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The popular Duggar family show “Counting On” has been canceled by TLC after running for 11 long seasons amid the ongoing Josh Duggar trial. The American reality show was launched in 2015 as a spin-off series of “19 Kids and Counting.”
The Duggar family rose to prominence with their regular appearances on the shows. The original show featured Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar and their 19 children. Meanwhile, the spin-off mainly focused on the lives of the Duggar children and their respective families.
However, TLC canceled “19 Kids and Counting” after Jim and Michelle’s eldest son, Josh, was allegedly accused of molesting five underage girls as a teenager. The spin-off, Counting On, was created without Josh.
Unfortunately, Josh Duggar landed in hot water once again after getting arrested for alleged possession of child p****graphic material earlier this year. He was set to appear in court on July 6th, but the trial has reportedly been postponed until November 30th.
As a result, TLC decided to drop Counting On right after the trial’s postponement was announced. The network told Variety that it would not produce any further seasons of the show:
“TLC will not be producing additional seasons of Counting On. TLC feels it is important to give the Duggar family the opportunity to address their situation privately.”
The decision was also welcomed by Jinger Duggar Vuolo, the sixth Duggar sibling, and her husband, Jeremy Vuolo. The couple took to Instagram to share that they are “grateful” to TLC for the opportunity.
They “wholeheartedly” agreed with TLC’s decision not to continue with the show any further.
A look into Josh Duggar’s alleged charges and ongoing trial
Josh Duggar first made the news in 2015 after documents containing charges for molesting five underage girls resurfaced online. At the time, the oldest Duggar sibling reportedly confessed and owed up to the allegations.
He found himself in the middle of another controversy when he was accused of cheating on his wife, Anna. He allegedly owned a secret account on dating site Ashley Madison that was later leaked after a hacking incident.
TLC dropped “19 Kids and Counting” following both the allegations. It was later revealed that the victims included Josh’s sisters and a family babysitter.
In April, Duggar was arrested and detained without bond at the Arkansas Washington Country Jail for possession of child p****graphy. In a statement issued by the US Attorney’s Office, Josh was allegedly accused of possessing material depicting child sexual abuse:
“A Springdale man was arrested yesterday for receiving and possessing material depicting the sexual abuse of children. According to court documents, Joshua James Duggar, 33, allegedly used the internet to download child sexual abuse material. Duggar allegedly possessed this material, some of which depicts the sexual abuse of children under the age of 12, in May 2019.”
TLC spoke to US Weekly, addressing the issue at the time:
“TLC is saddened to learn about the continued troubles involving Josh Duggar. ‘19 Kids and Counting’ has not aired since 2015. TLC canceled the show on the heels of prior allegations against Josh Duggar, and he has not appeared on air since then.”
During the first hearing, Duggar’s legal team, including attorney Justin Gelfand, Travis Story, and Greg Payne, said that the 33-year-old had pled not guilty to the charges. After a virtual proceeding on May 5th, Josh was released on bond and kept in home confinement at Pastor Lacount and Maria Reber’s residence.
He is currently allowed to step out of confinement with a GPS tracking service. He is also permitted to go to work, meet legal requirements, receive healthcare support, and attend religious services. However, Josh Duggar is strictly restricted from being around children and prevented from visiting his residence.
He is only allowed to meet his six children in the presence of his wife. The news of Josh’s arrest arrived right after Anna announced she was pregnant with Duggar’s seventh child. On June 17th, his lawyers appealed to the court to postpone the trial until February 2022.
The trial was only moved back by four months, with the proceedings set to begin on November 30th. If Josh Duggar pleads guilty in the upcoming trial, he can reportedly face up to 20 years in prison and charges of up to $250,000 per count.
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