggar's arrest in an old blog, saying the family was "shocked and devastated."
"We strongly condemn this abuse," the blog continued."We support the law and hope that justice will be served. Our hearts go out to the innocent child victim of this unexpected crime and her family. We pray that God will give 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."
The family also shared words about Duggar's wife, Kendra, and their four children."We love our sister, Kendra, and our four nieces and nephews and pray that they feel loved and supported at this time, as we cannot imagine the pain they are going through as they process and grieve," they wrote, followed by Bible verses from Isaiah 1:17 and Psalms.Verse 34:18.
Joseph Duggar's brother Joseph Duggar was previously convicted of possessing child pornography
Joseph Duggar's arrest comes years after his older brother, Josh Duggar, was arrested for child pornography in 2021. He was convicted later that year and, in 2022, was sentenced to more than 12 years in prison.
In the same year, TLC aired a spinoff series called "Counting On", centered on two Duggar sisters, but it was also canceled after Josh's arrest in 2021 after 11 seasons.
In 2023, a four-part limited documentary called "Happy People Leg Happy People: Duggar Family Secrets" was revealed about the nefarious family, including parents Jim Bob Duggar and Michelle Duggar who joined the "cult" known as the Basic Life Principles Institute with the young couple.
Jill Duggar Dillard, who was one of Josh's victims, said she felt an obligation to defend her brother Josh against sexual assault allegations.In 2020, she revealed that there was a "distance" between her and her family, saying that they were "not on the best of terms" amid "disagreements", but that they were "working towards a certain healing and recovery."
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, RAINN's National Sexual Assault Hotline offers free, confidential, 24/7 support in English and Spanish by chat and at 800-656-4673.
Current Status: Melina Khan, USA Today
