We don’t see too much of Josh Duggar these days — and that’s unquestionably a good thing. As you’ll likely recall, Josh molested five young girls — four of whom were his sisters — while he was still in his teens. Josh’s parents helped him avoid prosecution , but the disgraced reality star was tried and convicted in the court of public opinion when news of his crimes was finally made public in 2015. The father of five has not appeared on his family’s TLC reality shows in the years since. But that doesn’t mean Duggar fans have been completely shielded from the sight of him. On several occasions, Josh has attempted a comeback of sorts by appearing in photos posted on social media by various family members. For obvious reasons, no one is more keen to see Josh get back to earning the big bucks as a reality star than his wife Anna, who is currently pregnant with her sixth child. And so the latest Josh photo comes to us from Anna’s Instagram page. She posted the pic below on Wednesday, along with a caption reading: “We enjoyed a visit to the St. Louis Zoo on our way up to Oshkosh, Wisconsin last week!” “It’s always exciting to see the different animals and the kiddos love it!” she added. The photo received a mixed response from Anna’s followers, but one fan was effusive in her praise of the admitted child molester: “I love seeing more pictures with Josh in them! Your family is such a beautiful example of the love of Christ!” she wrote. “I know your journey has been hard but it looks to me like you have come through it with grace!” Anna was quick to reply, writing: “Thank you for your kind words. Redemption is a beautiful thing!” Yes, apparently, at some point, Josh was redeemed. We must have missed that one! In all likelihood, Anna means that Josh has been forgiven in a religious sense. As for how his victims and the public feel about him — well, that’s a more complicated matter. From St. Louis, the family proceeded to Osh Kosh, Wisconsin, where they attended an air show that Anna described as “one of our 2019 summer highlights.” “We topped off the camping experience by grilling lunch & dinners for our family and Joshua’s siblings,” she wrote on Instagram. “My hat is off to John & Abbie who stayed in an actual tent.” The presence of Josh’s siblings left some fans wondering if the trip was documented by a Counting On camera crew. It may be quite some time before we know for sure. But whatever the case, it’s a safe bet that Josh won’t be appearing in the episode. It’s one thing for his family to force him on an unsuspecting public. Execs at TLC have a lot more at stake — and a much better sense of what audiences will and will not put up with. View Slideshow: 19 Scandals & Counting: The Duggar Family’s Most Shameful Moments
Earlier this week, David Eason launched into an unprompted homophobic rant on Twitter that horrified fans — and Teen Mom 2 fans are not easily shocked. MTV has ended their relationship with David Eason, which makes things even more awkward for the already controversial Jenelle Evans. Nathan Griffith is stepping up to the plate and condemning David Eason’s words. Just days ago, while arguing with fans on Twitter about his and Jenelle’s decidedly pro-gun response to the tragic shooting at a Florida high school on Valentine’s Day, David Eason got called out on his atrocious parenting. (And that’s putting it nicely — fans who’ve seen him in action wouldn’t trust him with a pot roast, let alone a child) David’s response was to pivot by attacking LGBT parents and children, tweeting: “Why don’t you go tell the homo and transgender parents to start teaching their kids better morals. Oh, I forgot, that’s supposed to be normal.” There’s nothing abnormal or immoral about LGBT parents, but David Eason says that he’s going to make sure that his kids steer clear of them. He tweeted: “I’m going to teach them not to associate with them or be that way…If you lay down with dogs, you get up with fleas.” A disgusting sentiment and a deeply offensive analogy. When David Eason was accused of homophobia, he decided to take a literal approach to the word’s etymology. “Homophobic? You really lost it now. I’m not scared [of] s–t, especially a homo.” That’s right, he decided to make it worse. (By the by, folks, “homo” in this context is a slur, but that’s hardly the worst part of his tweets) MTV pulled the plug, firing David