Against his wishes … ? Josh Duggar fears that his wife, Anna Duggar, will be “influenced to leave him” as she plans to move from Arkansas to Texas in order to be closer to the prison he’s incarcerated in, an insider exclusively tells In Touch. 

“The problem is that Josh doesn’t want Anna and their kids moving away from his family,” the source reveals. “He thinks it will create too much of a disconnection for her and his kids.”

Josh, 34, who shares kids Mackynzie, Maryella, Marcus, Mason, Michael, Meredith and Madyson with Anna, 34, “can’t raise his kids from prison and he’s afraid of outside influences,” says the insider.

“He doesn’t want anyone but Anna and his immediate family to guide his children,” the source adds. “He also fears that if Anna is distanced from his family, she might be influenced to leave him.”

Josh Duggar Fears Wife Anna Will Be ‘Influenced To Leave Him’ as She Considers Texas Move
Courtesy of Anna Duggar/Instagram

The disgraced reality star is currently serving time at the Federal Correctional Institute (FCI) in Seagoville, Texas, after he was found guilty of one count of receiving child pornography and one count of possessing child pornography by a jury in December 2021 in Arkansas. In May, the latter count was dropped at his sentencing hearing. 

The TLC alum was originally sentenced to serve 12.5 years behind bars. However, his new release date is now scheduled for August 12, 2032, In Touch exclusively confirmed in July, which is slightly under 10 years. 

On October 17, a separate source told The Ashley’s Reality Roundup that Josh and Anna are at odds over her plan to move states in order to be closer to him. “He tends to think they are going to reverse his case. Josh and Anna had a dispute on the phone, and Josh went two days without talking to her, which is big because he calls every day,” the insider said.

While Anna has been frequently visiting Josh in prison, she seems “tired, broken and worn out” during her visits, the outlet’s source claimed. “His actions appear to have really affected her.” 

One week earlier, In Touch confirmed that Joseph Duggar helped sell Josh and Anna’s real estate property in Bella Vista, Arkansas, for $455,370. The couple’s business, Glasgow Drive LLC, purchased the property the home was built on in 2011 for $40,000. 

Despite Anna’s interest in moving to Texas with their seven children, an additional source exclusively told In Touch that she is “working hard” to accept that Josh might not be in her life for the next several years. 

“Anna doesn’t want to get her hopes up, and while he’ll always be the father of her children, she’s not sure if there is a future with Josh,” the insider shared. “As far as I know she still communicates with Josh, but in her heart, all she has left is her children and her faith.”