The Duggars may present themselves as pure and wholesome on TV, but when you pull back the
curtain, the family also has a dark side. Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar believe in
homeschooling their 19 kids, and almost none of their brood have actually attended college.
So while some have taken online classes, why haven't more of the Duggar children gone to
a brick-and-mortar school for higher ed? Well, Michelle Duggar has reportedly used the family's
policy of staying debt-free as a deterrent for any of her children considering taking on
student loans. Needless to say, sending all of the Duggars to college would certainly be expensive.
On TV, Jim Bob and Michelle advertise themselves as virtuous people trying to follow God's law.
However, Radar Online uncovered documents that allege Jim Bob and his oldest son, Josh,
lied under oath at least three times in 2013 for a civil court case related to an insurance
deal. According to the outlet, the two men lied about not having a criminal record and never
exchanging official communications with police. They also lied about never filing a civil suit.
As for the first two lies, Josh was criminally investigated in 2006 for molesting his younger
sisters as a teenager, and police at all levels were involved. Moreover, it also was untrue that
Jim Bob never filed a civil suit. As a landlord, he filed one against a former tenant in 2003.
In the year before her oldest son confessed to being a predator, Duggar literally lent her voice
to a cause in Fayetteville, Arkansas, which was opposed to full rights for transgender people.
As the Fayetteville Flyer reported in 2014, alderman Matthew Petty was trying to protect
residents who felt "discriminated against during housing transactions, employment decisions,
and other public accommodations" like using a restroom. In the robocall, Duggar said, in part:
"I don't believe the citizens of Fayetteville would want males with
past child predator convictions that claim they are female to have a legal
right to enter private areas that are reserved for women and girls."
Despite Duggar's efforts, voters approved the civil rights measure, which has also
survived numerous court challenges. Viewers of "19 Kids and Counting" will recall the
Duggar family's devotion to the Institute in Basic Life Principles. Founded by Bill Gothard in 1961,
the IBLP promotes a patriarchal society and forbids members from taking part in many
everyday activities, like dancing, listening to popular music, and attending public school.
"The IBLP teachings aren't Christianity, they're something entirely different."
Jim Bob and Michelle are ardent supporters of the ultra-conservative ministry and
have regularly spoken at IBLP events and conferences. They're so devoted,
in fact, that when Gothard resigned in 2014 after dozens of women accused him
of sexual harassment, their commitment didn't falter. The couple told NBC News:
"Our faith in God is not based on following a fallible human
man. Truth is truth, even if the messenger fails."
It's this unwavering devotion that Jim Bob and Michelle tried to pass on to
their children. However, as Jinger Duggar Vuolo told People in 2023,
the ministry's teachings are dangerous and unhealthy. She told the outlet:
"There are a lot of cult-like tendencies."
For example, she was convinced that simple things like wearing pants or listening to
music with drums would displease God and bring harm upon her. Eventually,
she left IBLP in 2017 and put all of her experiences into a memoir called
"Becoming Free Indeed" to expose the ministry's dark truth.
Years before Josh Duggar was arrested on child sexual abuse material charges, he was
a 14-year-old boy admitting to his parents that he had fondled young girls while they slept. As
In Touch learned in 2015, police interviewed Jim Bob and Michelle in 2006 about allegations that
Josh had molested five underage girls, including his sisters, Jessa Seewald and Jill Dillard.
It was during that interview that Jim Bob admitted that a female minor told him in 2002 that she
had been groped in her bed. Josh confessed and was allegedly disciplined by Jim Bob,
but his father never told authorities. Then, in 2003, other female minors made
similar accusations. As a result, Jim Bob asked church elders for advice. Again,
police weren't involved. Instead, Jim Bob later took Josh to meet his friend, Arkansas State
Trooper Jim Hutchens. The whole thing would have stayed secret if not for an anonymous
tip sent to "The Oprah Winfrey Show" ahead of the family's scheduled appearance in 2006.
In the end, Josh wasn't charged with a crime. In 2015, he told People he had received the
necessary counseling from his parents. Jim Bob and Michelle also spoke to Megyn Kelly.
During the interview, Jim Bob explained why he didn't disclose Josh's actions, telling Kelly,
"This was not rape or anything like that. This was touching someone over their clothes."
