As Josh Duggar’s sentencing date gets closer, Amy Duggar King is making sure her family knows how she feels. From calling out her Aunt Michelle Duggar directly to sharing her distaste for her cousin, Josh, Amy has now set her aim on Anna Duggar, Josh’s wife of 14 years.
Despite Josh Duggar being found guilty of downloading and possessing child pornography in December 2021, Anna has remained by Josh’s side. She has been seen escorting him to court, reportedly had been visiting him while he was on house arrest, and—in one of her only public statements—encouraged people to consider that there was more to the story.
Amy Duggar King Shares Open Letter to Josh Duggar’s Wife, Anna Duggar: ‘Someday Your Kids Will Be Old Enough to Understand What Kind of Guy Their Father Really Is’
As Amy said in her previous statements, she is hoping Josh is given the maximum sentencing. But his legal team and the family members who still support him are asking the judge for leniency and hoping Josh is sentenced to only five years.
In Anna’s letter, she spoke highly of her husband, despite all of his shortcomings, which also includes cheating on Anna during their marriage. Now, Amy is hoping her own words will help Amy realize that she doesn’t need to support Josh.
“Anna, I feel for you. No woman wants to be in your shoes,” Amy began her open letter to Anna. “You’re faced with an impossible decision and you’re being surrounded by the wrong kind of support.”
“You’ve been taught since you were a child that marriage is forever and you prayed for God to send you a partner. You’ve constructed a life and a family with him. You didn’t choose any of this, and your kids certainly didn’t either. I’m not coming after you with some sort of tough love thing. This is what’s simply on my heart and I can’t help but to express it.”
Another person to have written a letter to the judge in support of Josh was Anna’s father. Amy admitted she cried when she read the letter Anna’s father wrote. “It’s no wonder you’re struggling to know what to do to protect your own kids… you’ve obviously never had an example there. That’s awful, and I’m so sorry for that.”
That’s when Amy told Anna that despite everything she’s been told, there is “no shame” in divorcing the father of her seven children. “My mom was a fierce protector, and so am I. She showed me how to stand up and speak up. If no one else in your life is saying it, I need you to understand that there is no shame in divorcing Josh.”
“Someday your kids will be old enough to understand what kind of guy their father really is. You can’t protect them from the truth forever,” Amy continued. “I’m saying all of this publicly so that when they do grow up, they will also know that they had family members shouting from the rooftops that they were worth protecting all along.”
Amy preached to Anna that, as their mother, her “children look up to you so much… Please be the role model they need in their life. Dillon and I are more than willing to help you.”
“Josh has chosen how history will remember him. By staying and supporting him you’re allowing him to choose that for you, too. And I know standing up to all of this seems impossible now, but as a Mama, your instinct to protect your kids always has to be stronger than your fear. The only people you would upset by leaving are the ones willing to sacrifice you and your children’s safety to protect Josh and his secrets.”
As you may recall, back in 2015, when Josh was publicly outed for having an Ashley Madison account and admitted to cheating on his wife, Anna issued a statement vowing to stay with Josh, in order to honor her vows to him.
“I know there are those that feel I have every right to walk away from this marriage, and I respect other people’s views,” she explained. “But in my heart, when I got married I vowed to God first and then to Joshua, ‘for better or for worse, ’til death to we part.'”
And it seems as though Anna’s stance has not changed despite being found guilty of downloading and possessing child pornography. Anna actually gave birth to their seventh child while Josh was on house arrest awaiting trial last year.
Despite her letter to the judge, Anna has not yet issued any further statements or publicly responded to Amy in any way.
Mamas Uncut is THE online place for moms. We cover the latest about motherhood, parenting, and entertainment as well – all with a mom-focused twist. So if you're looking for parenting advice from real parents, we have plenty of it, all for moms from moms, and also experts. Because, at the end of the day, our mission is focused solely on empowering moms and moms-to-be with the knowledge and answers they’re looking for in one safe space.