In the aftermath of the Josh Duggar sex crimes, the Duggars have apparently hit rock bottom. Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar made millions off of their TLC show 19 Kids and Counting . However, reports claim Jim Bob and Michelle have a home in foreclosure . And now that TLC axed their show after Josh admitted to molesting five underaged girls, the shameless Duggars are begging their fans for money. The ultra-Christian clan’s official YouTube channel, Duggar Studios, has a new ad asking for fans and supporters to contribute funds so the kids can create “fresh quality content” on their site. “Every contribution is helpful, big or small,” the ad says. The family is asking for contributions so the kids can use their cell phone camera to post more videos of themselves playing basketball and going to the dentist. The disgraced family has a history of money grubbing. Jill Duggar and Deryck Dillard asked fans for financial support for their first long-term mission trip. The request for donations was not well received and drew criticism from the media when they refused to disclose how the money would be spent. It isn’t surprising that the Duggars are begging for money. Their main source of income was 19 Kids and Counting . But two months after Josh came forward about his criminal behavior, TLC pulled the plug on the show. That left the family scrounging for a new source of income.
In the aftermath of the Josh Duggar sex crimes, the Duggars have apparently hit rock bottom. Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar made millions off of their TLC show 19 Kids and Counting . However, reports claim Jim Bob and Michelle have a home in foreclosure . And now that TLC axed their show after Josh admitted to molesting five underaged girls, the shameless Duggars are begging their fans for money. The ultra-Christian clan’s official YouTube channel, Duggar Studios, has a new ad asking for fans and supporters to contribute funds so the kids can create “fresh quality content” on their site. “Every contribution is helpful, big or small,” the ad says. The family is asking for contributions so the kids can use their cell phone camera to post more videos of themselves playing basketball and going to the dentist. The disgraced family has a history of money grubbing. Jill Duggar and Deryck Dillard asked fans for financial support for their first long-term mission trip. The request for donations was not well received and drew criticism from the media when they refused to disclose how the money would be spent. It isn’t surprising that the Duggars are begging for money. Their main source of income was 19 Kids and Counting . But two months after Josh came forward about his criminal behavior, TLC pulled the plug on the show. That left the family scrounging for a new source of income.
Is Abby Lee Miller losing her grip on her elite team? On Dance Moms Season 5 Episode 27 last night, Kalani Hilliker and her mom, Kira Girard, declared that they are done with Abby and her studio. Do we believe them? Will their decision stick? Unclear, but the title of Dance Moms Season 5 Episode 27 – “Abby vs. Kira … AGAIN” – says it all. There is little or no love lost between them. Watch Dance Moms Season 5 Episode 27 Online If you watch Dance Moms online , you know the tension has been simmering to a boil for some time now. Tuesday night, it reached that point. Abby told Kalani Hilliker , one of the oldest, most veteran Abby Lee Dance Company (ALDC) performers at 14, that she was getting benched. By yanking her from the group dance, Abby’s goal was to lower the team’s overall average and keep them from competing in the teen division. Abby’s tough decision came directly after Kira Girard brought in Kalani’s original coach, Alexa Moffett, to help choreograph Kalani’s big solo. So it was with an element of revenge that she went on to WIN the solo competition with “The Investment” … and then peace out of the ALDC. “She doesn’t want me there, so what’s the point of being here?” Kalani said. “I have a dance teacher that wants me at dance class every day.” “That’s what I deserve.” While Kira Girard isn’t revealing her daughter’s future on the series, or whether she’s open to a return, she has come out firing against Abby. She claims the events pertaining to her daughter leaving were shown out of order and manipulated by Lifetime in order to mislead audiences. “Lets get the editing straight … [Kalani] walked out as soon as she was pulled NOT after AWARDS! She made the decision BEFORE!!!!!” Kira went on to rip Abby, who is piling up enemies left and right lately, for allegedly failing to provide Kalani with an appropriate costume” “Note Abby had this all planned never planned on kalani dancing she had MY costume lady in AZ not fix her costume! #veryrespectful” In any case, will Kalani and Kira be back? Should they be? Will Abby make oral sex jokes about them? Share your take in the comments!
