Kendra Duggar warned husband Joseph Duggar to be careful about what information he shares amid his ongoing child molestation case.
“Just stay focused,” Kendra said in a March call to Joseph, according to a recording obtained by People on Tuesday, April 14. “We got a lot of moving parts right now, lean in to the people you can, and then, you know, don’t, don’t go outside that circle.”
Kendra advised Joseph to only speak to someone named Travis “in this situation.” (Kendra was seemingly referring to Travis Story, the Duggar family’s longtime lawyer currently representing Kendra — not her husband — in the couple’s Arkansas child welfare case.)
“I don’t know what’s happening, but what I will say is just don’t trust anyone,” Kendra said. “If there’s anything I’ve learned from this, do not trust anyone, that’s all I can say.”
Kendra added that she also planned on following her own advice.
“I’m boarding up my walls,” she explained, adding that they both should be cautious “even if someone is nice.”
Last month, Joseph was arrested in Arkansas after he was accused of sexually abusing a 14-year-old girl, who was 9 years old at the time of the alleged incident, during a family vacation in Florida. The victim told police that Joseph “eventually apologized for his actions” and “the incidents stopped” following the apology.
The Counting On alum was charged with lewd and lascivious behavior involving molestation of a victim less than 12 years old and lewd and lascivious behavior conducted by a person 18 years or older. Joseph pleaded not guilty after being extradited to Florida. He was released after posting $600,000 bail.
One day after Joseph’s arrest, both he and Kendra were charged with four counts of endangering the welfare of a minor and four counts of false imprisonment. Kendra was arrested and released on a bond the same day. A spokesperson for the Duggar family told Us Weekly that the charges are unrelated to Joseph’s molestation allegations.
Kendra and her husband spoke frequently while he was behind bars. In multiple recorded conversations, they discussed finances amid their legal woes, as well as the possibility of selling various personal belongings to obtain funds for their legal costs. Kendra also put up their home for rent to earn extra cash.
To help with displacement costs, Kendra’s father organized a GoFundMe.
Kendra has also been candid about the struggles she’s facing during this difficult time for their family.
“At one moment I could be fine, and the next minute I could be, you know, absolutely beside myself. I didn’t know what to do or what to say or what to talk about,” she said in an additional call to Joseph. “I was kind of just spiraling downhill and thankfully [your mom, Michelle Duggar] brought food up to me and stopped me and prayed with me and stuff.”
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673). If you or someone you know is experiencing child abuse, call or text Child Help Hotline at 1-800-422-4453.
