Rory Feek is at the center of some family drama. His eldest daughters are pursuing legal action against the singer. They say their youngest sister, Indiana, isn't safe with their father.
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Heidi and Hopie announced their intentions in a social media post. Neither chose to attend his July 14 wedding. their sister Indiana is 10 years old and has Down syndrome. Previously, they called out their father for leaving Indiana with unfamiliar family members while he went on his honeymoon.
"We no longer believe Indiana is safe under our father's care," Heidi's statement says. She also said that Feek left Indiana with members of "an organization known for its troubling history of child abuse." She's referring to Homestead Heritage. It is a farming-based, Christian organization. Over the years, a number of allegations have surfaced about physical and sexual abuse related to the organization.
Speaking Out
Heidi says that Rory Feek cut contact between them and their youngest sister. She and her sister Hopie spoke to Taste of Country about the issue.
"Over time, he cut Indy off from us more and more until now we have no contact," Hopie said. "First, he stopped letting us FaceTime with her because he 'had a flip phone,' but now we know he has an iPhone. Then he stopped letting her come and spend the night in Alabama, which had been a staple of her entire life, and now we can't even talk to her on the phone."
Meanwhile, Heidi said that both she and Hopie experienced neglect as a child. She said that Rory Feek refused to take her to the hospital for 24 hours after she broke her leg when she was 5. Feek had a different story when he wrote about the incident in his memoir. He said he called a nurse hotline, who said his daughter was probably fine. The singer explained that the family's finances weren't the best at the time.
However, Heidi says, "He told me to 'quit crying.' That night he made me go with him to set up for a gig while I stood in agony, unable to cry for 24 hours." She also said that one of Feek's girlfriends beat her after she spilled perfume.
Rory Feek Family Drama
"She beat me severely, until the bruises were visible beyond my shorts," she says. "Rory continued his relationship with her for years after, and on multiple occasions, Hopie and I were woken up in the middle of the night on school nights and dragged to the girlfriend's house where Rory would plead to be let in after a breakup, using us as tools to garner sympathy."
Meanwhile, they said that their sister Indiana also injured her leg while visiting a Homestead community a few years ago.
"[The trip] was a total disaster," Heidi says. "Indy was terribly injured from an accident that took place while riding a horse carriage driven by children. They returned early, with Indy literally scarred by the experience."
Julie Zamboldi, a close family friend, is saddened by what has happened.
"I wanna say, just so you know this. That I love the Feeks. I love Rory — I love his sisters. I love his kids," Julie said. "It really saddens me that Indiana — because Heidi and Hopie were such a big part of Indiana's life, and she's lost her mom, and then her sisters would be the next best thing, other than her dad. That's my biggest [reason] for talking to you. They need to be able to be together."
