Fans of TLC’s 19 Kids and Counting and Counting On, immediately got engrossed in the news that Joseph Duggar and his wife, Kendra Duggar ended up arrested. Well, now it seems that thoughts turn to whether Kendra will dump Joe, and take the divorce route. Read on to find out more.
Red Flags Where Folks Would Draw The Line
Joseph, who faces charges of alleged child molestation in Florida. would be a red flag for many people outside of the Duggar clan. But notably, Anna still hangs around waiting for Josh Duggar to complete his CSAM sentence. So, the question is, will Kendra do the same?
As far as Deanna Duggar’s concerned, Kendra really should get divorced. Speaking with Page Six, she recently pleaded with Kendra to walk away from Joe Duggar. In her opinion, “[Kendra] needs a new life. The best thing to do would be to divorce him.” Not that Jim Bob’s family ever took much notice of her opinions.
United In Legal Issues
While it makes sense that Deanna pushes for a clean break, the fact exists that they both deal with legal issues right now. But apparently, they have different legal teams. Both TLC alums face charges in Arkansas for “Endangering the Welfare of a Minor” and “False Imprisonment” related to their home life.
While Joseph was extradited to Florida to face child molestation felony charges, Kendra reportedly moved to a private location to hide out from the media. Some folks on social media think she stays with Joy-Anna Forsyth right now. But surely, she must be thinking about continuing life with an accused child molester?
Leaked Emails & Calls
Remember, Joseph ended up arrested after a teen told her dad he’d been inappropriate with her back in 2020. Extradited to Florida, a leaked audio call gave Counting On fans some inkling of the situation.
Unfortunately, if you hoped she’d be screeching for a divorce lawyer, that didn’t happen. Plus, emails between Anna Duggar and Joe, suggested that she and Kendra went out of their way to ensure Joe’s well-being in prison. E! News reported that Anna spoke with Kendra and told Joe:
I was amazed with how clearly she thought, how focused and articulate she was. She loves you deeply. She was strong on the phone call, except for when she talked about it being a month before she can see the kids.
Sadly, it seems that divorce might be the furthest thing from Kendra Duggar’s mind right now. Well, sadly, if you’re not a fundamentalist who puts divorce high on the list of things not done.
Reuinted Again?
We reported that there’s some pressure on Kendra to “dump, divorce, and duck out,” of her marriage. That allegedly came from her family. But it’s not easy to verify unnamed sources.
Since Jim Bob Duggar paid $600K bond money, Joe returned to Arkansas. In a follow-up article, E! News reported that “Joseph Duggar returned to his Arkansas home to be with wife Kendra Duggar after pleading not guilty to child molestation charges in Florida.”
So, again, it seems likely that a divorce isn’t Kendra Duggar’s top priority right now.
Is A Quick Divorce Even Possible?
On Reddit on the r/duggarsnark sub, Counting On fans discussed that it might not as as easy as 1,2,3 for a divorce: even if Kendra wanted to go that route.
The OP noted that the couple likely entered into a “covenant marriage,” a legal arrangement that “limits what Kendra can do to get a…separation or divorce.” Unlike standard filings, these agreements require much stricter proof and longer waiting periods to dissolve.
The OP added, “She can’t use the abuse itself as grounds, because it didn’t take place in the last 5 years.” Under those rules, timing is everything, and past trauma may not carry the legal weight many folks expect.
Then, they pointed out that, “To use a serious crime as grounds, she would need to wait for him to be officially convicted.” Basically, the existence of a trial or an arrest doesn’t meet the “general indignities” threshold required for a separation.
TLC Fans Weigh In
Plenty of people repsonded in the comments section. One of them wrote, “Arkansas should be ashamed of this.”
Here are a few more repsonses from the discussion:
- If molesting a child doesn’t fall under general indignities making it intolerable to continue the [marriage], just how bad would general indignity have to be?
- Y’all, the chances of her leaving [him] are slim to none. That is exactly the opposite of how she was raised and the opposite of what everyone around her expects. She might become totally nonexistent on social media but she will very likely stay with him.
What are your thoughts? Let us know in the comments below, and remember to come back here often for all your true crime and realiy TV news and updates.