New Ashley Madison Documentary Touches on Another Duggar Family Scandal
Prime Video’s Shiny Happy People: Duggar Family Secrets drew back the curtain on the ultra-conservative stars of TLC’s 19 Kids and Counting and Counting On. Now, another new docuseries is shedding more light on another Duggar family scandal. ABC News’ The Ashley Madison Affair digs into the truth about the notorious cheating website, which catered to married people looking to have an affair. Josh Duggar was one of millions of the site’s users whose information was exposed in a hacking incident in 2015.
Josh Duggar was exposed in Ashley Madison hack
As online dating took off in the early 2000s, the enterprising founders of Ashley Madison stumbled on what they were sure was a can’t-miss business idea: a dating website specifically for married people. The controversial site promised to discreetly connect individuals who were interested in stepping out on their spouses. The site sparked outrage, but also plenty of interest. At one point, it claimed to have 37 million registered users.
Ashley Madison promised its user anonymity. But in August 2015, a hacker exposed the information of many of the site’s users. One name on the list stood out: Josh Duggar, the eldest son of Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar. Josh, who’d appeared with his family on 19 Kids and Counting, was married with young kids. He also worked at the conservative lobbying group the Family Research Council.
Josh spent nearly $1,000 on Ashley Madison from 2012 to 2015, CNN reported. One of his two usernames was josh_the_man. He listed his interests as conventional sex, experimenting with sex toys, and one-night stands. He claimed to be interested in professional, confident women who disliked routine and had a secret love nest.
“He’s the star of a show called 19 Kids and Counting based on family values and what a good father and husband he is,” ABC News contributor Sunny Hostin says in The Ashley Madison Affair. “And he’s anything but that.”
The ‘19 Kids and Counting’ star said he was a ‘hypocrite’ who was living ‘a double life’
When the Ashley Madison hack happened, the Duggar family was already dealing with the fallout from another disturbing revelation involving Josh.
A few months earlier, reports surfaced that Josh had sexually abused several of his young sisters when he was a teenager and that his parents had taken steps to cover up the situation. TLC canceled 19 Kids and Counting following the sexual abuse revelations, and the Family Research Council fired Josh.
After the Ashley Madison hack, Josh issued a statement where he described himself as “the biggest hypocrite ever.”
“While espousing faith and family values, I have secretly over the last several years been viewing pornography on the internet and this became a secret addiction and I became unfaithful to my wife,” Duggar said in a statement after the hacking incident, Time reported.
“I am so ashamed of the double life that I have been living and am grieved for the hurt, pain, and disgrace my sin has caused my wife and family, and most of all Jesus and all those who profess faith in Him … The last few years, while publicly stating I was fighting against immorality in our country, I was hiding my own personal failings.”
Soon after, Josh’s parents said in a statement that their son had checked into a’” a long-term treatment center.”
Josh Duggar is now in prison
After the hack, more disturbing details about Josh’s secret life emerged. Adult film star Danica Dillon gave an interview to ET where she said that she’d had sex with Josh after he approached her when she was dancing at a club in Philadelphia. The encounter was “terrifying,” she said.
“He threw me on the bed and, in all honesty, though it was consensual it more or less felt like I was being raped,” she recalled.
Despite the allegations against Josh, his wife, Anna Duggar, stayed by his side. She called his actions a “betrayal.” But in an appearance on Counting On, she said she didn’t want to “turn a mess into a disaster” by leaving her husband.
Though Josh’s career on reality TV was over, he was back in the spotlight in 2021, when he was arrested on charges of possessing material depicting child sexual abuse. He was found guilty in December 2021 and is currently serving a 12-year sentence at a federal prison in Texas.
The Ashley Madison Affair is now streaming on Hulu.
How to get help: If you or someone you know has been sexually abused, text HOME to the Crisis Text Line at 741741 for free and confidential support.
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