Rory Fike denies claims daughter is unsafe, ‘cult’ relationship amid family dispute

When singer Rory Feek married his young daughter’s teacher in July, eight years after the tragic death of his wife Joey Feek, the family seemed to have finally found their happy ending.

But just weeks later, Rory’s two adult daughters began telling different stories. Heidi Feek revealed in an interview with People that she and her sister, Hopie, are considering legal action against their father, who they claim cut them off from their 10-year-old sister, Indiana , putting her in danger, while Rory claims her father blocked them from contact.

“It was a devastating change for her because we had been in her life since the day she was born,” Heidi said. “She came to live with us even once a month for most of her life.”

Meanwhile, Rory wrote in a blog post titled “Love, Dad” on Saturday, August 31, that his eldest daughter’s statement “broke my heart” and that Indiana “never To be loved and cared for more like she is” is now. ”

Rory, 59, and his second wife, Joey, form the successful duo Joey + Rory and welcomed daughter Indiana “Indy” · in 2014. Indy Boone. After Joey died of cancer in 2016 at age 40, Heidi, 37, and Hoppy, 35, “developed a special maternal bond” with Indy, who has special needs, according to the GoFundMe page.

Indy has been regularly featured on Heidi’s Instagram over the years, as they spent quality time visiting Heidi’s home in Alabama. Indy even served as a flower girl when Hopi got married in 2018.

Heidi told People that things changed about three years ago. Suddenly, she said, they were no longer allowed to FaceTime with Indy, which was “how we stayed in touch with her.” Still, Rory recently claimed to have switched to a flip phone, so she said the sisters “didn’t panic” at first.

Heidi then said she and Hoppy were no longer able to send photos or videos to their sister.

“We support his decision because we can still talk to her on the phone and she continues to visit us in Alabama,” Heidi said. “But things became alarming when Rory started canceling visits to Alabama without rescheduling. Eventually, he said she would no longer be allowed to have overnight visits without explanation. After that, we were only allowed to see He visited her three times: for her 10th birthday, for dinner, and at Homestead Day in June – the last time he saw her. Now, he won’t let us talk to her on the phone and won’t respond to my text messages.

Rory admitted in his blog post that Indy “definitely” misses her sisters and “keeps asking about them and would love to see them.”

He said that while his youngest child could talk to Heidi and Hoppy at any time, he confirmed she was no longer allowed to spend the night with them. The singer wrote that he no longer allowed Indy to spend the night “because they refused to respect my wishes while she was there.”

Rory said in the post that he and Heidi’s different worldviews were the crux of their disagreement, as Heidi and Hoppy had different ideas about entertainment that they “wanted to expose.” [Indy] arrive.

“But Indiana is my daughter, I know what Joey wants, and I stand firm and uncompromising on the values ​​and principles that were important to me in raising Indiana,” he wrote. “I told her that hopefully soon we would be reunited and she would be able to talk to them and see them again. I do look forward to that day as much as Indy does.”

Heidi said she has become increasingly concerned about Indy’s safety after incidents in recent months where she was allegedly left unattended.

“She wandered into traffic on Highway 431, scared and lost, until a stranger found her and took her home,” Heidi said. “Instead of addressing the danger she faced, my father used this traumatic event to create content to enhance his public image.”

In an article published in the May monthly magazine Plain Values, Rory discussed the incident, writing that when he realized Indy was missing, he quickly searched for her when she was sitting in a stranger’s car He breathed a sigh of relief when he got home in the passenger seat. “With tears in my eyes, I hugged her tightly and was thankful she was okay,” he wrote.

Meanwhile, Heidi also expressed concern that Indy was being “left in the care of a group of people,” she wrote in an Aug. 29 Instagram post.

Taste of Country, which first reported the story, calls the group Homestead Heritage, which describes itself as an “intentional Christian community based on agriculture and crafts,” and has interviewed multiple people associated with the group.

A lengthy report was published in texas observer In 2012, it was alleged that there had been years of community abuse, including the sexual assault of children. In a statement shared on its website, Homestead Heritage called the media reports “defamatory” and said some people were trying to “use public media as a tool to advance their own agendas.”

