Jessa Duggar Seewald Was the Only Sister to Contact Josh Duggar in Jail — Inside Their Private Messages

Jessa Duggar Seewald was the only one of Josh Duggar’s nine sisters who reached out to him while he was behind bars following his federal conviction, according to private messages obtained by PEOPLE.

The message came on Josh Duggar’s 34th birthday while he was being held at the Washington County Detention Center after being convicted of receiving and possessing child sexual abuse material.

Jessa sent a short message expressing support for her brother.

“Happy birthday, Josh! We love you and are praying for you! Love, The Seewalds,” she wrote.

Josh responded shortly afterward, thanking Jessa for contacting him and acknowledging that she was the only sibling who had reached out on his birthday.

“Thank you so much for the kind words,” Josh wrote, adding that he had “only got one note from a sibling so far today — you are it.”

He told Jessa that her message meant a lot to him and thanked her for supporting his wife Anna Duggar and their children while he was awaiting sentencing.

Josh also mentioned that Jessa had been an encouragement to his family during a difficult period and expressed appreciation for the help she had provided.

The exchange continued when Josh asked whether Jessa or her ministry could help provide Marshall Islands language Bibles for inmates at the detention center.

He ended his message by telling Jessa that he loved her and was open to staying in contact through messages and video calls.

Jessa responded with another message, which became their second and final exchange while Josh was incarcerated.

She thanked him for his words and told him that she believed God was supporting Anna and their children during the difficult time.

Jessa wrote that her family was grateful for the opportunity to support and care for Josh’s wife and kids.

She also said she would look into the Bible request before ending the message by telling Josh she loved him and was praying for him.

Months later, after Josh was sentenced to 151 months in federal prison, he reportedly expressed frustration that more of his siblings had not contacted him.

According to messages obtained by PEOPLE, Josh asked his father Jim Bob Duggar to share a message with the family.

In that message, Josh criticized his siblings for not reaching out while he was in custody.

“It is shameful that I have received only 1 message from one of my siblings and only 1 video visit,” he wrote.

He urged his brothers and sisters to consider how they would want to be treated if they were facing similar circumstances.

Josh also asked them to continue showing kindness and support toward Anna and his seven children, saying his family needed compassion during his absence.

The message was especially notable because Josh had previously admitted to wrongdoing involving some of his sisters when they were minors, which became public years before his federal conviction.

Josh is currently serving his prison sentence at a federal facility and continues to pursue legal appeals challenging his conviction.

His release date has reportedly been moved several times, with his current projected release scheduled for 2033.

The private messages between Josh and Jessa reveal a complicated family dynamic — one sister choosing to maintain contact and offer support, while other siblings appeared to distance themselves during his legal troubles.