As the Duggars celebrated cousin Amy‘s engagement to Dillon King on Monday, one prominent family member was conspicuously absent. We’ll give you one guess who, and why … The Duggar Family Official Facebook page posted a photo of the large Arkansas clan, including the very pregnant Anna and Jessa Duggar . Jessa’s husband Ben Seewald was present. Anna’s husband Josh Duggar … not so much. The official group picture was captioned simply: “We are so excited for our niece Amy Duggar and Dillon King on getting engaged.” No mention of her eldest missing cousin. According to reports, an old friend of the family said, “Josh and cousin Amy are actually the closest in age and grew up together.” “They are close. If the scandal hadn’t come to light I have no doubt he would have been happily posing in the group photo.” That would be the Josh Duggar molestation scandal, of course, that brought the reality TV empire crashing down this spring. Is this a sign that rumors of the family shunning Josh and treating him like the third rail since his return to Arkansas are true? Conversely, did he sit this one out just to make sure Amy’s big moment wasn’t ruined by talk of him and his past misdeeds? In any case, he sent congrats on Instagram . “Congrats to Dillon & Amy on your engagement … welcome to the family @kingdillpickle,” Duggar captioned a photo of the pair. Some insiders believe the family hopes to ease Josh back into the public eye as his sex abuse scandal (hopefully) blows over. When that will be is anyone’s guess, though.
Earlier tonight, Jill and Jessa Duggar were interviewed by Megyn Kelly in a one-hour Fox News special. The sisters had previously confirmed that they were molested by Josh Duggar , but this was the first time they were given the opportunity to offer their full account of the abuse they endured in 2002 and 2003. Jill and Jessa Duggar Interview, Part I Surprisingly, the sisters seem to bear no ill will toward the older brother who sexually assaulted them on several occasions. In fact, in the Kelly interview, they stated more than once that they’ve forgiven Josh for his actions, and they even dismissed his abuse as nothing more than “inappropriate touching” from a young man who was “curious about girls.” At one point, the sisters reminded viewers that they were unaware they were being molested, even when it occurred while they were awake. “We didn’t even know about it,” Jill said when asked about Josh’s abuse. She added that her brother was “very sly” in his actions. As for the media’s release of the police report that named Josh as a child molester , both sisters said they were shocked and outraged and believe themselves to be the victims of a conspiracy against their family. Asked about the police report that was released to In Touch Weekly in accordance with the Freedom of Information Act, Jessa stated: “People that already don’t like our family would be the ones to spread this around, and maliciously do so, slanderously do so.” She went on to say that the media should “respect [the family’s] wish for things to remain private.” Jill built upon her sister’s accusations of slander by stating her belief that parents who have witnessed the Duggars PR nightmare might now stay silent. Victims might “take a pause before they do something to report … maybe these other victims will just not even have their situation dealt with.” The sisters then made the argument that the company that owns In Touch – Bauer Media Group – treated them like sex workers : View Slideshow: 21 Controversial Duggar Family Quotes “The tabloids who released this, they’re used to exploiting women,” Jill said. “Bauer,” Jessa added. “They’re a major porn provider. Maybe [that’s] their mindset. They’re just used to making objects out of women. Maybe we just didn’t seem any different.” The Bauer corporation is best known as the publisher of more than 400 magazine titles, most of which are mainstream periodicals, such as In Touch, Grazia and Empire. In both tonight’s interview and Jim Bob and Michelle’s earlier conversation with Kelly , the Duggars made the point that they feel more victimized by the media’s handling of their situation than by Josh’s abusive behavior. It’s a confusing argument, as the family goes from minimizing Josh’s actions as “mild touching” (that had been “dealt with” years before the Duggars rose to fame), to describing it as the darkest of family secrets that’s tragically been brought to light. Twitter is already abuzz with media figures bristling at the accusations, as generally when a case of child abuse is reported by a news outlet, the intent is not to shame the victims, but to help in some small way to ensure that justice is served and that the parties responsible are unable to claim further victims. By making sure the truth – however ugly it may be – is made public, responsible journalists can help to prevent abuse against children from being hidden and hushed-up, as happens far too often in our society. The Duggar girls stated that they are uncertain whether their family will pursue legal charges against the tabloids they feel are responsible for publicizing Josh’s past. Josh himself has yet to be interviewed account the scandal. View Slideshow: 23 Biggest Duggar Family Scandals
