Kendra previously told Joseph on March 20 that she and the children were somewhere “very private.”

Kendra Duggar tells Joseph she no longer has their kids in multiple phone calls to jail

Kendra previously told Joseph on March 20 that she and the children were somewhere "very private."

By Marina Watts

Marina Watts

Marina Watts is a news writer for with seven years experience covering entertainment, pop culture and celebrity news. Her previous work appears in PEOPLE, Bustle and Newsweek.

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April 2, 2026 1:21 p.m. ET

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Kendra Duggar and Joseph Duggar on 'Counting On'. Credit:

- During multiple phone calls, Kendra claimed that she no longer had her and Joseph Duggar's children after being with them someplace "very private" days before.

- Kendra and Joseph were charged in Arkansas on March 20 with four counts of endangering the welfare of a minor, second degree, as well as four counts of false imprisonment, second degree.

- In unrelated charges, Joseph is awaiting trial for child molestation charges after pleading not guilty and being released on $600,000 bond.

Kendra Duggar claimed on March 24 that she no longer had her four children, whom she shares with husband Joseph Duggar.

During several jail phone calls from Washington County Detention Facility between the couple, according to audio obtained by PEOPLE, Kendra mentioned that she wasn't with her children. Days before, she mentioned they were somewhere "very private."

"I think Friday has probably been my hardest day, but that's crazy to say because Wednesday was crazy hard," she said in a March 24 phone call, referring to Joseph's Wednesday, March 18, arrest and her Friday, March 20, arrest. "But it's just like, when you then take my babies from me, they were who I was just going to pour my life into," Kendra added.

Joseph said that their children are her "purpose right now."

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On another call that took place on March 22, Kendra mentioned their children when Joseph asked how they were. "From what I hear, they are doing good," she said at the time. Kendra had been with her children on March 20 after her release from jail.

In a separate call, Kendra told Joseph that she's "fighting for the kids and they're my number one priority right now." Joseph agreed, saying that he is "100% behind" her and that Kendra should be "fighting for them the most."

"I just want you to know, through all of this, whatever happens, that's who's coming first," Kendra said, adding, "then we'll just see where the rest of it leads us and try to put the pieces together."**

Joseph Duggar's mugshot.

Washington County Sheriff's Department

Kendra and Joseph were charged in Arkansas on March 20 with four counts of endangering the welfare of a minor, second degree, as well as four counts of false imprisonment, second degree. Kendra was released on bail that same day.

During a phone call that took place between the couple shortly after Kendra was released while Joseph remained at the Washington County Detention Center in Fayetteville, Ark., awaiting extradition to Florida for unrelated child molestation charges, Kendra said she was someplace "very private" with the kids.**

Amy Duggar King cries learning cousin Joseph Duggar's wife Kendra was also arrested: 'There's more to this story'

Deanna Duggar wants Kendra to divorce Joseph after their arrests

In unrelated charges, Joseph was arrested and charged on March 18 on charges of lewd and lascivious molestation of a victim less than 12 years old and lewd and lascivious behavior conducted by a person 18 years or older.

According to the Bay County Sheriff's Office, Joseph is accused of allegedly sexually assaulting a 9-year-old girl while on a family vacation in Panama City, Fla. The girl, now 14, recently came forward to the police with her allegations. The girl's father confronted Joseph, who allegedly admitted his guilt to the girl's father and the authorities.**

On Tuesday, March 31, Joseph was released on a $600,000 bond from Bay County Jail after pleading not guilty to the child molestation charges. Leading up to his trial, Joseph is restricted to no unsupervised contact with minors, including his four children with Kendra. He is set to appear in court on April 20.

Kendra and Joseph Duggar.

Little Duggar Family/Instagram

The Duggar family rose to fame in the 2000s with the reality series *19 Kids and Counting *and its spinoff, *Counting On*. The shows were canceled in 2015 and 2021, respectively, amid legal issues surrounding Joseph's older brother, Josh Duggar.

In 2021, Josh was arrested and charged with possession of child pornography. He was ultimately found guilty and was sentenced to 12 years in prison in 2022.

*If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual abuse, text "STRENGTH" to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor. If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, please contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or visit rainn.org.***

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