5 things to know about the Duggar family
Shiny Happy People: Duggar Family Secrets docuseries premiered on June 2, 2023, on Prime Video and has since managed to make headlines for the controversial topics it raised. The docuseries follows the story of the Duggar family, who shot to fame in 2008 for their hit reality television show 19 Kids and Counting, in which viewers were shown the daily lives of the Duggars, a Christian homeschooling family with 19 children, and how their family functions.
The show had an incredible run on television, spanning almost 8 years. However, the show was canceled following Josh Dugger's molestation scandal that came to light in 2015. The spinoff for 19 Kids and Counting, which featured some of the older siblings of the family, Counting On, was also taken off air following the scandal.
Since then, the family has been subject to a lot of criticism and scrutiny. The parents, Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar, have faced a lot of online hate for their neglect in the case. And now, the Prime Video documentary has blown the whole thing wide open.
Not only did the documentary consist of testimonials from Duggar family friends and relatives, but also interviews from the Duggar family siblings themselves. The documentary also revealed that, due to the show, many siblings in the family were not able to attain a proper education and were put under extreme pressure by their parents. The siblings have also revealed that the Duggar family was a part of a 'Christian cult', one that brainwashes you to obey everything they say.
Shiny Happy People: Duggar Family Secrets - 5 things to know about the scandal surrounding the Duggar Family
1) Josh Duggar's conduct was largely kept a family secret, says Judge Timothy Brooks
Federal Judge Timothy Brooks, who overlooked the case, gave a detailed account of Josh Duggar's alleged molestation of his sisters in court. The judge revealed that Josh's conduct in the Duggar family household was largely kept a family secret and explained that Duggar's four sisters were s*xually abused by their brother between March 2002 and March 2003, when he was 14 and 15 years old, while the four sisters were between the ages of 5 and 11 when the alleged abuse occurred.
Brooks further said in his statement:
"Their parents, Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar, discovered the abuse but did not report it to the police or any state agency. Instead, they decided to keep it a secret and discipline Joshua privately. Unfortunately, whatever Mr. and Mrs. Duggar tried to do to stop Joshua's behavior did not work."
The Duggar parents instead sought help from their family, friends, and leaders at their local church. Brooks further explained that this was a turning point in the case, saying:
"From that point on, the Duggars' family secret spread by word of mouth to the other members of their close-knit church community. It is unknown exactly how many church members learned of the abuse, but the news caused factions to form within the church, and certain church members evidently disagreed with how the matter was being handled."
2) Arkansas officials and Oprah Winfrey's production company were anonymously tipped about the alleged molestation
In December 2006, the Arkansas Department of Human Services hotline received two tips about Josh Duggar's conduct in the family. One tip was from an anonymous caller, while the other was from a producer at the Oprah Winfrey Show. Around that time, the Duggar family was set to appear on the Oprah Winfrey Show; however, the Harpo Studios producer informed the police that they had apparently received a message from an anonymous caller that said:
"The Duggar Family is not what they seem[ed] to be."
Following the tips, Oprah Winfrey reportedly refused to interview the Duggar family, and an investigation into the alleged allegation was opened by the Springdale Police Department. However, in a shocking turn of events, the case was dismissed, and the oldest Duggar sibling was never charged over his alleged conduct.
Federal Judge Timothy Brooks also revealed a disturbing fact about the case, which was that following the dismissal of the molestation case, no efforts were made to remove the Duggar sisters from their family home.
3) Jill Duggar's husband, Derick Dillard, made disparaging comments about transgender activist Jazz Jennings
People magazine reported that in 2017, Derick Dillard called Jazz Jennings' show I Am Jazz an "oxymoron" for being a reality show that follows a "non-reality". He was accused of homophobia and transphobia because he called being transgender a "myth", and commented:
"Gender is not fluid; it's ordained by God."
The Counting On actor also talked about Jennings on his Twitter account but repeatedly misgendered her. Following his comments, TLC released a statement revealing that Dillard would no longer appear on the 19 Kids and Counting spinoff. The statement by the network read:
"We want to let our viewers know that Derick Dillard has not participated in 'Counting On' for months and the network has no plans to feature him in the future. We want to reiterate that Derick's personal statements do not reflect the views of the network. TLC is proud to share the story of Jazz Jennings and her family and will continue to do so."
4) Josh Duggar was involved in a cheating scandal in 2015
In 2015, during the Ashley Madison site hack, an online dating service that targeted people in a committed relationship to have extramarital affairs, it was revealed that Josh had been a user on the site between 2012 and 2015. At the time of the revelation, Josh and his wife Anna had been married for almost eight years and had four kids together.
The reality television star had apparently deleted his account earlier in the year due to the molestation allegations being made against him. Josh Duggar eventually responded to the cheating claims and admitted to them by releasing a statement in which he called himself "the biggest hypocrite ever". The statement further read:
"While espousing faith and family values, I have secretly over the last several years been viewing p*rn*graphy on the internet and this became a secret addiction and I became unfaithful to my wife."
However, the couple is still together and shares seven kids.
5) Josh Duggar was arrested for possession of child pornography in April 2021
In April 2021, Josh Duggar was arrested for possession of child p*rn*graphy and held in the Washington County Jail in Arkansas. However, Duggar was eventually released after pleading not guilty. However, Insider reported that a federal agent testified the following month that Duggar had indeed downloaded and possessed at least 65 images of child p*rn*graphy.
Following the revelation, Duggar was arrested and underwent a long trial that brought out various aspects of his life. The case also revisited the alleged molestation charges made against the reality television star back in 2015. The Duggar family also released a statement following Josh's arrest that read:
"We appreciate your continued prayers for our family at this time. The accusations brought against Joshua today are very serious. It is our prayer that the truth, no matter what it is, will come to light, and that this will all be resolved in a timely manner."
Josh Duggar was convicted of both crimes in December 2021 and now faces a 12.5-year prison sentence at the Federal Correctional Facility (FCI) Seagoville in Texas.
The four-part docuseries Shiny Happy People: Duggar Family Secrets is now available on Prime Video.
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