Eason with six weeks of production remaining. Nathan Griffith sometimes feuds with Jenelle Evans , which really fits the Teen Mom 2 brand because they’re exes. And, in particular, he’s Jenelle’s ex. And now he’s speaking out against her current husband, David Eason. He started his series of three tweets with well wishes for everyone. “Please take care everyone! Especially, with the terrorist attacks in the east and the families suffering in Florida.” Every day is one nightmare after another, it seems. “God bless and remember that God is the only one that judges and loves all his children of all races, sex, personal orientation, and belief.” That seems like a direct reference to David Eason. He then goes on to admit that (quite frankly, like every man who’s ever been in Jenelle Evans’ orbit) he is far from perfect, writing: “I know there are some things that I have said out of pure ignorance on my part.” You know what — not that it’s an excuse — but everybody’s learning all of the time. “And if I have offended or hurt anyone out there, I am truly sorry and the door is always open to vent or even ask for advice.” That Once could cynically suggest that perhaps Nathan is simply hoping to make sure that he never becomes unfilmable, but his message is a positive one. “I have my own beliefs and my own opinions but to segregated, belittle, and to hate someone based on their opinions, lifestyle, religion, race, and/or sexual orientation is wrong. PERIOD!” When he talks about segregation, he’s clearly talking about David Eason’s vow to teach his children to never associate with LGBT people. He then goes on to lament that people are still having to preach basic equality in 2018. “It’s 2018! As long as it doesn’t affect your life, then let it go. # lovemorehateless” That’s a very positive message. Nathan Griffith does have a tendency to come across as the more reasonable of the two when he feuds with Jenelle. (Admittedly, that’s not super hard to do — we’re talking about the Carolina Hurricane here) We’re not going to endorse him for President any time soon, but it’s probably fair to say that Nathan said some good and fair things in these tweets. And he didn’t actually mention David Eason by name — though, obviously, anyone who saw them knew what brought on his statements. View Slideshow: Jenelle Evans: Getting Fired From Teen Mom 2 Any Minute Now?!
It’s been almost three years since the world learned that Josh Duggar molested five young girls , four of whom were his sisters. Initially, it looked as though the scandal would bring an end to the Duggars’ wildly lucrative media empire, especially after Josh was caught cheating on his wife using an online account he created solely for that purpose. In that time, the rest of Josh’s family has gone to great pains to distance themselves from the disgraced former lobbyist. He rarely appears on any of his siblings’ social media pages, and the Duggars have gone to such great lengths to keep Josh off their popular reality show that he was once digitally erased from a scene in Counting On . These days, Josh works on a used car lot owned by his father, and while he’s still invited to family functions, sources say he’s mostly cut off from his siblings and parents. Along with his wife and five children, Josh lives in a separate town, attends a separate church, and has little involvement in the day-to-day lives of his more famous family members. Josh’s parents helped him to avoid criminal prosecution, but there’s a modicum of comfort in knowing he has at least paid some small price for his deplorable actions. Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem that Josh’s exile had led him to change his ways. In a recent discussion on Reddit, one verified user described himself thusly: “I live in Springdale and my uncle and aunt go to the same home church as the Duggars. They’ve attended my church multiple times and I’ve hung out with them at family camps and home school retreats a lot. “There seems to be a huge misconception that they’re insane (I grew up around this so my definition is probably different than yours) but if you have any questions I can try to clear anything up to the best of my ability.” He encouraged other users to ask him questions about the Duggars’ lifestyle and not surprisingly, it wasn’t long before the conversation turned to Josh. Asked if the family seems