Who Is Kaeleigh Holt, Josh Duggar’s Ex-Girlfriend?
Fans of TLC’s Counting On and 19 Kids and Counting can’t wait to see the new docuseries, Shiny Happy People: Duggar Family Secrets. The series dives deep into the Duggar family and how they followed the Institute in Basic Life Principles. And it also goes over the ins and outs of Josh Duggar’s crimes. So, who is Kaeleigh Holt, Josh’s ex-girlfriend who’s mentioned in the series? Here’s what to know.
Who is Kaeleigh Holt? She’s referenced in ‘Shiny Happy People: Duggar Family Secrets’
Kaeleigh Holt is the daughter of Jim and Bobye Holt. The Holts were close friends of the Duggars, and Kaeleigh dated Josh Duggar in 2002 before Josh dated (and eventually married) Anna Duggar. Kaeleigh and Josh were both 14 at the time. She appeared on the TLC special 16 Children and Moving In, which served as a precursor to 19 Kids and Counting.
During the time period she dated Josh, Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar were learning of Josh molesting his sisters. Jim Bob and Michelle alerted the Holts, as the families were extremely close.
Today, Kaeleigh is married with at least five kids. She didn’t speak about the past before her mother, Bobye, testified at Josh’s trial. While on the stand, Bobye spoke about her daughter’s relationship with Josh. Kaeleigh then took to Instagram to explain to her followers what she hoped to share on her public account.
“There are a lot of people here following me because of my relations to the Duggars and they know we were really good friends growing up,” she shared, according to The Ashley’s Reality Roundup. “I have taken about a week to really think about what I want to do here. … I didn’t know how to go about [keeping] my privacy at the same time.”
She continued by stating she planned on keeping a private life. “I’m going to keep my children’s lives private,” she added. “And I am attempting to, not really go too much in-depth about my thoughts.”
Jim and Bobye Holt spoke out against Josh Duggar
Kaeleigh Holt’s parents, particularly her mother, Bobye Holt, talked about her past experience with the Duggar family. She testified during Josh Duggar’s trial, and she explained what occurred when Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar told her and Jim about Josh’s molestation.
“On March 23, 2003, Mr. Duggar asked us to come over for an important matter,” Bobye said, according to The Sun. “They took us to their bedroom. Josh was on the floor.” She continued on by stating that Michelle and Jim Bob admitted that Josh molested his sisters when he was between the ages of 12 and 15. She and Jim then chose to end their daughter’s relationship with Josh.
“He told us so our oldest daughter would know why the relationship had to end,” Bobye testified. “Josh went to a facility for troubled youth.”
Kaeleigh spoke about the trial on Instagram after her mother testified. “Even though for us it might be a little bit of closure for all of us that are on the outside, but it’s gonna be lifelong for them, for Josh’s kids,” she shared, according to The Hollywood Gossip. ” … Those kids don’t deserve that kind of father and it’s gonna be life-long therapy for them, and I hope they get it.”
Shiny Happy People: Duggar Family Secrets releases on June 2, 2023, on Prime Video.
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