Josh Duggar's cousin has a message for his wife, Anna, ahead of his sentencing in his child pornography trial.
On May 17, five months after Josh was found guilty of receiving and processing child porn, Amy King penned an open letter to Anna telling her that she's "being surrounded by the wrong kind of support." Sharing a throwback photo of herself hugging the mother-of-seven, Amy wrote on Instagram, "Anna, I feel for you. No woman wants to be in your shoes."
Anna has been married to Josh since 2008 and shares her children—Mackynzie, 12; Michael, 10; Marcus, 8; Meredith, 6; Mason, 4; and Maryella, 2, and Madyson, six months—with the 19 Kids and Counting alum.
"You've been taught since you were a child that marriage is forever and you prayed for God to send you a partner," Amy wrote to Anna. "You've constructed a life and a family with him. You didn't choose any of this, and your kids certainly didn't either."
Amy went on to clarify that she wasn't "coming after" Anna but that she was expressing what's on her mind as a "fierce protector."
"If no one else in your life is saying it, I need you to understand that there is no shame in divorcing Josh," she shared. "Someday your kids will be old enough to understand what kind of guy their father really is. You can't protect them from the truth for forever!"
Amy continued, "I'm saying all of this publicly so that when they do grow up, they will also know that they had family members shouting from the rooftops that they were worth protecting all along. Your children look up to you so much… Please be the role model they need in their life."
In her letter, Amy added that she and her husband, Dillon King, "are more than willing to help" Anna should she choose to leave Josh.
"Josh has chosen how history will remember him. By staying and supporting him you're allowing him to choose that for you, too," she wrote to Anna. "And I know standing up to all of this seems impossible now, but as a Mama, your instinct to protect your kids always has to be stronger than your fear. The only people you would upset by leaving are the ones willing to sacrifice you and your children's safety to protect Josh and his secrets."
Amy's post comes just eight days before Josh is to be sentenced. Ahead of the sentencing, several members of the Duggar family—including Anna herself—wrote letters in his defense to Judge Timothy L. Brooks of the Western District of Arkansas Federal Court, urging him to employ discretion when handing down Josh's sentence.
"My children and I rely on Joshua for financial, emotional, and physical support. Many others depend on Joshua, too," Anna penned in a letter dated March 7 and obtained by E! News on May 17. "Joshua sees the best in people and is willing to walk alongside them to help make their dreams a reality."
Calling Josh a "kind, loving, supportive, and caring father and husband," Anna also asked the judge in her letter to "consider reuniting us as a family again soon."
While it's unclear if Amy has seen Anna's letter to the judge, she said in her post that she "cried" when she read a note Anna's father, Michael Keller, had penned in support of Josh. In the letter, also obtained by E! News, Michael described the former TLC star as a "truly fantastic Daddy" and asked the judge to be "merciful" when considering his sentence.
In her post, Amy wrote that she felt "sorry" for Anna for facing "an impossible decision." She added, "It's no wonder you're struggling to know what to do to protect your own kids… you've obviously never had an example there."
Josh's sentencing is scheduled for May 25. According to court documents obtained by E! News, Josh and his legal team are seeking no more than a 60-month prison sentence for his convicted offences.
E! News has reached out to the Duggars' rep and did not receive a comment.