“Love you to the moon and back.”
These may seem like ordinary words for a married couple. But when they are sent from inside a jail, they carry a different weight.
Joseph Duggar, who is currently behind bars for allegedly misbehaving with children, seemed to be finding comfort in Bible scriptures and writing sweet messages to his wife, Kendra Duggar.
Highlights
- Joseph Duggar seemed to find comfort in Bible scriptures and sweet messages written to his wife Kendra Duggar.
- Private messages shared between the husband and wife circulated online.
- “Love you to the moon and back,” Joseph wrote in one of his emails to Kendra.
- The wife was also heard crying to the reality TV star about their kids being taken away from her custody following the charges against them.
Joseph Duggar seemed to find comfort in Bible scriptures and sweet messages written to his wife, Kendra Duggar
Image credits: littleduggarfamily
Trigger warning: this article contains graphic details that may be distressing to some.
Private messages shared by Joseph and Kendra circulated online, days after his March 18 arrest in his home state of Arkansas.
The 19 Kids and Counting star was charged with lewd and lascivious behavior involving a victim younger than the age of 12, as well as lewd and lascivious behavior conducted by a person aged 18 or older.
Both Kendra and Joseph were later slapped with additional charges when investigators made another discovery following his arrest.
Image credits: Bay County Sheriff’s Office
The reality TV star first reached out to his wife via email on March 23.
“Hopefully, this finds you well. love you sweetie! <3 <3 <3 love you to the moon and back,” he wrote while being locked up at the Washington County Detention Facility, according to legal documents obtained by TMZ.
His wife’s response came within hours.
“I got your message! I love you!! Hang in there,” Kendra wrote to her jailed husband.
The next day, their email exchange appeared to address a phone call they’d had that day.
“Great talking with you today! i always love getting to hear your voice! hope you have a wonderful grade filled day!” he wrote.
“Love you to the moon and back,” the disgraced reality TV star wrote from behind bars
Image credits: littleduggarfamily
The father-of-four, who met his wife in church and married her in 2017, went on to mention several Bible chapters he was reading from within the prison walls.
“In psalm 54 thats the one i am praying over each of you and replacing the personal pronouns with your name! that passage has brought me great comfort!” he said.
“All of the psalms that have meant a lot to me are 8, 18, 54, 86, 91 119 and 139,” he continued. “Listen to them if you get a chance. maybe in song form if needed;) love u so much! <3 <3 <3.”
Image credits: Washington County Sheriff’s Office
“It is good to talk to you!” Kendra said in response. “Love you!!”
The next email from Joseph in Kendra’s inbox contained a “<3”.
The wife then sent him the lyrics to the Megan Woods song, titled The Truth, which includes the lyrics “I don't belong to the lies / I belong to you” and “when I look in the mirror and I’m not so sure / Lord, I don’t wanna listen to the lies anymore.”
She mentioned the song was one of Joseph’s favorites.
Kendra sent him the lyrics to the song The Truth, which includes the lyrics “I don't belong to the lies / I belong to you”
Joseph's arrest came after a 14-year-old girl's father confronted him for inappropriately touching her during a Florida vacation in 2020.
Back when the girl was 9, Joseph allegedly asked the child to sit on his lap repeatedly and, on one occasion, asked her to sit next to him on the couch.
He then covered them with a blanket and “manipulated the victim’s underwear.”
Image credits: NWAhomepage
Joseph also allegedly touched her private parts and rubbed his hands on her thighs, according to a Bay County Sheriff’s Office statement.
The ab*se allegedly stopped after Joseph gave an out-of-the-blue apology to the child.
As part of the investigation into Joseph’s alleged crimes, officials inspected the couple’s home, where they live with their four children.
Investigators made a discovery that led to Kendra’s arrest on March 20, and a fresh set of charges were placed on both the husband and wife.
Investigators made a discovery that led to Kendra’s arrest and a fresh set of charges were placed on both the husband and wife
Image credits: littleduggarfamily
Sources claimed they found evidence of the mother allegedly detaining her kids inside the room, which could only be locked and unlocked from the outside.
“Apparently, they had two rooms where the lock of the doorknob was on the outside instead of inside,” a source told Us Weekly. “They arrested her and took her kids for that, saying it’s evidence that she wrongly detains her kids.”
Joseph and Kendra were both charged with four counts each of second-degree endangering of the welfare of a minor and second-degree false imprisonment.
Image credits: Washington County Sheriff’s Office
Days after Kendra’s arrest, she reportedly cried to her husband about their kids being taken out of her custody.
“I think Friday [March 20] has probably been my hardest day, but that’s crazy to say because Wednesday [March 18] was crazy hard,” Kendra said during a phone call on March 24.
The emotional mother said her plan was to “pour [her] life” into her kids.
Joseph tried reassuring her that their children should be her “purpose right now.”
Kendra was heard crying to her husband about their four children being taken out of her custody
In another prison call, Kendra told her husband that their family was disappointed over his arrest.
“Just know that everybody loves you, even if they’re disappointed,” she said during the call.
Joseph responded, saying he could “understand the disappointment” and “absolutely” felt his family’s love from behind bars.
“I’m not upset or anything like that,” he added.
“Those women are brainwashed,” one claimed online, while another wrote, “They are all horrible ppl [sic]”