happy despite the tumultuous events of the past three years, the Springdale resident had this to say: “Honestly, yes, the only one who seems like she’s miserable is Anna. And as someone who has met Josh multiple times, he’s not someone who seems like he’d be a whole lot of fun to be married too.” He elaborated: “[Josh] just stares at every girl he meets like she is an object for him to do something with.” “Most of the Duggar boys are very respectful and are good at keeping their eyes up — Josh never has been, and I know he was reprimanded a lot for his wandering eyes as a kid,” the source adds. Obviously, it’s disturbing to think that Josh’s parents may have ignored early warning signs of potentially deviant behavior. But it’s even more disturbing to think the father of five may not have changed his ways. Sadly, with the wall of secrecy the Duggars have built up around themselves, it seems extremely unlikely that any further misconduct from Josh would ever become public knowledge. Watch Counting On online for more from reality TV’s most famous family. View Slideshow: Josh Duggar Sex Scandal Timeline: How His Family’s Empire Crumbled
Well, a new year is upon us, which means new goals, new opportunities and–if you're a member of the Duggar family–lots of new marriages and babies. Yes, not a year goes by that the Counting On clan doesn't get a little larger, and this year, they're off to a hell of a start. Just today we learned that Jinger Duggar is pregnant with her first child , and she won't be the only member of the extended Duggar fam to bring a little one into the world in 2018. Jump in for a full rundown of what you can expect in the months to come from reality TV's most controversial family: 1. A Baby For Jinger! By Duggar standards, it’s been a long wait! Jinger and Jeremy Vuolo were married for well over a year before they announced that she’s expecting. No word yet on when the bundle of joy is due, but Jinger won’t be alone in shopping for maternity clothes… 2. A Bundle of Joy For Joy Joy-Anna Duggar is expecting her first child VERY soon. She hasn’t revealed an exact due date, but some fans believe Joy will deliver before the end of January. 3. Kendra and Joe’s Become Mom and Dad Yes, Joseph Duggar and wife Kendra Caldwell also have a little one on the way. And believe it or not, the list of Duggars who may be expanding their families in 2018 still isn’t done. 4. A Third Baby For Jill? Some folks believe Jill Duggar will be making a pregnancy announcement any day now. it would be the third child for Jill and husband Derick Dillard. 5. A Courtship For Jana? It’s widely believed that after years of searching for Mr. Right, Jana Duggar is involved in a courtship with Caleb Williams. Fans are hoping she’ll make a big announcement sometime in the next few weeks. 6. And What About John David? You heard it here first! Our Duggar insider says John-David is involved in a low-key courtship with a woman who lives in Texas. (Fortunately, JD owns his own single-engine plane for easy traveling.) Will he announce his romance in 2018? Only time will tell! And of course, that would be far from the biggest surprise the Duggars have in store this year… View Slideshow
In the wake of the Josh Duggar sex scandals , the perpetrator’s famous family lashed out in every direction, desperately seeking a way to blame anyone other than Josh. This meant giving interviews in which the blame was placed on the police department that released Josh’s records, and of course, on the tabloid that first broke the story that nearly destroyed the Duggars. Back in May of 2015, In Touch magazine was the first to report that Josh had molested five young girls , four of whom were his sisters, and was assisted in covering up his crimes by his parents. Several of the older Duggar sisters sued the magazine’s publisher, Bauer Media Group, claiming that the company violated victim protection laws by publishing police reports without redacting the Duggar name. (The victims were not named in the published documents, but the Duggars argued that it would be easy to deduce the identities of the victims based on the information provided.) Josh Duggar attempted to join his sisters’ lawsuit , but was rebuffed by their legal team. Eventually, Josh filed his own lawsuit against In Touch , seeking $75,000 in damages and arguing that the magazine had