In her latest memoir, Amy Duggar King shares insight into the alleged abuse her mother, Deanna, faced from her own father.
“Grandpa Duggar was quite the character. … He was erratic, unpredictable, and akin to a real-life Kramer from Seinfeld,” Amy, 39, detailed in her book, Holy Disruptor: Shattering the Shiny Facade by Getting Louder With the Truth, which was released on Tuesday, October 14.
Although Amy described her grandfather Jimmy Lee as “funny,” she acknowledged he also had a “potentially unstable” side. She recalled that she and her cousins — the 19 children of Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar — were taught to be “very careful around” a grandfather who possessed a “much darker side.”
Amy reported that Jimmy Lee had a challenging upbringing, including suffering abuse from an alcoholic father who “frequently used [his son] as a punching bag.” As an adult, he also exhibited a fierce temper. Deanna, 63, experienced a childhood of “corporal punishment,” where, as Amy highlighted, “there was hardly any distinction between discipline and cruelty, and the line was frequently blurred.”
Amy recounted two specific incidents that illustrated the severe nature of the abuse. Once, Deanna returned from college to find her father “yelling violently” at her mother, and when she tried to intervene, she was met with horrifying violence.
“Holding a leather belt and with a crazed look in his eyes, he restrained her on the bed and began to strike her, with each blow more forceful than the last. … This torment continued for over an hour,” Amy recounted, stating that Deanna ended up “black and blue and bloodied.”
Amy Duggar and her mother Deanna Courtesy Deanna Duggar/Instagram
She noted, “One thing I’ve always found striking when my mom recounts this trauma was how her mother never intervened during this terrifying episode.”
Later in Deanna’s life, at age 21, Jimmy Lee allegedly became furious when he discovered she planned to move in with her then-boyfriend — leading to another violent encounter.
“He grabbed her by the throat, dragged her from the kitchen to his bed, and physically restrained her. He started strangling her, and it was a near-fatal situation for my mom,” Amy recounted.
This time, Deanna’s mother did reach out for help, and Jim Bob was able to prevent the attack from escalating further. “Jim Bob might not have realized his role at the time, but he essentially saved her life that day,” Amy reflected.
After that incident, while the physical violence appeared to have ceased, Deanna still faced ongoing “bickering and name-calling.” She eventually advised her daughter to “never be left alone with Grandpa,” though it took years for Amy to understand the gravity of that warning.
“The reason I was kept from being alone with my grandfather was because he was a predator!” Amy asserted. “Beneath JL’s charming exterior lay a true monster.”
Throughout her memoir, Amy explores the patterns of trauma and abuse woven throughout her family history, highlighting issues involving cousin Josh Duggar, who is currently incarcerated following his 2021 arrest for receiving and possessing child pornography. In an exclusive interview prior to the release of Holy Disruptor, Amy expressed that her cousins were likely unaware of their grandfather’s troubling actions.
“Many issues have been swept under the rug in my family … but there’s more to uncover,” Amy shared with Us last month.
As to how Deanna felt about her traumatic experiences being revealed in her daughter’s book, Amy explained that initially, “she was somewhat resistant.”
After reflecting, she concluded that ‘speaking out removes its power,’ and affirmed that it’s essential to acknowledge the truth of what transpired. “We’ve broken generational curses in my family. … We openly discuss our pain, heal, move forward, and ultimately assist others — and that’s truly beautiful,” Amy conveyed.
Holy Disruptor: Shattering the Shiny Facade by Getting Louder With the Truth is now available for purchase.
If you or someone you know is facing domestic violence, please contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 for confidential assistance.
