Kendra Duggar Tells Joe Duggar “May God Have Mercy on Us” In Jail Phone Call; Jokes She Hasn’t “Died Yet” – The Ashley’s Reality Roundup

Joseph Duggar is currently out of jail on bond and (likely) reunited with his wife Kendra for the time being. However, before Joe bonded out of jail on March 31, the disgraced Counting On star made numerous jailhouse phone calls with Kendra, including one on March 23 in which Kendra tries to tell her husband how badly she is struggling amidst his incarceration and the temporary loss of their four kids. 

At one point during the March 23 call, Kendra tells Joe— who was arrested last month for allegedly sexually abusing a nine-year-old girl in 2020— how hard it is to be alone with her own thoughts, even seeming surprised that she hasn’t “died yet.”

(As The Ashley previously reported, Kendra— as well as Joe— were each charged on March 20 with four counts of endangering the welfare of a minor and four counts of false imprisonment. As a condition of their release, Kendra and Joe are not allowed to have any contact with their victims– whom they have revealed via jail calls to be their four kids— until their court date at the end of April.)

“I’m sure your thoughts are so loud, I know how loud mine are,” Kendra told her hubby during the call.

Joe doesn’t seem to notice that his wife is trying to explain how badly she’s struggling. Instead of comforting her, he talks about how loud things are in jail.

“Sometimes in the cells next door to me sometimes I can’t even hear myself think whenever they’re next door,” Joe said. 

“Well, that might be better!” Kendra says with a chuckle. “That might be better than hearing yourself think because if I’m in the quiet— if I’m by myself— it’s just not a good thing. But I haven’t died yet, right? So, I’m like, ‘I haven’t died.’”

Joe seems uncomfortable hearing Kendra talk about death, so he goes right into Bible-talk.

“I feel like reading the Psalms have helped me a lot,” he tells Kendra, who informs him she’s not even able to read right now. 

“That’s the thing; my brain had to slow down because it was going too quick whenever I first got in here,” Joe says. “It took a while for it to calm and then I…came to the realization that ‘I’m here. I need to just embrace where God has me and where I am, like Joseph [from the Bible]…”

(As The Ashley previously reported, Joe’s father Jim Bob Duggar compared his son’s current plight to that of the Bible character Joseph as well. In an email sent to Joseph in jail last month, Jim Bob reminded his son that Joseph from the Bible was able to “make lemonade out of lemons.”)

Kendra breathlessly acknowledges what her husband is saying but is clearly still struggling.

Joe tells Kendra they just have to get “over this hump,” to which Kendra replies “May God have mercy on us.”

“That’s what I’m praying for— mercy and grace,” she adds.

Later, Joe does try to encourage Kendra, telling her, “God’s still on our side, OK? God knows where we are. And that’s what I’ve been encouraging myself. You know? It doesn’t matter where we are, what’s going on and everything, God’s gonna— if we’re honest before God and before everyone, we can’t worry about what the world’s gonna want to do with us. Because the world doesn’t love God, you know? But we can still love God and we can honor Him.”

Kendra tells Joe that her anxiety levels are at an all-time high, and that she was “spiraling” in bed, prompting Joe’s mother Michelle to bring food up to her and pray with her to help calm her down.

“I think that I can’t be by myself for too long… that’s just where I’m at,” Kendra says. 

Joe tells Kendra that he’s been praying that she will be able to rest, eat and have energy. (Kendra says she may need to get nutrition intravenously, as she did once before.)

“I just want you to know where I’m at, it’s really hard. I’m in a really hard spot, too. I know you are but I feel like I need to be encouraged,” Kendra tells Joe.

Joe vows to pray that God will give Kendra the ability “to do the right things.” 

Joe tells Kendra that she never leaves his thoughts, except for when he’s thinking about Psalms.

“Oh, and the kids, obviously,” he adds. “I am praying a lot for them too.”  

“Yes, please do,” Kendra replies. “They need our prayers as well. I’m sure they’re going to be very resilient little things…”

Kendra also vows to get the kids into counseling and get the, whatever other help they may need to recover from the situation the family’s currently in.

Joe is due back in court in Florida on April 20.

You can listen to audio of Joe and Kendra’s call from March 23 below.

@theashleysrealityroundup JAIL CALL AUDIO: Kendra Duggar Tells Husband Joe: “May God Have Mercy on Us” Kendra Duggar tells her jailbird husband Joe Duggar that she’s praying for mercy, and reveal how badly she’s struggling with his incarceration, even seeming surprised she hasn’t “died yet.” Read the full article here: https://www.theashleysrealityroundup.com/2026/04/06/kendra-duggar-tells-joe-duggar-may-god-have-mercy-on-us-in-jail-phone-call-jokes-she-hasnt-died-yet/ #fypp #fypシ #fypage #RealityTV #theashleysrealityroundup #fypシ゚viral #Theashley #FYPp #FYPpage #FYP #realitytvnews #Viral #viralvideos #duggarfamily #duggartok #duggartea #joeduggarinjail #JoeDuggar #JosephDuggar #KendraDuggar ♬ original sound – The Ashley’s Reality Roundup

RELATED STORY: Kendra Duggar’s Parents Launch GoFundMe to Pay for Legal Fees & Housing After Feud with Kendra & Duggars Leaves Them Without a Home

(Photos: TLC; Instagram)

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