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Joseph Duggar and Kendra Caldwell tied the knot in 2017, just half a year into their courtship. Their whirlwind romance led to a bustling family life, with the couple welcoming four children within five years. However, they now find themselves entangled in serious legal issues.
While Kendra Caldwell and Joseph Duggar might not have been the central figures of 19 Kids and Counting or Counting On, they are certainly capturing attention now. Both are embroiled in significant, although separate, legal battles, shedding light on the tumult within their families. As the public delves into their current legal challenges, it’s worth revisiting the origins of their relationship.
Joseph and Kendra started courting in 2017
Joseph Duggar and Kendra Caldwell’s courtship seemed to appear suddenly in March 2017. Although they had been acquaintances for several years, Kendra was not prominently featured in their social gatherings. Followers of the Duggar family speculate that this courtship followed Joseph’s rumored breakup with Carlin Bates. Though neither party has confirmed this past relationship, there are subtle hints that suggest a less-than-amicable end to their alleged romance.
Joseph’s “courtposal” in front of the house he and his siblings grew up in was featured on Counting On. Their early romance was also featured on the series. Kendra was just 18, and Joseph was 22. Things moved along quickly from there.
They married the same year
While the Duggar family was reality TV stars, they maintained that courtship is a more serious form of dating. Critics note that it’s just dating with an accelerated timeline. Joseph and Kendra proved that by announcing their engagement just two months after they began seeing each other. The proposal took place at Joy-Anna and Austin Forsyth’s May 2017 wedding reception.
Just as their courtship did, their engagement moved quickly, too. Just four months after getting engaged, and six months into their relationship, they wed. The couple said “I do” at First Baptist Church in Siloam Springs, Arkansas, on September 8, 2017. A reception, with cupcakes and light refreshments, followed immediately after the nuptials.
How many kids do they have, and how do they make money?
Long before their legal troubles, Joseph and Kendra looked like the Duggar couple most likely to have a dozen or more children. They started their family quickly and welcomed new children at a breakneck speed until just a few years ago, when they suddenly stopped having children. Their first child, Garrett Duggar, was born in 2018, exactly 9 months after their wedding.
Their second child, Addison Duggar, was born in November 2019, followed by Brooklyn Duggar in February 2021. She was the last Duggar grandchild born before Josh Duggar’s arrest on child pornography charges. She was also the last birth featured on the family’s reality TV series. The duo welcomed a second son in mid 2022, but did not publicly announce his birth. Duggar family followers learned his name, Justus, from a public obituary for one of Kendra’s family members. They have not added additional children to the family in the nearly four years since his arrival.
After Counting On was pulled from TLC’s lineup, the family left the spotlight. For money, it appeared that Joseph Duggar was working as a real estate agent; apparently, it’s a bit more complex than that. Recent events have revealed that the couple also owns properties they rent out on Airbnb and have additional rental plans that could help Kendra make ends meet if Joseph is convicted and sentenced to time in prison.