Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar break silence on son Joseph's arrest

Melina Khan, USA TODAYTue, March 31, 2026 at 1:04 PM UTC

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Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar have broken their silence after their son Joseph Duggar was arrested and accused of molesting a child.

A spokesperson for the former stars of TLC's "19 Kids and Counting" told USA TODAY in a statement that "Jim Bob and Michelle are heartbroken over this entire situation."

"Right now, they are focused on loving their family and helping Kendra and her children during this difficult time. They are praying for the victim," the statement continued. "They ask for privacy and appreciate the kind words and prayers offered by so many."

Here's what to know.

Joseph and Kendra Duggar arrested, charged

On March 17, Joseph Duggar, 31, was arrested and charged with lewd and lascivious behavior after being accused of molesting a 9-year-old girl in Panama City Beach, Florida, in 2020, the Bay County Sheriff's Office announced.

Days later, police in Arkansas also separately arrested Joseph Duggar's wife Kendra Duggar, 27, on child endangerment charges. Both Joseph and Kendra Duggar have been charged with four counts of endangering the welfare of a child and four counts of false imprisonment in Arkansas, the Tontitown Police Department announced March 20.

1 / 0See the Duggars, the polarizing family of TLC's '19 Kids and Counting'

Reality fans know the Duggars from their TLC show, "19 Kids and Counting," but the large conservative family has been thrust into further public spotlight with news that the seventh oldest of 19 siblings, Joseph Garrett Duggar, has been arrested and accused of molesting a child, authorities said in March 2026. The news comes nearly a decade after the oldest Duggar son, Josh, admitted to having molested five girls when he was a teenager. See their family's journey in photos. Michelle Duggar of Springdale, Arkansas, holds the newest addition to their family, their 16th child, Johannah Faith, while husband Jim Bob and their children look on, Oct. 11, 2005, at St. Mary's Hospital in Rogers, Arkansas. Johannah, one of 16 children who all have names beginning with the letter "J," was born at around 2 a.m.

Who are the Duggars?

Joseph, the seventh-eldest Duggar child, and Kendra, whose maiden name is Caldwell, have been married since 2017. They have three children together.

The Duggar family's ultra-conservative Christian lifestyle in rural Arkansas was the subject of the hit TLC series, which ran for seven years. It was canceled in 2015 after news broke that the oldest sibling, Josh Duggar, had molested four of his sisters and a babysitter when he was a teen.

Josh Duggar is currently serving a more than 12-year prison sentence for downloading and possessing child pornography in a separate case.

Duggar family controversies: Joseph Duggar's arrest is not family's first

Family members speak out after Joseph, Kendra Duggar arrests

Several members of the Duggar family spoke out about Joseph and Kendra Duggar's arrests prior to Jim Bob and Michelle's statement.

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Michelle and Jim Bob Duggar of "19 Kids and Counting" speak at the Values Voter Summit on Sept. 17, 2010 in Washington, DC.

Jill Duggar Dillard, the fourth eldest in the family, and her husband Derick Dillard issued a statement on their blog on March 19.

"We first learned of anything related to his charges yesterday via a text from a friend who messaged us about the recent media reports of Joseph's arrest and his alleged confession to molesting a juvenile female in 2020," the Dillard family wrote. "We are shocked and heartbroken."

Jinger Duggar Vuolo, who is just over a year older than Joseph, addressed her brother's arrest during a March 25 episode of her podcast "Jinger & Jeremy."

"I did not think my heart could break like it has this week," she said. "The pain and heartbreak that we've had over this and just thinking of how it's affected so many — yeah, it's just unthinkable. It's so hard and painful on many levels."

Another sister, Joy-Anna Duggar Forsyth, called the allegations against her brother "heartbreaking and deeply disturbing" in a March 26 Instagram story, E News and Entertainment Weekly reported.

She added, "My heart is with the victim, and I am grieved by the pain and harm caused. I have been a wreck this week and am taking time to process."

Jason Duggar, one of Joseph's younger brothers, and his wife Maddie published a statement on Instagram on March 26, saying they are "shocked, confused, and grieved."

"Our hearts are burdened because a child's life has been turned upside down due to evil actions of someone who should have never hurt the vulnerable. This is something unthinkable," they wrote.

Contributing: Anna Kaufman, Anthony Robledo, and Taijuan Moorman, USA TODAY

Melina Khan is a national trending reporter for USA TODAY. She can be reached at melina.khan@usatoday.com.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar speak after Joseph, Kendra Duggar arrests

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