criminally impinged upon his privacy. On Friday, both cases were thrown out by U.S. District Judge Tim Brooks, who decreed that In Touch was well within its First Amendment rights to publish the information contained in the police reports. “Even if one assumes that the disclosure failed to comply with Arkansas statutory redaction requirements, it is clear that the Bauer defendants cannot be held liable, for the city’s and county’s failure to follow the law,” Brooks wrote in his ruling. The Duggar girls named several other parties in their suit, including the City of Springdale, Arkansas, Washington County, and several city officials, who they claim were responsible for the release of their information. While Brooks dismissed most of the defendants, the Duggars’ claims against a few parties, including former Springdale Police Chief Kathy O’Kelley, were allowed to remain active. Those cases will be decided at a later date. Despite that sliver of remaining hope, however, this is nothing less than a devastating legal blow for the Duggars. Their case was never about the damages being sought, but instead constituted an effort to save face by demonstrating that there were numerous guilty parties who were in some way involved in the now-infamous Josh Duggar sex scandal. The judge’s ruling confirms what millions already knew: No one but Josh and his parents is responsible for the atrocities that took place in the Duggar home. Watch Counting On online for more from reality TV’s most famous family. View Slideshow: Josh Duggar Sex Scandal Timeline: How His Family’s Empire Crumbled
Those of us without Hulu who can’t watch The Handmaid’s Tale can always keep up with the Duggars. It’s basically the same. Aside from things like scandals, the usual reality show drama, and questions about the Duggar family’s finances , the Duggars are known for having kids. That’s kind of their whole thing. And while their fringe cultural stuff and the way that they separate themselves from the world make plenty of people uncomfortable — heck, the sheer number of children make people uncomfortable — you kinda have to admit that they produce some cute kids. That’s two-year-old Israel, Jill and Derick Dillard’s cutie, snuggling with his baby cousin, Henry. Henry, of course, is Jessa and Ben Seewald’s baby. And yes, he is adorable. Israel’s going to be a big brother, so this shameless photo-op is also a good sign that he’s excited at the prospect. Everybody outside of restaurants and airplanes loves babies, right? But it’s especially important for older siblings to feel that hype. Now, Henry’s a pretty run-of-the-mill name, almost surprisingly so for this family. Israel’s a little more on-brand for Duggar names, but it’s not totally unheard of. The abbreviation of his name to “Izzy” in a family that places so much emphasis on specific gender roles is kind of a surprise. For that lot, it’s downright progressive. Neither of those names can hold a candle to Spurgeon, Henry’s one-year-old brother. There’s no telling how many people have betting pools going for how old he’ll be before he changes his name. Like these kids weren’t going to have a hard enough time growing up in a fertility cult in front of millions of viewers. Cute kids are fine and well, but we have to remember that this family still has its issues. Take, gasp , Jinger’s controversial wearing of pants . Like some kind of harlot. You know, because she’s a girl, and if people know that girls have actual legs they’ll turn to stone or fly into lustful frenzies. Or something. That kind of thinking was considered dated back in the 1930s, and it is now 2017, no matter how hard the Duggar family drags its heels. Then of course there’s the ominous news of Josh Duggar appearing on Counting On , because the sexual predator who got that family’s first show canceled totally needs more screen time. We’re all supposed to look at some cute kids and pretend that Josh’s creepy actions have magically gone away? What’s worse, his family seemed to think that his predatory past wasn’t as big of an issue as the Josh Duggar cheating scandal or even using pornography. Just because this family seems eager to forgive and forget in exchange for more lucrative reality television contracts doesn’t mean that the rest of are going to. View Slideshow: Counting On Season 4 Preview: What Can We Expect From the Duggars Now?
