Kendra Duggar Makes Bold Legal Move, Hiring a Lawyer for Herself — Not Joseph
Kendra Duggar laid out legal representation options to husband Joseph during an in-jail call, as the couple navigates a child endangerment case, according to audio obtained by People on Monday, March 30.
This Duggar mess keeps getting messier. An in-jail call between Joseph and Kendra just dropped, and it confirms she tapped a very familiar attorney while he sits in solitary. Meanwhile, Joseph is facing serious Florida charges over an alleged 2020 incident involving a girl under 12, and on a separate track, both he and Kendra are now charged with multiple counts tied to child endangerment and false imprisonment.
The call: Kendra hires counsel, but only for herself
People obtained audio of an in-jail call from Monday, March 30, where Joseph asked Kendra if she had connected with attorney Travis Story. She had — and made it clear he represents only her.
"I have been talking to Travis. I have him as my attorney now... It is not for you, it is only for me," Kendra told Joseph, explaining she needed counsel for the case involving the kids.
Joseph sounded relieved about the choice, saying the lawyer was good, but Kendra reiterated he would not be handling Joseph's side. The call also touched on how he is doing inside — Joseph said he is in solitary confinement.
The attorney choice is... notable
Travis Story is not a random pick. He has worked with Joseph's father, Jim Bob Duggar, and represented Joseph's brother Josh in his federal child pornography case. Given that history, Kendra turning to him while both she and Joseph face their own legal fights is a detail longtime Duggar watchers will clock immediately.
Florida allegations against Joseph: what police say happened
Joseph was arrested on March 18 by the Tontitown Police Department in Arkansas in connection with alleged conduct in Florida. He is charged with lewd and lascivious behavior involving molestation of a victim less than 12 years old, and lewd and lascivious behavior committed by a person 18 or older. The accusations stem from a family trip to Panama City Beach in 2020.
According to authorities in Florida, a then-9-year-old girl reported that during that vacation, Joseph repeatedly asked her to sit on his lap, later had her sit next to him on a couch under a blanket, manipulated her underwear and grazed her genitals, and kept rubbing her thighs. The accuser says the behavior eventually stopped and Joseph apologized. Before his arrest, the girl's father confronted Joseph by phone; Joseph allegedly admitted to the father and to Tontitown detectives, per those accounts.
Separate charges for the couple: child endangerment and false imprisonment
After news of Joseph's arrest broke, Kendra was also arrested on an unrelated matter. A spokesperson described hers as a misdemeanor separate from the Florida case, and she was released shortly after posting a $1,470 bond. Soon after, both Joseph and Kendra were charged with four counts of second degree endangering the welfare of a minor and four counts of second degree false imprisonment. The couple, married since 2017, share four children: Garrett (7), Addison (6), Brooklyn (5), and Justus (3).
Where Joseph is now
Joseph was held at the Washington County Detention Center in Fayetteville, Arkansas, for nine days, then transferred out on Friday, March 27 while awaiting extradition to Florida. As of Monday, his current location has not been disclosed.
- 2020: Alleged incident in Panama City Beach involving a then-9-year-old girl; later apology alleged.
- March 18: Joseph arrested in Arkansas on Florida lewd and lascivious charges tied to the 2020 trip.
- Afterward: Kendra arrested on an unrelated misdemeanor; released on $1,470 bond.
- Later: Both Joseph and Kendra charged with four counts each of second degree endangering the welfare of a minor and four counts of second degree false imprisonment.
- March 27: Joseph transferred out of Washington County Detention Center after nine days; awaiting extradition; whereabouts currently unknown.
- March 30: People publishes audio of Joseph and Kendra's jail call; Kendra confirms she retained attorney Travis Story for herself.
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673). If you or someone you know is experiencing child abuse, call or text Child Help Hotline at 1-800-422-4453.