Jim Bob Duggar's Niece Amy King Gets Cryptic About Cutting Off 'Toxic Family': 'Not Easy, But Necessary'

Amy Duggar appears on NBC News' "Today" show
Amy Duggar appears on NBC News' "Today" show
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Amy (Duggar) King is not hiding her feelings about her extended family.

The 34-year-old niece of Counting On star Jim Bob Duggar 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."

"Amen & Amen. It's not easy, but necessary," King captioned her post.

The message was created by Portland artist Michael James Schneider, who is well-known for posting bold messages in balloons, flowers, and reader boards on his popular Instagram account under the name blcksmth.

RELATED: A History of the Ups & Downs of the Duggar Family

Amy is the daughter of Jim Bob's older sister, Deanna. She married husband Dillon King in September 2015 and the couple welcomed their first child, son Daxton Ryan, into the world on Oct. 9, 2019.

TLC canceled the Duggars' show Counting On in July after eldest son Josh Duggar was arrested in April on multiple child pornography charges. In September, a family source told PEOPLE that the family has been fractured ever since.

"They aren't as close as they once were because of all of Josh's legal drama," the source explained. "It's creating a lot of stress on them — although the majority of the family is acting like nothing has happened."

Paula Faris sits down exclusively with several of the Duggar children from their Arkansas home, for an interview airing on GOOD MORNING AMERICA, Monday, March 14 (7-9am, ET) as well as all Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images News platforms.
Paula Faris sits down exclusively with several of the Duggar children from their Arkansas home, for an interview airing on GOOD MORNING AMERICA, Monday, March 14 (7-9am, ET) as well as all Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images News platforms.

Ida Mae Astute/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty

Josh's sister Jinger and husband Jeremy expressed their disgust in the eldest Duggar son in separate statements following his arrest, saying they were "disturbed" by the child porn allegations against Josh and wanted "justice."

RELATED: Duggars Splinter amid Josh's Legal Drama: Family Isn't 'as Close as They Once Were,' Says Source

This, of course, is not the first time TLC had pulled the plug on a Duggar project due to Josh's legal woes. In 2015, the network ended 19 Kids and Counting after a 2006 police investigation revealed that Josh had been accused of molesting five underage girls — including two of his sisters — when he was 14.

Josh was also revealed to be a dues-paying member of Ashley Madison three months later after the cheating website was subject to a massive data breach. He later admitted to his infidelities and porn addiction before spending time at a faith-based rehabilitation center in Illinois.

josh duggar
josh duggar

Danny Johnston/AP/Shutterstock Josh Duggar

In October 2020, Jill and her husband Derick Dillard told PEOPLE that they had exited Counting On and were spending some time away from the Duggar family at large.

RELATED: Jinger Duggar and Jeremy Vuolo Speak Out After Counting On Cancellation: 'We Wholeheartedly Agree'

"Our control to choose what jobs we were allowed to accept and even where we were allowed to live was taken away from us," Jill said.

The couple cited scheduling conflicts as another major reason for stepping aside. "The first few years of our marriage, we spent time and money working towards opportunities only to hit a dead end when we'd be told, 'Well, you're not allowed to do that,'" explained Derick.