Jinger Duggar Said it Wasn’t ‘Popular’ to Be Her Friend After Josh Duggar Scandal
The Duggar family from TLC’s Counting On has certainly weathered some storms, and one of the toughest times in their reality TV history surrounded Josh Duggar. In 2015, it was revealed Josh molested a number of underage girls, a few of whom were his sisters. Now, Jinger Duggar is talking about that experience prior to the publication of her memoir, The Hope We Hold. Here’s what she said.
Does Josh Duggar see his family? He was involved in the near downfall of the Duggar family
Those who follow the Duggar family know all about Josh. Prior to Counting On, Josh was part of 19 Kids and Counting, and he’s the oldest of Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar’s kids. But in 2015, a police report revealed Josh sexually abused a few of his sisters and other young girls. The sisters in question were Jessa, Jill, and Joy-Anna.
Not only that, but Josh had difficulties in his marriage. Not only did the abuse allegations affect his relationship with wife Anna Duggar, but Josh also had a pornography addiction, and he was unfaithful to Anna.
“How could this happen in my marriage?” Anna explained after learning of Josh’s infidelity. “Josh was my first love. I knew that my only hope was to cling to my faith. Because I knew if I went off of what I was feeling, I would turn a mess into a disaster.”
So, do the other Duggars still speak to Josh? It seems they’ve forgiven him for what occurred, and he still goes to Duggar family events. “I definitely have forgiven Josh,” Jessa told People. “It is a process, though, that you have to work through in your heart. And trust is not quickly rebuilt. It is something that takes a while. We love him very much, though, and we are very hopeful for the future.”
Jinger Duggar said Josh Duggar scandal made it difficult to maintain friendships
Jinger hasn’t talked too much about how Josh’s scandals affected the rest of the Duggar family. But it seems she’s ready to talk more about it now. She and Jeremy Vuolo wrote a memoir together titled The Hope We Hold, and she recently talked about a few personal aspects of her life with Us Weekly. In the interview, Josh came up.
“Walking through that that season, it was one of the hardest times of our lives,” the Counting On star said. And she then explained that how others responded to the events that unfolded showed her who her real friends were.
“It’s in those times where it’s not popular to be your friend, seeing how they responded really showed us the love of Christ through them and through their friendships,” she added. “I think that was something that stood out to me and I saw the friends who came so close and were like, ‘Hey, I’ll just sit with you,’ ‘I’ll bring you a meal or hang out with you if you want to.’ In those times I thought, ‘Man, that really meant the most.’”
Does Josh Duggar appear on ‘Counting On’?
Is Josh Duggar on new episodes of TLC’s Counting On with the rest of the Duggar family? It appears he’s totally axed from the show — and his wife doesn’t appear on it much, either. Anna will make appearances from time to time on the show (and Josh might possibly appear in the background), but it seems there are no current plans for the couple to have any major storylines on the program in the future.
So, when are future episodes of Counting On coming out? As of now, there’s no definitive date. But Duggar family fans can enjoy Jinger’s new memoir on May 4.
How to get help: In the U.S., call the RAINN National Sexual Assault Telephone Hotline at 1-800-656-4673 to connect with a trained staff member from a sexual assault service provider in your area.
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