Kendra Duggar and her husband, Joseph Duggar, known for TLC's "19 Kids and Counting," are both facing charges in Arkansas, where she told him she had hired a lawyer "not for you."
"I've been talking to Travis," Kendra Duggar said in a recorded jail call published by People. "I've got him as my attorney right now."
She later clarified, "Well, it's not for you, it's only for me," adding that others had told her she "needed somebody for the case that we've got going with the kids and stuff."
The attorney she referenced, Travis Story, previously represented Joseph Duggar's brother, Josh Duggar, in his 2021 child pornography trial, E! News reported.
Kendra Duggar was released from an Arkansas prison March 20 after being charged with endangering the welfare of a minor and false imprisonment.
Joseph Duggar faces the same misdemeanor charges in Arkansas, along with a separate Florida charge of lewd and lascivious behavior involving unlawful sexual activity with a minor tied to an alleged 2020 incident involving a 9-year-old girl.
Joseph Duggar appeared to accept his wife's update without much reaction.
He told Kendra he "wasn't sure who we settled with, but this guy's good," before replying, "OK," after she clarified the attorney was not representing him.
The couple, married for eight years and parents of four children, also discussed Joseph Duggar's detention conditions during the call. He said he was being held in solitary confinement.
"I'm in the cell 23 hours of the day. It's like an 8-by-10 area," Joseph Duggar said in another recording published by People. "I've been able to read a lot actually and resting some, but I'm not sleeping great through the night."
He added that he was "spending a lot of time reading the Bible."
Joseph Duggar was arrested in Arkansas on March 18, two days before Kendra Duggar's arrest. He had been awaiting extradition to Florida, but as of March 27, the Washington County Sheriff's Office said he was no longer in its custody.
Joseph Duggar's parents, Jim Bob Duggar and Michelle Duggar, said they were "heartbroken" over the allegations.
"Right now, they are focused on loving their family and helping Kendra and her children during this difficult time," a family spokesperson told Us Weekly on March 30. "They are praying for the victim. They ask for privacy and appreciate the kind words and prayers offered by so many."
The victim described an alleged pattern of abuse during a forensic interview, Florida police said.
"The victim reported Duggar repeatedly asked her to sit on his lap," Bay County, Florida, police said in a statement. "As the vacation continued, he also asked her to sit next to him on a couch and covered them with a blanket. During this time, Duggar manipulated the victim's underwear and grazed her genitals. Duggar would also continue to rub his hands on her thighs."
According to Bay County police, Joseph Duggar "eventually apologized for his actions" and that "the incidents stopped after the apology."
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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