Jason Duggar Calls Brother ‘Evil’ In First Statement Since Joseph Duggar’s Arrest
It has been a week since Joseph Duggar was arrested. The former reality TV star will be extradited to Florida to answer to lewd and lascivious behavior charges that could land him behind bars for decades. Now that the news has settled a bit, more and more Duggar family members are coming forward to issue statements. While Jill and Derick Dillard were first, Jason and Maddie Duggar’s statement is the most intense. In their statement, they called his brother “evil” and made it clear that they stand with the victim.
Jason and Maddie Duggar call Joseph Duggar ‘evil’ in their statement following his arrest
Jason Duggar and his wife, Maddie Jones, are taking a strong stance against Joseph Duggar in their first statement since his arrest. In a statement posted to Instagram, Jason and his wife called Joseph’s alleged actions “evil.” The pair focused on the effect Joseph’s alleged crimes had on his victim and acknowledged her bravery in stepping forward.
Jason and Maddie noted that they hope justice is served before ending their statement with a proclamation that they stand with innocent children, always. The pair did not mention Kendra Caldwell, nor did they address the child engagement and false imprisonment charges that both she and Joseph were slapped with following a home inspection.
Jason and Maddie’s statement is the most outwardly condemning of Joseph. While Jill and Derick Dillard and Jinger and Jeremy Vuolo both issued statements condemning his actions, they focused more on the news, the victim, and the legal side of the situation. Even with that, their stances on Joseph were far from soft, signaling a significant change from how the family handled Josh Duggar’s sex crimes scandal.
Why was the former reality TV star arrested?
Joseph Duggar was arrested on March 18 after a 14-year-old girl told Tontitown police that Joseph had touched her inappropriately during a vacation in Panama City, Florida in 2020. The police conducted a forensic interview on the teen. She told officers that when she was 9 years old, Joseph Duggar had forced her to sit on his lap. She accused him of touching her genitals and thighs after pressuring her to sit under a blanket with him. Joseph, now 31 with four children, was 25 when the incidents occured.
Her father reportedly called Joseph Duggar on March 17 to speak with him about the allegations. According to an affidavit obtained by People, Joseph confessed to wrongdoing after the victim’s father confronted him. The victim remains anonymous. Additionally, unrelated charges were added after a home inspection uncovered incidents of child endangerment and false imprisonment. Kendra Caldwell, Joseph’s wife, was detained for child endangerment and false imprisonment on March 20. She has since been released and reportedly had no knowledge of her husband’s sex crimes.
This is a developing story.
