Amy Duggar Says Her Abuser Was a 'Family Member'

Christian couple Dillon and Amy King talk about their friendship and marriage. (Screenshot/PEOPLE TV Watch)

Amy Duggar King revealed a huge personal secret in WE tv's "Marriage Boot Camp: Reality Stars" Season 7 when she said that she suffered from physical abuse.

The clip was shown in the show's teaser, with Amy even explaining in detail how she was picked up by someone who held her throat and lifted her towards the ceiling. A lot of people assumed that she was talking about her husband, Dillon King, but Amy would like to set the record straight that it wasn't her husband's doing.

"I can't say who it is, but I can say, on the show I did forgive them," Amy told PEOPLE. "It was a very heartfelt moment where I actually forgave that person who hurt me when I was younger."

"So, it was a family member," she added. "I love the person very much and we're better now. But I did need to heal from that."

At the same time, Amy appealed to fans not to blame Dillon for what happened. She said their marriage was heavily impacted because of the revelation.

"We got hate mail and all kinds of stuff," shared Dillon. "It exploded."

"It was crazy," he added. "People were like, 'Amy run. Run away from him. Divorce him now. he's going to abuse you, you don't need that.'"

As for Amy, she took to social media to defend her husband from the unfair backlash he's received. "The story I was describing in the Marriage Bootcamp teaser does not involve Dillon in any way. #Ilovemyhusband," she tweeted on her Twitter page (@amyduggar).

In "Marriage Boot Camp," the Kings joined a cast comprising of "troubled reality star couples" from the shows like "The Bachelorette," "Love and Hip Hop: Atlanta," "Bad Girls Club," and "Mob Wives." It premiered on Friday, Jan. 6.

Amy has already appeared in several episodes of "17 Kids and Counting," "18 Kids and Counting," and "19 Kids and Counting." She also made appearances in TLC specials such as "A Big Announcement," "A Duggar Leaves Home," and "Amy's Nashville Dreams."

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