One of America’s most popular reality shows, 19 Kids And Counting has been canned, after one of the 19 kids admitted to molesting his younger sisters.
AP reports that network TLC “is not moving forward” with an 11th season of the show about the Duggar family, who have 19 children.
“We spent the past month and a half in thoughtful consideration about what is the best way forward here,” said network spokeswoman, Marjorie Kaplan.
The show averages 3.2 million viewers a week but was pulled from air in May after reports that Josh Duggar, now 27, had molested his sisters when he was himself a minor.
Josh, the eldest child of reality TV show family the Duggars, was found to have sexually molested five girls, including his sisters, over the course of four years, starting in 2002.
These allegations include forcible fondling of the girl’s breasts and genitals whilst they were sleeping.
The Duggars reported the matter to Arkansas police, and sent Josh to therapy.
In a statement published on Michelle Duggar’s blog she thanked the network for the opportunity to share their life with viewers.
She also revealed they will continue to work with network TLC in some capacity.
“We look forward to working with TLC on this upcoming special documentary and hope that it is an encouragement to many,” she wrote.
She said she was proud of all of her children, including Josh despite the allegations against him.
“With God’s grace and help Josh, our daughters and our entire family overcame a terrible situation, found healing and a way forward. We are so pleased with the wonderful adults they have all become.
“It is our prayer that the painful situation our family went through many years ago can point people toward faith in God and help others who also have lived through similar dark situations to find help, hope and healing, as well.”
Josh Duggar with wife.
In an interview with Fox News journalist Megyn Kelly last month Duggar sisters Jessa and Jill were identified as two of the girls Josh sexually assaulted.
Jessa, 22 said that what her brother did was “very wrong,” but defended Josh.
She argued her brother was not a child molester.
“I’m like, that is so overboard and a lie really, I mean people get mad at me for saying that but I can say this because I was one of the victims.”
Her sister Jill is 24.
Parents Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar, confirmed Josh molested four of their girls, and a young babysitter, back when he was under the age of 16.
Michelle Duggar, said Josh had confessed the abuse to them.
“We were shocked. I mean we were just devastated. I don’t think any parent is prepared for trauma like that,” she said.
She said the girls “didn’t know anything of his wrongdoing.”
Jim Bob said Josh had just acted out of curiosity.
“He was just curious about girls, and he had gone in and just basically touched them over their clothes while they were sleeping. They didn’t even know he had done it,” he said.
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