If you’re fan of the Counting On clan, then by now, you’ve probably heard the news that Josh and Anna Duggar have weldomed her fifth child.
Reactions to the announcement have been decidedly mixed, as a result of the Josh Duggar sex scandals that rocked the family in 2015.
Fans were stunned to learn that Josh had molested five young girls, four of whom were her sisters, and was able to avoid punishment with the help of his parents.
Astonishingly, Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar managed to salvage their lucrative media empire, but their efforts to sweep Josh’s sex crimes under the rug have been met with staunch resistance from critics.
Many former fans turned away from the Duggars in disgust after news of Josh’s transgressions went public.
And for many, the knowledge that he’s become a father for the fifth time has re-opened old wounds.
There’s been an outpouring of concern on social media, not only for Josh’s children, but for his beleaguered wife, Anna Duggar.
Rumors of Anna planning to divorce Josh seem to circulate on social media every few months, and it’s not hard to see why.
Anna has countless valid reasons to leave her husband, not the least of which is that Josh was caught cheating on her just months after word of his sex crimes went public.
But amazingly, Anna has stuck by him through it all, becoming pregnant with her fifth child shortly after Josh was released from rehab, where he was treated for sex additction.
It’s possible that Anna is just an extremely devoted student of the Tammy Wynette school of marital strife.
But what seems more likely is that Anna is unable to leave her philandering spouse.
For starters, if Anna were to cut ties with Josh she would no longer be invited to take place in the various Duggar media projects, which means she would lose her livelihood with five children to feed.
And since Josh already isn’t allowed to appear on Counting On, it’s not as though he would have much to offer her in the way of child support.
On top of all that, as several Duggar obsessives have noted Anna’s family is said to be more strict than Josh’s in terms of their fundamentalist beliefs.
Those who now them best say the Kellers don’t approve of divorce under any circumstances, which means they likely wouldn’t offer any support to Anna if she left her husband.
Yes, if she were to end her marriage, Anna would be left with five children to raise, and no money or support system to aid her in doing so.
The situation is a further reminder that the repercussions of Josh’s actions will be felt for generations.
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