“These false accusations include accusations that we tolerated and covered up the sexual abuse of minors,” the statement read, adding, “In every case of abuse we encounter, it is our department that exposes and reports it. this criminal act.

Heidi said Indy was left in the care of the Homestead Montana branch while Rory and his new wife Rebecca went on their honeymoon.

Rory said in the blog post that during their honeymoon, Indy spent time with two families, both of whom have children she is close to, and she had a great time.

“I’m not a perfect father, but I’m not an idiot either,” he wrote.

Rory also denied that Homestead was a “cult,” and admitted that while every organization has “bad apples,” he had only positive experiences with the group.

Homestead did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.

For Heidi, Rory’s behavior echoed her childhood trauma. She said she and Hoppy were told their mother didn’t want to be in their lives and said they only recently learned that wasn’t true.

“When we started losing touch with Indy, I couldn’t shake the feeling that this had happened before,” she said. “That’s when I found my mom and called her. She had always wanted to be a part of our lives and had been waiting for me to share her story. Now, I realize it’s my responsibility to make sure history doesn’t repeat itself.

Rory denied Heidi’s version of events in his blog post.

“This all goes to show that I know Heidi and Hopi’s lives are not easy,” he wrote. “They spent most of the first fifteen years of their lives without a mother, and the mother they finally got died at a young age, just when they were starting to become very close. Although they had recently reconnected with their biological mother Contact, I’m glad to hear this, but it sounds like she’s sharing another side of the story with them, saying I’ve blocked them from being with her for years. I hope one day they give me the opportunity to share my own experience raising them. Year side instead of just accusing me without a chance to respond.

Heidi’s attorney did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request.

“This process is complex, exhausting, and extremely costly. They will not enter this fight unless it is absolutely necessary to keep Indy safe,” the page reads.

Heidi wrote on Instagram that, according to GoFundMe, Heidi and Hoppy are raising money to pay for legal fees “to secure Indy’s future” because she “deserves to be in a safe and stable environment for her well-being.” The most important thing.”

“[If I could see her] I would tell her what I told her at Homestead: ‘I love you, I miss you, and I’m doing everything I can to see you. I’m sorry if my actions have caused you trouble, but I will never stop fighting for you,” Heidi said. “She said okay and gave me a hug.”

While it’s unclear whether Heidi hasn’t sued her father yet and what the purpose of the lawsuit is, Rory said in his post that Child Protective Services showed up at his door earlier this year amid reports that saying Indy was “ignored, among other accusations.”

“The situation has escalated to the point where they’re recording their conversations with her and leading her so they can find ammunition to use against me, and it’s clear that Heidi doesn’t have Indiana’s best interests in mind – she’s looking to retaliate and hurt me. way, no matter what the cost, I will never let Indiana be a part of it again,” he wrote of his eldest daughter.

In response to Rory’s blog post, Heidi shared an open letter to her father with People, claiming that she and Hoppy were happy to hear from him as they “have been for months” Been trying to contact him.

“Love is actions, not words. We forgive you for your unkind words. You called us weak in your blog post because we didn’t face you. We forgive you,” she wrote.

Elsewhere in the letter, she wrote that she was “heartbroken” by Rory’s claims that Indy had “never been cared for so much”. Her husband Dillon also chimed in, saying that when Indiana lived with them in Alabama, he “never let her look at a screen” to respect Rory’s wishes, but did let her listen to Disney songs on his iPhone and Whitney Houston.

“Love is action. We love our sister Indiana more than anything in the world,” Heidi and Hoppy wrote. “So we are taking action.”

Rory wrote that while Heidi’s accusations over the past few months “broke my heart,” he initially did not respond out of love for his children and fear of hurting them.

“I know they are angry and frustrated and want justice for the wrong they believe has been committed,” he wrote. “But if I’ve learned anything in nearly 60 years, it’s that that’s not how it works… I Will readily admit that I was not a perfect father when they were young, but I tried to be a good one and I will continue to do my best for Indiana every day.