Not mincing words. Amy Duggar King had a strong message for her uncle Jim Bob Duggar following the release of the Duggar docuseries Shiny Happy People.
“It all kind of boils down to this, right?” King, 36, began in a TikTok video shared on Thursday, June 8. “If you’re not going to protect those beautiful daughters from a predator that was living inside of your home and you knew about it, and you’re gonna sweep it under the rug and your mentality is kinda just to brush it off and to hide it and to lie, not only do I not respect you anymore, but I also don’t want to give you a right to get to know my child. Because I will protect my child at all costs.”
King was referring to her cousin Josh Duggar, who is the eldest son of Jim Bob, 57, and his wife, Michelle Duggar. In 2015, Josh, 35, was accused of molesting several underage girls when he was a teenager. His sisters Jill and Jessa were later identified as two of the victims. In an interview with Megyn Kelly at the time, they defended their family, saying that they had “already forgiven” their brother.
Years later, Jim Bob claimed that he couldn’t recall the details of Josh’s alleged admission that he’d touched the victims. “We were shocked this had happened but we were thankful he came on his own and told us,” the Duggar patriarch said in November 2021 while testifying on behalf of Josh, who was on trial for receiving and possessing child pornography. Josh was convicted in November 2022 and sentenced to 12.5 years in prison.
King, for her part, didn’t buy Jim Bob’s claim that he didn’t know what was happening under his roof. “Just focus on the fact [that] the abuse was hidden and then [Jim Bob] was put on the stand, and he said, ‘Oh judge, I don’t recall.’ You don’t recall your daughters’ abuse?” the former TLC star said in her TikTok. “You don’t recall that? Well, then, for me, I have to protect my son from you. Because something is not right here. A lot of screws are loose.”
The Duggar family has been back in the headlines this month after the release of Prime Video’s Shiny Happy People: Duggar Family Secrets. The four-part docuseries explores various scandals involving the Duggar family as well as the background of their religious beliefs.
Jill, 32, and King both participated in the series, which debuted on June 1. In one episode, Jill confessed that she wishes she’d handled the 2015 scandal with Josh differently. “I believe strongly that victims should always be protected. Victims should always be cared for,” the Counting the Cost author said, adding that she felt “obligated” to downplay her brother’s behavior for the sake of her family. “It’s not something I’m proud of,” she noted.
On the day of Shiny Happy People‘s release, Jim Bob and Michelle, 56, shared a joint statement slamming the show, calling it a “sad” attempt to hurt their family.
“This ‘documentary’ paints so much and so many in a derogatory and sensationalized way because sadly that’s the direction of entertainment these days,” they said. “We have always believed that the best chance to repair damaged relationships, or to reconcile differences, is through love in a private setting. We love every member of our family and will continue to do all we can to have a good relationship with each one. Through both the triumphs and the trials we have clung to our faith all the more and discovered that through the love and grace of Jesus, we find strength, comfort, and purpose.”
If you or someone you know have been sexually assaulted, contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).
