Josh Duggar, star of “19 Kids and Counting” has admitted to viewing pornography and being unfaithful to his wife after a leak revealed he had an active account on AshleyMadison.com, the website that facilitates extramarital affairs.
“I have been the biggest hypocrite ever. 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,” he said in a statement on DuggarFamily.com.
The statement was preceded by a statement from Duggar’s parents, Jim Bob and Michelle.
“When we learned of this late last night our hearts were broken,” they said. “As we continue to place our trust in God we ask for your prayers for Josh, Anna, our grandchildren and our entire family.”
The revelation that Duggar had two AshleyMadison.com accounts came Wednesday, as part of the hacked information dump that is currently plaguing the exposed website and its members. Gawker posted the news and some evidence of the accounts belonging to the former family activist, including a credit card with his name and an address belonging to his grandmother.
In his statement, Duggar also acknowledged the controversy that surrounded him earlier in the summer, when he admitted to molesting several underage girls, including his own sisters, when he was a teenager.
He continued in his statement, “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 … The last few years, while publicly stating I was fighting against immorality in our country, I was hiding my own personal failings.”
See the full statement below.
Please see the statement below from our son Josh regarding recent media stories about him. When we learned of this late last night our hearts were broken. As we continue to place our trust in God we ask for your prayers for Josh, Anna, our grandchildren and our entire family.
Statement from Josh Duggar:
I have been the biggest hypocrite ever. 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.
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.
The last few years, while publicly stating I was fighting against immorality in our country, I was hiding my own personal failings.
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.
I humbly ask for your forgiveness. Please pray for my precious wife Anna and our family during this time.
Josh Duggar