Former reality TV star Jana Duggar is speaking out following the disturbing arrest of her brother, Joseph Duggar, on child molestation charges, revealing that the allegations completely blindsided her.
In a joint statement posted to her Instagram Story on April 2, Jana and her husband, Stephen Wissmann, explained they discovered the shocking news about the 31-year-old the same way the rest of the world did—through the press.
"This news came as a shock to us, as we have no prior knowledge before it became public," the couple wrote. Emphasizing their unyielding support for the alleged victim, they added, "Our hearts are with the child who has been harmed—this is a grievous and unacceptable wrong. We continue to pray for the victim and for justice to be carried out."
Joseph was initially taken into custody in Arkansas on March 18 before being extradited to Florida. On March 31, he pleaded not guilty to charges of lewd and lascivious behavior involving unlawful sexual activity with a minor. The charges stem from an alleged incident involving a 9-year-old girl during a 2020 family vacation.
The father of four was released on a $600,000 bond under strict conditions. A judge explicitly prohibited him from contacting the alleged victim or any minors whatsoever—including his own four children.
The legal battles don't stop in Florida. Joseph and his 27-year-old wife, Kendra Duggar, are currently facing a separate set of charges in Arkansas, which include four counts of endangering the welfare of a minor and four counts of false imprisonment. Neither has formally entered a plea regarding the Arkansas charges.
Audio of a jailhouse phone call previously obtained by TMZ shed light on Kendra's reaction while her husband was behind bars. In the recording, she told Joseph that his relatives are "disappointed" but still love him, assuring him that they are leaning heavily on their faith to get through the ordeal "one day at a time."
Jana is not the only Duggar sibling to publicly address the escalating scandal. Sister Jill Duggar Dillard and her husband, Derick Dillard, previously stated they found out about the arrest via a text message about media reports, adding that they "strongly condemn abuse."
Meanwhile, parents Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar released a statement through a family spokesperson, noting they are "heartbroken" over the entire situation. They stated their current focus is on supporting Kendra and the grandchildren while praying for the victim's healing.