Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar are breaking their silence about the new docuseries digging into their lives and beliefs.
The couple — made well-known by their TLC actuality reveals and later scandals involving eldest son Josh, who’s serving 12 years in jail on baby porn prices — calls Prime Video’s Shiny Happy People: Duggar Family Secrets, which they did not take part in, “derogatory and sensationalized.” Among the doc claims are that the 19 Kids and Counting dad and mom lined up Josh molesting 5 women, 4 of whom have been their daughters, when he was a teen and failed to get him therapy. Their daughter Jill Duggar Dillard, one among the victims, participated in the doc, and mentioned her dad and mom pressured her to defend Josh when the allegations surfaced.
“The recent ‘documentary’ that talks about our family is sad because in it we see the media and those with ill intentions hurting people we love,” the couple mentioned in an announcement on their web site on Friday. “Like other families, ours too has experienced the joys and heartbreaks of life, just in a very public format. This ‘documentary’ paints so much and so many in a derogatory and sensationalized way because sadly that’s the direction of entertainment these days.”
The assertion continued, “We have always believed that the best chance to repair damaged relationships, or to reconcile differences, is through love in a private setting. We love every member of our family and will continue to do all we can to have a good relationship with each one. Through both the triumphs and the trials we have clung to our faith all the more and discovered that through the love and grace of Jesus, we find strength, comfort and purpose.”
Amy Duggar King, who additionally speaks out in opposition to her family in the doc, slammed her uncle and aunt’s assertion.
“News flash: If you would have gotten Josh the real, true help that he needed a long time ago — actual therapy — we wouldn’t be in this mess,” Amy mentioned in an Instagram video. “Those beautiful girls wouldn’t have so much to heal from. You are not a victim here. Stop playing the victim.”
Amy additionally took subject with Jim Bob and Michelle saying they like to “reconcile differences” privately, writing, “Anyone notice what seems like to me… gaslighting? The ‘private settings’ are what we are speaking up about!”
The four-part doc appears to be like at how the ministry the family lengthy adopted and touted on their reveals, Institute in Basic Life Principles (IBLP), teaches that girls needs to be obedient to their husband and youngsters are taught to observe patriarchal requirements and not to ask questions. Teachings embrace that when unhealthy issues occur, members ought to pray to put it behind them or ignore it slightly than communicate up, ex-IBLP members claimed.
The doc appears to be like at how that instructing was in mess around the molestation allegations in opposition to Josh, but in addition the way it additionally cultivated a poisonous surroundings inside the IBLP ministry. Bill Gothard, who based IBLP and promoted “male superiority and female obedience,” was accused of sexual harassment and molestation by over 30 ladies, together with some minors, main him to step down in 2014. The doc appears to be like at how Josh was despatched to an IBLP facility in 2003 when his dad and mom discovered he had been molesting women. There, he did not get psychological well being remedy however did handbook labor as an alternative. Jim Bob picked him up early.
On Friday, Jill additionally posted a video to Instagram following Jim Bob and Michelle’s assertion bashing the doc. In it, she thanked followers for his or her help of her talking out. She inspired them to order her upcoming e-book, Counting the Cost, co-written by her husband Derick Dillard.
“I know it’ll be difficult,” Jill mentioned of releasing the e-book, “but I pray that it also just helps other people have a voice to maybe realize that they’re not alone.”
Counting the Cost, introduced earlier this week, will element the “greed, manipulation and betrayal” in addition to “secrecy and lies” they confronted, the couple promised.
Jill — the fourth Duggar baby — waded into that in the doc. She claimed she was pressured to do the 2015 Megyn Kelly interview defending Josh after his molestation claims have been made public. She mentioned she did not make a cent off of the actuality reveals, which ran from 2008 to 2020, at the same time as an grownup in her personal spin-off, Counting On, leading to her having to go to a meals financial institution to feed her family at one level. She additionally claimed she did not need to movie the delivery of her first baby for Counting On, however was instructed she had to.
Jim Bob’s sister, Deanna, additionally appeared in the doc, in addition to Jim Bob and Michelle’s former greatest mates, Jim and Bobye Holt, who talked about the couple overlaying up Josh’s abuse as a baby.
Shiny Happy People: Duggar Family govt producer Blye Pagon Faus beforehand instructed Yahoo she hopes Jim Bob and Michelle watch the docuseries “and maybe there’s some sort of reflection and changes.”
The docuseries is a part of a long-running unraveling of the TV family, whose conservative religion and life-style was at the heart of their reveals. 19 Kids and Counting was canceled in 2015 after Josh’s abuse allegations first surfaced. Spin-off Counting On was axed in 2021 after Josh — now a father of seven himself — was arrested on “worst of the worst” baby porn prices. Earlier this yr, Jinger Duggar Vuolo — the sixth Duggar — launched a e-book detailing her upbringing in the cult-like ministry and talked about how “fear was a huge part of my childhood.”
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