It’s been nearly two years since the world learned the shocking news that reality star Josh Duggar molested five young girls , four of whom were his sisters. In the months that followed, fans of Josh’s family would bear witness to a number of appalling revelations, including the fact that Josh’s parents helped cover up his crimes . Amazingly (and disconcertingly), Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar have recovered from the scandal and have even been granted a second chance at TV stardom with TLC’s Counting On. Obviously, Josh hasn’t been shown the same forgiveness. Of course, the fact that he was caught up in a second sex scandal later that same year certainly didn’t help his cause. Just three months after the world learned that Josh had molested his sisters, it was revealed that the 28-year-old father of four had cheated on his wife, Anna Duggar , using paid accounts on Ashley Madison, a website designed to facilitate affairs between married men and women. In all likelihood, audiences never would’ve forgiven Josh’s first round of indiscretions, but the second revelation put the nail in his reputation’s coffin. The cheating allegations confirmed that he’s a man with some very severe issues and that the his family made the right choice by excluding him from their their second-chance reality series. But while Josh will likely never return to television, he’s still doing quite well for himself these days. Josh’s sexual misconduct derailed his career as a D.C. lobbyist, but he’s landed on his feet back home in Arkansas. Josh has taken over the family business of repairing and re-selling used cars. If you watch Counting On online , you know that the side-business has been tremendously lucrative for several members of the Duggar clan. On Saturday, the Duggar Family News Facebook page confirmed that Josh has expanded his mini-empire with a second location. “Josh’s new car lot is up and running,” the source wrote. The proprietor the page reveled in Josh’s downfall (as we all should), writing: “Josh is back to his used car selling roots after a quick flirtation with politics and sex workers in DC. “I wonder how he is settling down to living a boring life in Arkansas after all the excitement he came to know in DC.” The writer adds: “I recall his Instagram photo taken from the balcony of John Boehner’s office overlooking the National Mall and think all he’s taking photos of now are 20 year old cars with high mileage.” Yes, it’s certainly been a precipitous fall from grace for Josh, but the sad fact is, he’s still doing much better than just about anyone in his hometown who doesn’t share his last name. Several sources close to the family have estimated Josh’s net worth at roughly $200,000. Now, that’s certainly a far cry from Jim Bob Duggar’s net worth , but Josh certainly isn’t struggling. Josh is facing a number of lawsuits, but in all likelihood, he’ll emerge from them unscathed. Consider this your daily reminder that the world is a deeply unfair place. View Slideshow: Josh Duggar Sex Scandal Timeline: How His Family’s Empire Crumbled
It’s shocking to many, but it remains true: Anna Duggar is pregnant with her fifth child with husband Josh Duggar. On Friday night, the controversial couple used their family’s official blog to deliver the following announcement: “For nearly the last two years, we have quietly worked to save our marriage, focus on our children, and rebuild our lives as a family. “Doing so is never easy after a breach of trust.” From there, Josh and Anna focused on the future… and who it will include. “As we continue our journey as a family and rebuild our lives, we are delighted to share with you that we are expecting a new baby boy later this year.” “Beauty comes from ashes and we cannot wait to see and kiss the face of this sweet new boy!” This will be the fifth child for this pair of Duggars, who are already parents to Mackynzie, 7, Michael, 5, Marcus, 3, and Meredith, 19 months. But it’s one that very few fans saw coming. Considering that less than two years ago, Josh was admitting to the world that he molested multiple young girls when he was a teenager, it’s a bit of a shocker. At least two of these victims were his sisters, Jessa and Jill Duggar; Jinger and Joy-Anna are rumored, but not confirmed, to have been victims. A few months after that, Josh confessed that he was addicted to porn and had cheated on Anna after being exposed in the Ashley Madison hacking. Why didn’t Anna divorce him, more than a few fans wondered? Because such an action is antithetical to their religious beliefs. That said, how did the couple move past this scandal and get to a place where they’ll excited to welcome another baby to their already-packed household? It wasn’t easy, that’s for sure. A week after Josh issued a lengthy statement over his infidelity, he sought treatment at a faith-based rehabilitation center in Rockford, Illinois. Said saddened parents Jim Bob and Michelle at the time, reeling from the shocking actions of the first of their 19 children: “We pray that in this he comes to complete repentance and sincere change.” “In the meantime, we will be offering our love, care and devoted support to