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| Image Credit: My Daily News |
We've done many posts on the 19 kids and counting the TV show and about the Duggar family including the announcement of Jill's birth and the awaited Jill's Special Delivery premier. We never expected that this would be one of our posts.
The Facts
Josh Duggar (27), the eldest son of Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar, was accused last week of molesting girls, including his sisters when he was a teenager. Josh Dugger's statement in a Facebook post on the family's official page read:
"Twelve years ago, as a young teenager I acted inexcusably for which I am extremely sorry and deeply regret. I hurt others, including my family and close friends. I confessed this to my parents who took several steps to help me address the situation. We spoke with the authorities where I confessed my wrongdoing and my parents arranged for me and those affected by my actions to receive counseling"Josh Duggar reportedly resigned from his position at the Family Research Council where he worked spreading awareness about the Christian faith. A statement from the non-governmental organization read:
"as a result of previously unknown information becoming public concerning events that occurred during his teenage years."Josh Duggers statement regarding a conversation with authorities, seems to be referring to a 2006 police report which was reportedly obtained by in touch weekly. This report goes in depth on the accusations against Josh and the investigation that resulted as a result of the child mother station allegations.
Although, the media and news reports have claimed that this police report is the one referencing Josh's situation, the actual document is heavily redacted and does not officially name the person accused of "forcibly fondling" another person. However, the dates you line up with the timing described by Josh Dugger's statement.
As of right now, the police report remains expunged by order of a judge because one of the victims, which is a minor may be identified in it.
Family & Friends Respond
Both Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar were named on the police report, and it has been officially stated that both parents knew about the molestation after they had walked in on Josh Duggar in one of the sisters rooms. Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar released a statement on their Facebook page which read:
"Back 12 years ago our family went through one of the most difficult times of our lives. When Josh was a young teenager, he made some very bad mistakes and we were shocked. We had tried to teach him right from wrong. That dark and difficult time caused us to seek God like never before. Even though we would never choose to go through something so terrible, each one of our family members drew closer to God."There has been heavy support for Josh Duggar from his family, and there have been some high-profile individuals supporting the family as a whole. Mike Huckabee, a presidential candidate who the family had been supporting just a week prior to the disclosure of these events, released a statement in support for the Duggar family which he considers his friends. In a Facebook post, Mike Huckabee wrote:
"Josh's actions when he was an under age teen are as he described them himself, 'inexcusable', but that doesn't mean 'unforgivable'". He went on to write: "He and his family dealt with it and were honest and open about it with the victims and authorities. No purpose whatsoever is served by those who are now trying to discredit Josh or his family by sensationalizing the story."Huckabee went on to state that, "Good people make mistakes and do regrettable and even disgusting things". He also made it a point to scold those who had resurfaced the story by stating their actions were consistent with an "insensitive blood thirst". The presidential candidate went on to defend Josh by stating that he had essentially redeemed himself by living a"responsible and circumspect life as an adult".
The Duggar family has used their clout to back socially conservative concepts and a few conservative presidential candidates. This leaves a lot of room for backlash or loss of popularity for those candidates who have previously aligned themselves with the family.
The Future Of The Show
At the moment, the 19 Kids and Counting TV show is not recording. The public is taking this as an official cancellation by TLC.com, however there has not been an official announcement as to the future of the show and whether or not it has been canceled. According to Shannon Llanes, a spokeswoman for the network, TLC has pulled any episodes set to air in the future and has already replaced several scheduled repeats of "19 Kids and Counting" with the TV show "The Little People".
It can be noted that TLC did cancel "Here Comes Honey Boo Boo, after one of the cast members was reported to have been a sex offender.
The show aired 2008 when there were only 17 children in the family unit. Since then, it has been one of TLC's top rated programs. During a round of presentations to advertisers in April, the show was heavily featured, leaving many to wonder where this leaves TLC's revenue, in terms of their market of advertising.
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