Reality show star Josh Duggar of the former hit TLC television show “19 Kids and Counting” has checked into a long-term treatment center following his admission to a pornography addiction and adultery in light of the massive data dump of the spouse-cheating website Ashley Madison.
Duggar’s family reported the development in a public statement that they released on their website this week.
“We are so thankful for the outpouring of love, care and prayers for our family during this most difficult situation with Josh,” they wrote. “As parents we are so deeply grieved by our son’s decisions and actions. His wrong choices have deeply hurt his precious wife and children and have negatively affected so many others. He has also brought great insult to the values and faith we hold dear.”
“[On Tuesday,] Josh checked himself into a long-term treatment center. For him it will be a long journey toward wholeness and recovery,” the statement continued. “We pray that in this he comes to complete repentance and sincere change. In the meantime, we will be offering our love, care and devoted support to Anna and our grandchildren as she also receives counsel and help for her own heart and future.”
As previously reported, Duggar released a statement last week admitting to a pornography addiction and adultery after the massive Ashley Madison data dump revealed that Duggar had a paid account with the 37-million-user spouse-cheating site.
“I have been the biggest hypocrite ever,” he wrote. “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.”
“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,” Duggar continued. “I brought hurt and a reproach to my family, close friends and the fans of our show with my actions that happened when I was 14-15 years old, and now I have re-broken their trust.”
TLC pulled “19 Kids and Counting” last month following revelations that Duggar, the eldest son of Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar, inappropriately touched several girls—four of his sisters and a babysitter—at the age of 14 and was required by his parents to obtain help.
Duggar, who confessed to his parents about his actions at that time, later professed to be a Christian and went on to serve as the executive director of FRC Action at the Washington, D.C.-based Family Research Council. He attended rallies and other events where he spoke against society’s moral degradation.
However, in last week’s statement, Duggar admitted that while serving in ministry and rebuking the sins of others, he himself had been living in sin.
“The last few years, while publicly stating I was fighting against immorality in our country, I was hiding my own personal failings,” he wrote. “As I am learning the hard way, we have the freedom to choose to our actions, but we do not get to choose our consequences. I deeply regret all hurt I have caused so many by being such a bad example.”
Duggar resigned from Family Policy Council in May and moved back to Arkansas with his wife and children. His parents continue to request prayer for their son and his family.
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