Back in 2015, In Touch obtained redacted police reports and learned about Josh Duggar's illegal
behavior and his parents' efforts to hide it. Jump to 2017, and four of the Duggar sisters, Jill,
Jessa, Jinger, and Joy, filed a lawsuit against Springdale and Washington County officials,
accusing them of wrongfully providing private information to the magazine.
The lawsuit was eventually dismissed, but unsealed court documents revealed additional insight into
the Duggar home. Included in the docs was a transcript of Jill speaking to a psychologist
about her relationship with her dad. She said during a Preliminary Psychological Opinion:
"I saw a whole new side to my dad once my husband and I started making decisions
that were best for our family, but not in his best interest. Sadly,
I realized he had become pretty controlling, fearful and reactionary."
Jill also accused him of being verbally abusive and said their relationship fell apart, admitting,
"I don't feel comfortable being around him and
just hanging out. It isn't good for my mental health right now."
Josh Duggar was arrested and indicted on child sexual abuse material charges
in April 2021. He was then found guilty of one count of receiving
and one count of possessing child sexual abuse material that October. Jump to May
2022 and Josh was sentenced to 151 months in prison. The sentence was then extended
by an additional two months in 2023, making his release date October 2, 2032.
Throughout the trial, many members of the Duggar family showed their support in court,
including his dad, his wife Anna, and siblings Joy-Anna, Justin, and Jason.
"What Josh did was inexcusable but it was not unforgivable."
Michelle Duggar even wrote a letter to the judge ahead of sentencing to
ask for leniency. While trying to paint her son in a positive light, she wrote,
"Joshua has a tender heart and he is compassionate toward others."
Anna also penned a letter in which she called her husband a "loving, supportive,
and caring father." Following sentencing, Joy-Anna and Jason said they agreed with the verdict,
but Jason was adamant that he'd always love Josh. He wrote on his Instagram Story:
"Just as my savior has forgiven me so I have forgiven my brother of his wrongdoings!"
Others took a harsher stance. Josh's cousin, Amy King, told Celebuzz!,
"Twelve and a half years isn't enough."
Meanwhile, Jinger took to Instagram to write,
"We are thankful to God for exposing Josh's actions and to a legal system
committed to protecting the innocent and punishing the guilty in this case."
Despite all of Josh Duggar's legal issues, it seems his wife isn't going anywhere. Josh and
Anna Duggar married back in 2008 and went on to have six children. Just a week before Josh
was arrested and indicted on child sexual abuse material charges in 2021, the couple announced
that Anna was pregnant with their seventh child. She appeared in court on a number of occasions
and despite his sentencing, Anna's sticking by his side. As one source explained to Us Weekly,
"She won't move on with another man. They don't believe in divorce."
Still, some of her family thinks enough is enough. In 2022,
Amy King took to Instagram to persuade Anna to leave, writing,
"If no one else in your life is saying it,
I need you to understand that there is no shame in divorcing Josh."
King then turned on other members of the family. She wrote in her post:
"The only people you would upset by leaving are the ones willing
to sacrifice you and your children's safety to protect Josh and his secrets."
"And that's really, really sad that they're still protecting a pedophile."
Jinger also offered her support, telling People,
"I am always here for Anna and the kids at any point that they would want to talk,
or in any way I could help and love on them."
Jana Duggar had her own run-in with the law in September 2021 when she was charged with a
misdemeanor for allegedly endangering the welfare of a minor. According to documents seen by In
Touch, she was fined $430 and was supposed to appear in court in January 2022. However,
after initially pleading not guilty, Jana agreed to plead guilty to a third-degree count
of endangering the welfare of a minor. The case was eventually settled out of court, and Jana was
slapped with $880 in fines and fees. Sharing her side of the story on Instagram, Jana explained,
"I was babysitting a few months ago when one of the children wandered outside alone. A passerby
who saw the child called the police. This resulted in a written citation, as well as a
follow-up with child welfare who concluded that it was an accident and the child was unharmed."
Adding that the incident was scary, Anna actually thanked law enforcement and underscored the
fact that she was never arrested. She concluded in her Instagram Story post:
"In the end, I was just upset at myself that it had happened at
all but so thankful it all ended safely and that's truly what mattered the most to me."
If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault,
help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network
website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).