"Honestly, it sucks": Amy Duggar recalls her attempt to reach out to cousin Josh Duggar's wife Anna following his arrest

Amy Duggar, known for her appearance on 19 Kids and Counting, opened up about her unsuccessful attempts to connect with her cousin Josh Duggar's wife, Anna Duggar, amid the family's ongoing legal trials.

Josh Duggar has been embroiled in controversy over the last several years, which led to the cancellation of previous shows surrounding the Duggar family. He was found guilty of receiving and possessing child p*rn*graphy in 2021 and was sentenced to 12 and a half years in prison.

His cousin, reality star Amy Duggar revealed that she had reached out to Anna through various means, including text messages, emails, Instagram, and Twitter, but to no avail. In an interview with People, she said,

"Honestly, it sucks. It just sucks because I want to be there and I want to help, and it doesn't have to involve cameras or fame or anything. It's just family reaching out to family. Unfortunately, she doesn't see it."

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"I don't want to speak for her": Amy Duggar on Josh Duggar's wife, Anna

Amy Duggar tried through all social media outlets to reach out to Anna Duggar, even when she strongly condemned the actions of Anna's husband and her cousin, Josh Duggar, who has been at the center of much controversy for the past couple of years. She explained in the interview,

"I understand she has a lot of kids, and I understand that she's in a very broken place, I'm sure. I don't want to speak for her. I'm sure that is just heartbreaking, but I also don't necessarily think she sees it yet. I think it's going to take a really long time. And if she ever does reach out, I am here for her."

Amy Duggar, along with her husband Dillon, offered Anna a place to stay with her children following Josh's arrest in April 2021. Unfortunately, their gesture went unanswered. She recalled,

"My husband [Dillon] and I actually were talking when all this first came out, and I said, 'Honey, we have room to welcome all of those kids and Anna into our home. We have bunk beds, we could do something really cool. And he was like, 'You're right.' He was like, 'We could.' He was like, 'Let's reach out and see what we can do.'"

The Duggar family, known for their reality TV show 19 Kids and Counting, has faced numerous scandals over the years. Josh Duggar, Anna's husband, was convicted on one count of receiving and possessing child p*rn*graphy in December 2021. He was subsequently sentenced to 151 months in prison in May 2022, with his release now scheduled for October 2032.

Anna Duggar, who has remained relatively quiet since Josh's sentencing, wrote a letter to the judge prior to his sentencing, pleading for a lighter sentence and describing her husband as a "loving, supportive, and caring father." The couple has seven children together.

Amy Duggar has been vocal in her criticism of Josh's actions, stating that she believes he deserves a harsher sentence.

"Twelve and a half years isn't enough."

She made it quite clear in the interview that she was willing to help Anna, but she would not reach out to her cousin Josh.

"Josh, I will not reach out to, honestly, because it's just so heartbreaking. I can't, I literally can't, and I don't want to. It's so filthy and so wrong and so evil, and I hate it. It just hurts my heart so much. I'm not going to reach out. I am done with that. It's just so sad. So for me, I won't reach out. "

Despite her strong condemnation of Josh, Amy Duggar still attempted to offer support to Anna, recognizing the difficult position she is in.

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Amy Duggar's involvement in the new Amazon Prime docuseries, Shiny Happy People: Duggar Family Secrets, sheds light on the family's scandals and controversies surrounding their religious beliefs.

The series, released on June 2, 2023, features interviews and testimonies from various family members, including Jill Duggar, who has distanced herself from the family.