NEWSKendra Duggar Cries About Her Babies Being Taken From Her in Emotional Phone Call With Husband Joseph Amid Legal Battle
The former TLC reality stars share four children.
April 2 2026, Published 11:01 a.m. ET
Kendra Duggar broke down over losing custody of her children during a post-arrest phone call.
"I think Friday has probably been my hardest day, but that's crazy to say because Wednesday was crazy hard," she told her husband, Joseph, who at the time, was in custody at the Washington County Detention Facility on March 24. She was detained on Friday, March 20, two days after his arrest on molestation charges.
Kendra, 27, then said: "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."
'They're Doing Good'
The couple was charged with endangering the welfare of a minor and false imprisonment in the second degree.
Joseph, 31, replied that the children are her "purpose right now."
Per People's reporting, Kendra acknowledged that she didn't have their four kids during a phone call two days prior when Joseph asked about them.
"From what I hear they are doing good," she told her incarcerated husband on on March 22.
Kendra was previously reportedly staying with the children at a "private" residence following her arrest.
What Was Kendra Duggar Accused Of?
The pair is set to appear in an Arkansas court on April 29.
The former TLC reality TV stars were charged with four counts of endangering the welfare of a minor in the second degree, and four counts of false imprisonment in the second degree.
The couple's home was searched by the Tontitown Police Dept. and Arkansas Dept. of Human Services on March 19 following Joseph's arrest for allegedly molesting a 9-year-old girl on vacation in Florida in 2020.
"After his charge, they automatically do a home study if minors live there," a source told Us Weekly on March 21. "Apparently, they had two rooms where the lock of the doorknob was on the outside instead of inside. They arrested her and took her kids for that, saying it’s evidence that she wrongly detains her kids."
The two are scheduled to appear in an Arkansas court on April 29.
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'I'm Fighting for the Kids'
Kendra Duggar told Joseph that their kids are her top priority.
In another call, Kendra told her husband she's "fighting for the kids and they're my number one priority right now."
The 19 Kids and Counting alum responded he is "100 percent behind" her, telling his wife she "should be fighting for them the most."
Kendra replied: "I just want you to know, through all of this, whatever happens, that's who's coming first. Then we'll just see where the rest of it leads us and try to put the pieces together."
Joseph Duggar Is Barred From Unsupervised Contact With Minors
Joseph Duggar pleaded not guilty to the molestation charges on March 31.
Joseph was released from police custody on March 31 after entering a "not guilty" plea on molestation charges in his first court appearance in Florida.
A Bay County Sheriff's Office insider confirmed to RadarOnline.com he had made the $600,000 bond.
A judge also barred him from having unsupervised contact with minors, so he will not be able to be alone with his children.
