Where Is Josh Duggar’s Wife Anna Now? All About Her Life Amid Her Husband’s Prison Sentence (and Why She Continues to Stand By His Side)

When Anna Duggar and Josh Duggar wed in September 2008, the couple proclaimed their loyalty to one another — with Josh even singing to his new wife, “through the hardest of days, we will choose the right way.”

In the years since they said “I do,” the couple have put those words to the test. Josh and Anna (who were both raised in strict religious households) have faced highs and lows throughout their relationship, including the revelation that Josh had molested underage girls when he was a teen, his admission that he was unfaithful to Anna during their marriage, and his 2021 arrest (and subsequent conviction) on child pornography charges.

But throughout all of Josh’s troubles and controversies, Anna has stood by her husband — even as he serves more than 12 years in federal prison as a convicted sex offender.

“She doesn’t get mad,” a source close to the Duggars told PEOPLE in 2015 about Anna’s relationship with Josh. “You are not allowed to get mad. It’s not godly for a woman.”

Anna has leaned on her faith throughout the years to help get her through Josh’s various scandals.

“In my heart, when I got married, I vowed to God first and then to Joshua, ‘For better or for worse. ‘Til death do we part,’ ” Anna said on a 2015 episode of Jill and Jessa: Counting On. “I pray that through all of this that I would be an extension of God’s love to Joshua, that I would love him and forgive him and wait patiently and allow God to work through our hearts.”

Anna was spotted for the first time in December 2024 since Josh’s sentencing, seemingly still wearing her wedding ring.

From their courtship days to the current status of their marriage, here is everything to know about where Josh and Anna Duggar are now.

Anna and Josh met at a Christian homeschooling convention in 2006

Anna first met Josh while attending a Christian homeschooling convention in 2006 when she was a teen. According to Josh, it was love at first sight — and the two began a long-distance courtship shortly after, with Anna living in Florida and Josh in Arkansas.

“A courtship is the path toward marriage,” Josh explained to PEOPLE in 2014.

As one of eight children born to Mike and Suzette Keller, Anna grew up in an ultra-conservative Christian household similar to the Duggars. In fact, “her parents are even a little more extreme,” a source told PEOPLE in 2015.

Anna and Josh wed in 2008 in Florida

After a two-year courtship, Anna and Josh were married on Sept. 26, 2008, at Buford Grove Baptist Church in Hillard, Fla., near Anna’s hometown of Gainesville. The couple shared their first kiss at their wedding — which was featured on season 2 of 19 Kids and Counting — and also vowed to leave the decision on how many children to have “up to God.”

After their wedding, Anna and Josh moved to Fayetteville, Ark., and Josh ran a car dealership in nearby Springdale. Just three months after they said “I do,” Josh told PEOPLE that “married life has been great” and he “would welcome a big family.” Anna was equally eager to start their family.

“I would love to have as many children as God would bless us with,” Anna told PEOPLE at the time. “Growing up in a large family, and Joshua in a mega-family, you learn so much more. I think a large family helps you prepare for life.”

Anna and Josh share seven children

Anna and Josh wasted little time in starting their family: The couple welcomed their first child, Mackynzie Renée, in October 2009, just over a year after they were married. The birth, which took place at Josh and Anna’s Arkansas home, was featured on a special episode of 19 Kids and Counting.

Anna went on to welcome six more children with Josh, born both before and after his cheating scandal, molestation case and child pornography arrest. Michael James was born in June 2011, followed by Marcus Anthony in June 2013, Meredith Grace in July 2015, Mason Garrett in September 2017, Maryella Hope in November 2019 and Madyson Lily in October 2021.

In addition to their seven children, Anna also experienced a miscarriage in 2010.

“It was very hard to go through the excitement of finding out we were expecting a little one and then losing it,” Anna said on the Today show shortly after the loss.

Anna has stood by Josh through scandal, infidelity and his conviction

Scandal first rocked Anna and Josh’s marriage in May 2015, when it was revealed that he had molested five underage girls (including two of his own sisters, Jill and Jessa). Anna, who was pregnant with their fourth child at the time, was unwavering in her support of her husband — posting on social media about forgiveness and revealing that Josh confessed his “very difficult past mistakes” to her before their wedding.

“[I know] who Josh really is – someone who had gone down a wrong path and had humbled himself before God and those whom he had offended,” she told PEOPLE in a statement. “Someone who had received the help needed to change the direction of his life and do what is right.”

Months later, in August 2015, the couple were faced with more troubles when Gawker exposed Josh’s Ashley Madison account — the site acted as a dating profile for people interested in extramarital affairs. Josh ultimately confessed to having a pornography addiction and cheating on his wife, Anna — who, once again, stood by his side.

