Joseph Duggar's Aunt Begs his wife Kendra to Divorce Reality Star amid Molestation Scandal — 'She Needs a New Life'
Kendra Duggar has been encouraged to divorce her scandal-hit husband Joseph by his own aunt, Deanna Duggar.
March 31 2026, Published 9:09 a.m. ET
Kendra Duggar has been urged to dump husband Joseph by own aunt following his child molestation scandal.
RadarOnline.com can reveal Deanna Duggar — who is family patriarch Jim Bob Duggar's sister — says Kendra needs "a new life" and the only way this can be achieved is splitting from Joseph.
'I Think Kendra Should Divorce Him'
Deanna Duggar has told Kendra to divorce husband Joseph.
Deanna said: "The way I feel about it is, I think Kendra should divorce him.
"She needs a new life. The best thing to do would be to divorce him and go on with her life."
Kendra — who married Joseph in 2017 and shares four children with him — was charged with four second-degree counts of endangering the welfare of a minor and four second-degree counts of false imprisonment on March 20. Joseph was hit with the same charges.
Deanna continued: "I don’t know what the charges are going to be for Kendra.
"I don’t know, we're all waiting to see.
"While my heart goes out to her, I know there has been some wrong decisions.
"My prayers are for the victims. For Kendra, for Joseph, for the whole family, wake up and repent of their pride, their feeling of the world is against them, get things right in their family…"
'I Couldn't Believe It Was Joseph'
Deanna still can't believe her nephew has become embroiled in scandal.
Deanna and her daughter Amy King — who made numorous appearances on 19 Kids and Counting — have been estranged from the Duggar family for years because of their extreme religious beliefs and controversies.
One controversy includes Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar's oldest son, Josh, currently serving a 151-month prison sentence on child pornography charges. His arrest resulted in the cancellation of TLC's 19 Kids and Counting and Counting On.
Josh has proclaimed his innocence despite the guilty verdict after a two-week jury trial.
Speaking about Joseph’s arrest, Deanna told PageSix: "I went into shock. I couldn't believe it was Joseph. This is so horrible to hear this again in the family."
Deanna noted that she keeps wondering "what is really going on" behind closed doors.
'This Travesty Is Beyond Me'
Joseph, pictured here after beinf arrested, could be sentenced to life in prison.
Never Miss an
Daily updates from the heart of Hollywood, right to your inbox
By entering your email and clicking Sign Up, you’re agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners. You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
She added: "I am like everyone else watching the news and going, 'How can this happen again?' I want people to know I am so burdened in my heart for the victims.
"That sweet innocent girl who didn’t deserve this at all. It’s awful and horrendous. I am so baffled by everything that has happened. I have been walking around for days in shock. I pray justice is served. This travesty is beyond me."
Deanna said she remembers her nephew as "always so loving and kind."
"He was a joy to be around. I loved Joseph so much," she recalled, revealing a “piece of (her) heart is missing" amid all the news.
"I never dreamed in a million of years this would happen. I pray authorities get to the bottom of it."
Michelle and Jim Bob Duggar broke their silence on son's arrest on Monday.
Deanna is also praying Joseph "gets help" through "rehabilitation."
Joseph was arrested on March 18 for allegedly molesting a nine-year-old girl.
He was charged with lewd and lascivious behavior involving a victim younger than the age of 12 and lewd and lascivious behavior conducted by a person 18 or older.
Jim Bob and Michelle broke their silence on Joseph’s arrest in a statement on Monday, saying they are "heartbroken" over the entire situation.
"Right now, they are focused on loving their family and helping Kendra and her children during this difficult time," the statement read in part. “They ask for privacy and appreciate the kind words and prayers offered by so many."
