EXCLUSIVE: Amy (Duggar) King Opens Up About Alleged Abuse by Family Member: 'I Needed to Forgive That Person'
Amy (Duggar) King credits her time on Marriage Boot Camp: Reality Stars for helping her come to terms with an alleged abusive incident from "a long time ago."
On the We TV series, which premieres Jan. 6 at 9/8c, Amy claimed that a male family member -- that she tweeted last month was not her husband, Dillon King -- picked her up by her throat and lifted her toward the ceiling.
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"I did get the healing I needed. That was something that was always in the back of my mind -- a big question mark of why, or how it affected me," Amy tells ET's Lauren Zima of sharing the story on the show. "I left Marriage Boot Camp feeling a lot lighter, and I did forgive that person. That was probably the hardest day."
The couple -- who were married in September 2015 -- say that the identity of the family member that was allegedly involved in the incident will be revealed on the show. "I called this person and told them what was going on and that kind of thing. I think they were shocked about it and a little hurt that it was mentioned, but at the same time, it needed to happen," Amy explains. "I needed to forgive that person. It was not something I planned to bring out. When you’re there, you forget cameras are rolling. You’re in therapy.”
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Amy says she kept this story quiet from Dillon, who did not learn of the alleged abuse until they were on Marriage Boot Camp. "We’ve talked a lot about stuff in our past, but that was something that was very hard for me," she confides. "And I do love the person that was involved. I love this person a lot."
Amy adds, "However, I just needed to heal. And hurt people, hurt people. For me, [the show] was a really good experience and I’m really glad I did open and share that."
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As for her family, Amy -- whose cousins star on TLC's Counting On-- admits that her and Dillon's decision to do Marriage Boot Camp came as a surprise. "They were just kind of taken aback," she says. "They don’t really watch regular television, so I don’t think they really know what it is. But it was a great thing for Dillon and I to do, and we’re kind of setting our own path.”
In December 2015, Amy's parents decided to divorce, and looking back, she says that she wishes her father had gone "on the show [before their divorce.]"
"We want to do everything we can to prevent [divorce] from ever being an option. We want to grow old together!" she continues. "My mom and dad’s relationship had a lot of different complications [that] they didn’t really talk about it. So for us, it was just a step back to realize that we have to talk about our issues."
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