Following the cheating scandal, Josh spent some months in a faith-based rehabilitation center and, after returning to Arkansas, began marriage counseling with Anna. At the time, a source revealed to PEOPLE that, despite Josh’s infidelity, divorce was not in the cards for the couple and that Anna remained “fully and permanently committed to her marriage.”

“I can definitely look back on the past few months and say it’s been a hard road, but it’s been a good road,” Anna said on an episode of Jill and Jessa: Counting On while Josh was in rehab. “I think there’s lots of hope for the future and a lot of excitement.”

She added, “God’s grace can give me the strength to love Josh when others would say he doesn’t deserve it.”

Anna and Josh said they rebuilt their relationship through marriage counseling

After Josh’s 2015 scandals, the couple maintained a low profile as they worked to repair their marriage. Anna and Josh began working with “a professional marriage and family counselor to take important steps toward healing,” they revealed in a statement, adding that they faced “a long road to rebuild trust and a truly healthy relationship.”

Anna and Josh emerged nearly two years later, in March 2017, with an update on the Duggar family website. In it, they revealed they were expecting their fifth child — and addressed Josh’s previous scandals.

“For nearly the last two years, we have quietly worked to save our marriage, focus on our children, and rebuild our lives together as a family. Doing so is never easy after a breach of trust,” the blog post began.

Anna believed in Josh’s “innocence” after his 2021 arrest on child pornography charges

When Josh was arrested in April 2021 and charged with receiving and possessing child pornography, Anna stood by her husband once again. While Josh was in jail, Anna took their six children (she was pregnant at the time with their seventh) for supervised visits with their father. She also was in regular attendance at his court appearances, often seen holding Josh’s hand and sitting in the front row alongside her father-in-law, Jim Bob Duggar.

“She’s standing by him,” a source told PEOPLE in April 2021. “She thinks Josh is innocent.”

Even after Josh was found guilty on both counts in December 2021 — including downloading one of the “most offensive” videos of child sex abuse material a Department of Justice official had ever seen — Anna continued to support her husband. She wrote a letter to the judge ahead of Josh’s sentencing, asking for a “fair sentence” that would “reunite us as a family again soon.”

In her letter, Anna also described Josh as “considerate, respectful, quick to forgive, patient, and genuinely the kindest person I know.”

“He is a kind, loving, supportive, and caring father and husband — his primary focus in life,” she added.

Despite Anna’s letter of support, Josh was sentenced to more than 12 years in a federal prison. He was also required to pay more than $50,000 in fines and special assessments. Following his release from prison, Josh will also require the supervision of a parole officer for 20 years and is prohibited from any unsupervised contact with minors — including his own children with Anna.

Several of Anna’s family members have called for her to leave Josh

Though many members of the Duggar family have stood by him amidst the controversies, not everyone shares those feelings of support.

One of Anna’s brothers, Daniel Keller, bashed Josh on social media in 2015, following the revelation of his pornography addiction and infidelity.

“Tell me how you would feel if someone cheated on your sister and brought so much disgrace to you and ur family,” Keller commented on Facebook. He also added that he had offered to pay for Anna and her children to come and stay with him.

Later, in 2022, Josh’s cousin Amy Duggar King penned a powerful open letter to Anna on Instagram amidst his child pornography trial. In it, she wrote that there was “no shame” in divorcing Josh.

“Anna, I feel for you. No woman wants to be in your shoes,” Amy wrote alongside a photo of her and Anna hugging. “You’re faced with an impossible decision and you’re being surrounded by the wrong kind of support.”

She continued on, urging Anna to “be the role model” that her children “need.”

“Josh has chosen how history will remember him,” she wrote. “By staying and supporting him you’re allowing him to choose that for you, too.”

In December 2024, Anna was spotted in public for the first time since Josh’s conviction

Josh is currently serving his over 12-year sentence at FCI Seagoville federal prison in Texas. His appeal was denied in October 2023, and his expected release date is sometime in 2032.

Since Josh’s conviction, Anna has tried to remain out of the spotlight. She deleted her Instagram account (where she previously regularly posted about Josh and their children) and has been virtually silent on X (formerly Twitter) save for a few political posts.

While Josh is in prison in Texas, Anna and her children remain living in Arkansas. However, cousin Amy revealed to PEOPLE in June 2023 that she invited Anna and her children to come live with her and her husband following Josh’s conviction — but Anna declined.

“I offered it, and that’s really all I can do is just hope and pray that she opens her eyes. That’s all you can do,” Amy said to PEOPLE. “Unfortunately, she doesn’t see it.”

On Dec. 10, Anna was spotted for the first time since her husband’s imprisonment. In photos published by TMZ, Anna was seen picking up some of her children from a basketball game, while still seemingly wearing her wedding ring.

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