As you probably know, 2015 has been quite the tumultuous year for the Duggar family.
The Josh Duggar sex scandal dominated tabloid headlines for several months, but there were other, less shocking controversies that rocked the 19 Kids and Counting clan to its foundations, as well. For example:
Jill Duggar and Derick Dillard were caught lying about their missionary work and were forced to return an undisclosed sum to defrauded donors.
Younger sister Jessa Duggar was forced to shut down her own sketchy fundraising efforts after she and husband Ben Seewald were accused of exploiting fans.
Over the past several months, we saw a much uglier side of the once-beloved reality TV brood, and believe it or not, there"s plenty more controversy where that came from.
Needless to say, the entire family will likely be happy to see this year come to a close. But before that happens, we"d like to take one last look at the biggest Duggar scandals of 2015:
1. Josh Duggar Molested Several Young Girls (Including His Sisters)
In May, the world learned that Josh Duggar admitted to molesting five young girls (four of whom were his sisters) while he was still in his teens. The revelation set off a chain of events that would permanently tarnish his family’s reputation and lead to the cancelation of the Duggars’ popular reality show.
2. Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar Helped Josh Conceal His Crimes
More than a year passed between the when Josh confessed his crimes to his parents and when his parents reported the crime to a police officer friend. During that time, several more incidents of molestation took place.
3. Jim Bob & Michelle: Caught Lying About Josh’s Police Records
Jim Bob and Michelle went on Fox News and lashed out at a retired police chief, accusing her of illegally leaking their son’s sealed police records to the media. It turns out the chief had no choice but to release the files under the Freedom of Information Act, and Josh’s investigation was never sealed, as it was conducted when he was no longer a minor. We’re sure it was all an honest mistake.
4. Jill and Jessa Defended Josh, Blamed Media For Their Trauma
Smiling as they described him as very “sly” molester, Jill and Jessa literally laughed off the charges against Josh and attecked the media for “exploiting” them as though they were “porn stars.” The attempt to shift the focus away from Josh was not well-received, but thankfully, Jill and Jessa continued to be regarded by most as subjects of pity who seem to have been manipulated by their own parents.
5. Josh Used the Website Ashley Madison to Cheat on His Wife
In August, Ashley Madison – a website designed to help married people find cheating partners – was hacked, and thousands of its clients were revealed. Josh was found to have two paid accounts with the service.
6. Josh Paid Porn Star Danica Dillon For Rough Sex
Shortly after the Ashley Madison news broke, an adult film actress named Danica Dillon came forward and claimed that Josh paid her thousands of dollars to have sex with him on more than one occasion. She later filed a civil suit for assault, claiming that the sex was so rough that she felt as though she’d been raped.
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