KEY POINTS
- Amy Duggar King shared artist Michael James Schneider's message about cutting off "toxic family" on Instagram
- She wrote in the caption that it was "not easy, but necessary"
- The post comes amid her cousin Josh Duggar's ongoing child pornography scandal
Amy Duggar King believes it's "necessary" to cut off "toxic family" members.
Amid her cousin Josh Duggar‘s ongoing child pornography scandal, the "Counting On" alum shared a cryptic message Friday on Instagram spelled out in hot pink balloons: "It's okay to cut off toxic family for your own well being."
In her caption, the 34-year-old niece of "Counting On" star Jim Bob Duggar wrote, "Amen & Amen. It's not easy, but necessary."
The message was created by Portland artist Michael James Schneider, who is known for posting bold messages in balloons, flowers and reader boards on Instagram. His Instagram account, where he uses the handle @blcksmth, has 542,000 followers.
Amy received supportive messages from her followers in the comments section. Many agreed that cutting contact with toxic people is necessary for one's own emotional well-being.
"Say it loud; say it proud! And it's called boundaries, not avoiding," one commented.
"[Definitely] some of your [family]. I know that’s right girl!!!" another wrote with clapping hands emoji.
"It's not only okay, it's NECESSARY for your physical and emotional well-being," another user wrote with two heart emojis.
"Super proud of you and Jill!" a fourth user commented.
Amy is the daughter of Jim Bob's older sister, Deanna. She is cousins with Jill Duggar, Jessa Duggar, Jinger Duggar and their siblings. Amy married husband Dillon King in 2015, and the couple welcomed their first child, son Daxton Ryan, four years later.
Another Duggar family member who has seemingly cut off contact with the rest is Jill. She and her husband, Derick Dillard, have not visited the Duggar family house in years, citing their mental health as the reason.
"We haven't actually been over there in a while, probably like a couple years, other than once, like, to check the mail," Jill confessed in a YouTube Q&A earlier this year. "[In] this season of life, we have to prioritize our mental, emotional health and all of that. Our threshold—we like to call it—is just a little bit lower in this season of life for us, with a lot going on in our own lives."
The couple also explained that they left the family's reality show after six seasons because their goals did not align with the series. They further claimed that they had little control over their lives when they were still part of the TLC show.
Meanwhile, Amy's latest post came weeks after an insider told People that the Duggar family members are not as close as they once were following eldest son Josh's arrest in April on multiple child pornography charges. He has denied the allegations, but TLC decided to cancel "Counting On" in July.
"They aren't as close as they once were because of all of Josh's legal drama," the unnamed family source said. "It's creating a lot of stress on them — although the majority of the family is acting like nothing has happened."
Amy Duggar King and her husband Dillon King may be expecting their first baby. Photo: WETV