Anna and our grandchildren as she also receives counsel and help for her own heart and future.” “During this time we continue to look to God. He is our rock and comfort. We ask for your continued prayers for our entire family.” From there, in January of 2016, Anna released a statement of her own, speaking out about her experience with Josh in a rare moment of openness. Anna Duggar referred to his rehab stint as “an important step on a long difficult road” to repairing their relationship and added: “Please continue to pray for me, Josh and our children.” In March of last year, Josh quietly finished his six-month stay in the facility and returned to Arkansas, staying under the radar since. Once back home, he continued to receive “professional counseling and focus on rebuilding relationships with his family.” It was then off to marriage counseling in May. “As we enter into a long family weekend together, we want to thank each of you for the prayers, love and encouragement you’ve sent our way,” these Duggars said last year . The couple explained that they had “working with a professional marriage and family counselor to take important steps toward healing” since Josh had left rehab. Josh, now 29, and Anna, 28 continued at the time: “It isn’t easy and some days are very difficult. It is a long road to rebuild trust and a truly healthy relationship. “We are very thankful for God’s forgiveness, grace and help, as it is our strength and guide to rebuilding our lives. “As the future unfolds, we are taking one day at a time and we are grateful for your continued prayers for both of us and our sweet children.” We heard very little from Josh and Anna after that. In September, Josh was seen at a family gathering for a close friend’s birthday, at which he posed for a group picture alongside his wife. The reality stars then celebrated their eight-year wedding anniversary a few weeks later, receiving some well wishes from their relatives. “Happy Anniversary, Josh and Anna,” the Duggar family wrote alongside a photo of the couple, whose appearances online have been sparse. “We are so thankful for God’s redemptive love in your lives.” In November, Anna and Josh enjoyed an evening out with the former’s sister, Priscilla, and her husband, David Waller, after Jinger Duggar and Jeremy Vuolo’s wedding. “Thank you, Josh & Anna, for a wonderful weekend together topped off with a fun #doubledate this evening!” the Wallers captioned a social media photo soon after the double date, adding: “You’ll are doing great! #sistertime #familytime.” Of course, Josh is still so radioactive to Duggar fans that he was scrubbed out of all TLC footage of the wedding, as seen in the gallery below. View Slideshow: Josh Duggar: Scrubbed From Jinger’s Wedding with Reshoots, Fake Sun Glare, Kid in Front of Face Then, just two weeks ago, the Duggars posted a rare family photo of Josh and Anna with their quartet of kids (above) in honor of their Josh turning 29 years old. “Happy birthday, Josh. We love you, your amazing wife and sweet children,” the parents wrote as an affiliated message. “We pray that you diligently follow and serve the Lord with your whole heart all the days of your life and that this year is a wonderful year for you and your family.” So… yeah. It has been QUITE the journey for Anna and Josh Duggar. Many people have many feelings about the couple. But with a baby on the way, even the harshest Josh Duggar critics must now be in his corner. For the sake of this impending child, and the four who have come before him, we must all hope Josh and Anna are able to maintain a safe, happy and healthy home environment. View Slideshow: Anna Duggar: 7 Dark Secrets You Never Knew!
It’s been weeks since we’ve had any update on the once-persistent Josh and Anna Duggar divorce rumors , but that doesn’t mean the troubled couple has managed to patch things up. Back in early February, Josh and Anna responded to the rumors through a family spokesperson, who released a statement assuring fans that reports of their marriage coming to an and were “absolutely not true.” Since issuing that denial, the couple has remained silent on the subject, despite the fact that a number of new rumors have emerged that all seem to point to an impending breakup. The first round of reports claimed Josh and Anna were separating as a result of a damaging new lawsuit that – according to The Daily Mail magazine – threatened to reveal the couple’s ” filthiest secrets .” Considering some of the secrets we’ve already heard about Josh, outmatching them in terms of filthiness would be no mean feat. Now, a new report from the Inquisitr suggests that Josh and Anna decided to part ways on the weekend that Jinger Duggar got married to Jeremy Vuolo . There’s no word on what might have sparked the decision, but the wedding was one of the last times that Josh and Anna were spotted together in public. Did Josh behave inappropriately? Did the feeling that she was being judged by hundreds of guests lead Anna to the conclusion that it was time to cut her perverted husband loose? The first possibility seems unlikely, as Josh successfully concealed his first round of affairs and flirtations for several years. But