Amy Duggar King has opened up about a disturbing encounter she says she had with her cousin, Josh Duggar, after allegations surfaced that he had sexually abused several of his sisters and a family babysitter years earlier.
Speaking about her new memoir, Holy Disruptor, Amy described the conversation as one of the most unsettling moments of her life, saying it has stayed with her ever since.
According to Amy, she drove to her uncle Jim Bob Duggar’s home shortly after the allegations became public in 2015, determined to confront Josh face-to-face and demand answers.
She recalled finding him quiet and largely unresponsive as she expressed her anger and heartbreak.
Amy said Josh spent much of the conversation looking at the floor before eventually making eye contact and telling her, “I knew better.”
What happened next, she said, has never left her.
Amy claimed that as she looked at him, a slow smile spread across his face—a moment she described as deeply unsettling.
She later wrote in her memoir that the expression sent chills down her spine and left her feeling as though it foreshadowed even more pain for the family.
Amy also described an interaction with her uncle, Jim Bob Duggar, during the confrontation.
According to her account, as tensions escalated, Jim Bob entered the room and urged her not to create further conflict.
Amy said she found the response deeply upsetting, believing the focus should have been on the seriousness of the allegations rather than the tone of the conversation.
While emphasizing that she could not speak for her uncle’s thoughts or motivations, Amy said she believes the reality of the situation may have been overwhelming for him and that she would have handled the circumstances differently as a parent.
Amy said she and her mother were unaware of the allegations until they became public through media reports.
She described feeling shocked and blindsided, explaining that she had no prior knowledge of what had allegedly happened within the family.
The revelations, she said, left her determined to seek answers herself after feeling that no one in the family was willing to explain what had occurred.
Amy also expressed regret that she had not known sooner, saying she believes earlier awareness might have allowed her to better support her cousins.
Amy explained that the scandal permanently changed the way she approaches parenting and personal relationships.
She said becoming a mother reinforced the importance of teaching children about personal safety, boundaries, and recognizing abusive behavior from an early age.
The experience also made her more cautious about placing trust in others, leading her to become much more selective about the people she allows into her family’s life.
In her memoir, Amy revealed that she contacted another woman who has accused Josh Duggar of abuse to express her sympathy.
According to Amy, the woman told her she had moved forward with her life and was now in a much healthier place.
Amy contrasted that with what she believes was insufficient accountability for Josh, arguing that earlier consequences might have prevented later events.
Amy acknowledged that her relationship with much of the Duggar family has become distant over the years.
She said she has not spoken with several relatives in a long time and explained that establishing firm personal boundaries has been necessary for her own well-being.
According to Amy, creating that distance is not about a lack of love for her family but rather about protecting her own peace after years of painful experiences.
She also reflected on the strict environment in which many of her cousins were raised, describing them in her book as “happily brainwashed” by the teachings of Bill Gothard. Amy said they grew up under rules that limited many aspects of everyday childhood, including entertainment, clothing choices, and ordinary social activities.
Josh Duggar first became the subject of public controversy in 2015 after reports emerged that he had sexually abused several of his sisters and a babysitter years earlier. Because the allegations dated back many years, authorities concluded that the statute of limitations had expired and no criminal charges were filed in that case.
Years later, Duggar faced a separate federal prosecution involving child sexual abuse material. He was convicted in 2021 of receiving and possessing child sexual abuse material and was sentenced the following year to more than 12 years in federal prison.
He is currently serving that sentence in federal custody.