In the wake of the Josh Duggar sexual abuse scandal , more and more uncomfortable truths about Josh and his family are coming to light. Somehow, they keep getting progressively more disturbing, too. We heard first-hand accounts of Michelle and Jim Bob Duggar child abuse in the form of using a “rod” to punish their kids for minor offenses. Shortly thereafter, we learned about the harsh nature of Michelle Duggar’s “blanket training” and other controversial parenting methods. The floodgates are officially open, and what a deluge it’s been. Everyone from former 19 Kids and Counting crew members to fellow residents of Tontitown, Ark., are coming forward with troubling Duggar tales. The latest? Gawker posted several shocking Duggar stories today, several of which involved Jim Bob and his stance on pre-marital sexual activity. His supposedly hard-line, yet often hypocritical stance. One fellow parishioner at the Duggars’ church recalls Josh’s return from “therapy” after Jim Bob sent him away, supposedly for being caught with pornographic materials: View Slideshow: 9 Things BANNED in the Duggar Family “Nobody told me he was guilty of sexual molestation. I do remember that he was caught for pornography and being sent away for rehabilitation when he was 17 or so.” “If people look back to when Josh was bald on the show, it was because he was being ‘rehabilitated.’ The head-shaving was part of the shaming process.” “When Josh returned from his ‘porn rehab,’ he was brought before the church.” “After Josh gave his ‘testimony,’ his sisters came up and hugged him and I remember seeing huge, confused tears streaming down their faces.” “I remember being confused about why they seemed to take it so personally … Now it makes more sense.” Like so many things about this scandal, it most disturbingly does. Another tipster says her “cousin’s husband” worked on the 19 Kids set and offered an alarming account of an incident in which Jim Bob caught one of his sons masturbating: “One of the older Duggar Boys was caught playing with himself.” View Slideshow: 20 Controversial Duggar Family Quotes “He said that one of his brothers had told on him for being in the bathroom for a few hours one night, worried that he was sick.” “Well to see if he really was, Jim Bob walked in.” “He caught him doing it, and on one of the day’s the cameras were filming. Jim bobs screams made the crew run to where they were filming.” “Immediately they asked him what was wrong. All Jim Could reply was, ‘Idle hands are the devil’s playthings.’ “Apparently, the whole next day he was supposed to do chores around the house. But, Jim Bob had tied his hands together so that doing anything was nearly impossible.” Tell us if you have a hard time picturing that. Obviously, there’s no excuse or explanation for Josh’s reprehensible actions, and there’s no one to blame except for Josh Duggar himself. That said, every new revelation about the Duggars’ bizarre approaches to child rearing and sexuality helps shed new light on the situation. Specifically, the troubling mentality of the authority figures who believed they could handle the situation themselves, and who convinced their children to keep revolting family secrets to themselves for over a decade. View Slideshow: 23 Biggest Duggar Family Scandals
The Duggar family dating rules have been well documented. Here are nine things they specifically do not allow. 1. Dates Without Chaperones The Duggar parents often accompany their kids on dates in order to maintain “accountability” and “keep things from going in the wrong direction,” per Jim Bob. The girls are fine with this, as being alone with men puts them in grave “moral danger.” When the parents aren’t available, their older siblings will often tag along, making every date a group date and a family affair. 2. Non-Group Texts Even in the kids’ late teens and early 20s, mom and dad are creeping on their text messages. When Ben Seewald jokingly wrote to fiancee Jessa, “Give me a ring,” Jim Bob actually jumped in on the group text, writing “No ring yet.” With a smiley face emoticon. Seriously, he did that. Jim Bob needs his own Instagram so he can start posting screen shots of this stuff. 3. Hugs on the Chest This moment you see here between Jill Duggar and Derick Dillard would not have been permitted until the couple was married. Side hugs are the preferred method of PDA in order to prevent any further temptation or hanky panky, as has been well documented on 19 Kids and Counting. The Duggars love their side hugs so hard. Any touching beyond that? Save it for your wedding night. 4. Alcohol This is probably an obvious one if you know anything about the Duggars. The family does not smoke or drink. They do, however, enjoy the occasional sugary dessert or getting high on life and love. 5. Romance Novels Safe to say the Duggars are in the minority, having not read Fifty Shades of Grey (the movie adaptation of which they won’t be seeing either, we’re guessing). The Bible warns not to “think about gratifying the pleasure of the flesh,” so instead the family studies Christian text and not E.L. James’ erotic fiction. The Duggars’ option is probably better-written. 6. Modern Music and/or Dancing Avert your eyes, Michelle Duggar! The family matriarch feels that dancing encourages “sensual” feelings, while Jessa Duggar has said that she feels modern music promotes “sex, drugs, all that type of stuff.” Instead, the family chooses to play gospel music together. View Slideshow