there may be something to that second explanation, as Anna has admitted to struggling with how she’s perceived by family and friends since welcoming Josh back into her life. Whatever the case, a family insider recently told Perez Hilton that “Anna hasn’t told Josh she wants a divorce, but a friend of hers put her in touch with a lawyer and Anna has spoken to the lawyer on the phone,” a source close to the Duggar family said, according to Perez Hilton. The source adds that Anna is nervous about proceeding, as divorce is strictly forbidden in the Duggars’ religious community: “She’s been putting off meeting them for some time because she was terrified of being spotted at their office, but she is now finally ready to make the move and will be visiting the attorney in the next week or so.” Josh was the first of his siblings to get married, and now it sounds like he might be the first to endure an ugly, high-profile divorce. Couldn’t happen to a more deserving guy! View Slideshow: 13 Reasons Why Anna Duggar Should Leave Josh NOW
You didn’t think you’d get out of 2016 without one last Duggar sex scandal, did you? Ha! This dumpster fire of a year hasn’t given us any breaks for the past 11 months, and it looks like it has no intention of starting now. Unfortunately, while we’re maintaining hope that 2017 will contain fewer unexpected celebrity deaths, it’s hard to be even a little optimistic when it comes to the Duggars’ future. The family first fell from grace back in May of 2015, when the world learned that Josh Duggar molested several young girls , including four of his sisters, while he was a teenager. The Duggars’ reputation was further damaged by the revelation that Josh’s parents helped him hide his crimes from the authorities. Not long thereafter, it was revealed that Josh had an account with Ashley Madison , a website designed to help married people find cheating partners. It was hard to imagine that things could get any worse for a family who had risen to fame by holding themselves up as paragons of family values and Christian virtue. Remarkably, however, enough fans were willing to forgive the family that they were given a second shot at reality stardom with Counting On , a spin-off focusing on the Duggar children, with occasional cameos from parents Jim Bob and Michelle (and no mention of Josh). The show has maintained mediocre ratings throughout a four-episode trial run and two full seasons, even as the Duggars endured scandals that would have sunk reality stars with less loyal fan bases. While Jim Bob and Michelle’s 18 younger kids have thus far managed to avoid any major controversies, several members of the family’s inner circle have been felled by scandal, including the Duggars’ former minister Bill Gothard. Gothard resigned in disgrace after more than a dozen women, many of them former employees, came forward to accuse the evangelist of various acts of sexual impropriety. Now, another high-profile minister with ties to the Duggars has been embroiled in a sex scandal, and it looks as though he too will step away from his profession as a result. Clayton Jennings is a popular youth preacher, whose self-produced faith-based film Strayland performed better than expected when it was released in 2010, earning Jennings a modicum of fame among Southern evangelicals. According to a blog entitled the Polemics Report, Jennings has stepped away from his ministry following the revelation that he used his position of authority to coerce young women into sex. (The journalist who first exposed Jennings says the 28-year-old pastor sent him “a large sum of money” to stop investigating the matter.) In recent weeks, Jennings has posted several videos in the vein of the goofy slam-poetry-style “confession” below, in an effort to clear his name. Clayton Jennings Confession However, those who claim to have knowledge of the details of Jennings’ misdeeds say that the young minister is withholding information A woman who claims she was pressured into performing sex acts on Jennings recently offered this account to the Polemics Report: ” I told him I had never been in a serious relationship and so had never been with a guy physically that way before. He would then take my hands in an effort to ‘teach me what to do.’ I felt like a broken record telling him that I was a virgin and wanted to save myself for marriage. “We didn’t actually have sex, but I was pressured into being sexually intimate with him in other ways. I told him that it was my belief that sexual favors (of all forms) outside of marriage is a sin against God. “He would stare at me with such a confused look on his face as he assured me ‘No, it’s not the same’ and because of his authority as a ‘minister,’ I believed him and gave in .” View Slideshow: The 11 Biggest Duggar Family Scandals of 2015 This time, the Duggars aren’t directly involved, but the fact that it’s the second time in as many years that a member of their inner circle has been forced to step down due to a sex scandal is unlikely to do much for their battered reputation. Maybe forcing young people to abstain from any sort of physical contact until after they’re married isn’t such a great idea after all.