The Duggar family dating rules have been well documented. Here are nine things they specifically do not allow. 1. Dates Without Chaperones The Duggar parents often accompany their kids on dates in order to maintain “accountability” and “keep things from going in the wrong direction,” per Jim Bob. The girls are fine with this, as being alone with men puts them in grave “moral danger.” When the parents aren’t available, their older siblings will often tag along, making every date a group date and a family affair. 2. Non-Group Texts Even in the kids’ late teens and early 20s, mom and dad are creeping on their text messages. When Ben Seewald jokingly wrote to fiancee Jessa, “Give me a ring,” Jim Bob actually jumped in on the group text, writing “No ring yet.” With a smiley face emoticon. Seriously, he did that. Jim Bob needs his own Instagram so he can start posting screen shots of this stuff. 3. Hugs on the Chest This moment you see here between Jill Duggar and Derick Dillard would not have been permitted until the couple was married. Side hugs are the preferred method of PDA in order to prevent any further temptation or hanky panky, as has been well documented on 19 Kids and Counting. The Duggars love their side hugs so hard. Any touching beyond that? Save it for your wedding night. 4. Alcohol This is probably an obvious one if you know anything about the Duggars. The family does not smoke or drink. They do, however, enjoy the occasional sugary dessert or getting high on life and love. 5. Romance Novels Safe to say the Duggars are in the minority, having not read Fifty Shades of Grey (the movie adaptation of which they won’t be seeing either, we’re guessing). The Bible warns not to “think about gratifying the pleasure of the flesh,” so instead the family studies Christian text and not E.L. James’ erotic fiction. The Duggars’ option is probably better-written. 6. Modern Music and/or Dancing Avert your eyes, Michelle Duggar! The family matriarch feels that dancing encourages “sensual” feelings, while Jessa Duggar has said that she feels modern music promotes “sex, drugs, all that type of stuff.” Instead, the family chooses to play gospel music together. View Slideshow
From 19 Kids and Counting to 4 Adults and… well… Counting? With it seeming more and more likely by the day that TLC will cancel 19 Kids and Counting, People Magazine reports that the network is actually considering a spinoff of this popular/controversial reality show. It would turn attention away from the offspring of Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar and instead center on newlyweds Jill and Derick Dillard, along with Jessa and Ben Seewald. View Slideshow: There are SO Many Duggars! “The show had begun to focus more and more on the next generation of Duggars , anyway – mainly Jill and Jessa and their marriages and babies,” a source tells People. “That’s when the show got its highest ratings.” The day after Josh Duggar admitted to molesting a handful of young girls in 2002, TLC pulled 19 Kids and Counting from its schedule. Duggar has asked for forgiveness and said he received treatment from a facility many years ago in order to repent. But it remains unclear just what this entailed. The cable network, meanwhile, is yet to make an official decision regarding the show’s long-term future, despite endless sponsors ending their affiliation with the program. Jessa and Ben, for their part, are awaiting the birth of their first child; while Jill and Derick welcomed baby Israel into the world a few weeks ago. A proposed spinoff would not lack for material. But would it really be a good idea? The public remains consumed by the Josh Duggar scandal, with questions now arising over the identities of Duggar’s victims and whether any of them remain minors. It may be time for TLC to find another family entirely, do a solid background check on them and leave the Duggars alone to focus on their many household rules… View Slideshow: 9 Things BANNED in the Duggar Family
Here Comes Honey Boo Boo star June Shannon wants her show gracing your TVs again, and says she plans to sue the pants off TLC if it’s not. The simple reason: June says TLC treated her more harshly than the Duggar family in the wake of the shows’ respective child molester scandals. Because obviously, two of the network’s top-rated, popular programs featured high profile scandals involving child molesters within the past year. Absurd as this seems, apparently Shannon is serious . Her attorney gave the network her official legal demand, claiming her rights were violated. If you recall, TLC pulled Here Comes Honey Boo Boo just a few hours after a photo of June with convicted child molester Mark McDaniel surfaced. McDaniel did hard time in prison for child molestation, one of his victims was June’s daughter, and he reportedly dated June. Not cringe-worthy at all. Still, June believes the Josh Duggar molestation scandal – he was accused and investigated for abusing five underage girls as a teen – was far worse. With fewer consequences, to boot. Josh’s alleged victims included his own sisters and 19 Kids and Counting co-stars, making the situation all the more appalling for everyone involved. Shannon is just furious, though. View Slideshow: Josh and Anna Duggar Photos: Through the Years June wanted and needed the money from Here Comes Honey Boo Boo , and suffice it to say, she was not happy when TLC pulled the plug last year. She says her whole family is willing to work for the same terms as before and they are all on board as soon as the network green lights the show again. Her attorney says if he doesn’t receive a response within the next week he will take TLC to court and believes June can earn a $1 million judgment. Of course, Here Comes Honey Boo Boo had already been on the decline, whereas 19 Kids and Counting is the network’s flagship show at this point. From a business standpoint, it’s not shocking that execs wouldn’t reach the decision to cancel 19 Kids and Counting and/or fire Josh Duggar lightly. We don’t think June has a case, but it’ll be fascinating to see if TLC tries to run damage control and somehow shoehorn the Duggars back on the air. View Slideshow: 21 Biggest Duggar Family Scandals
