Josh Duggar was arrested and charged back in late April. A week later, he appeared before a judge and pleaded “not guilty” to multiple charges of possessing images of child sex abuse. The judge allowed him out on bail, but he is not allowed to go back to his home or his parents’ compound. He’s staying with friends and he is allowed unlimited contact with his own children, a fact which still disgusts me. Duggar’s trial was scheduled to begin on July 6th, but his lawyer asked the judge for a delay so they could bring in computer forensic experts. The judge granted the request and Duggar’s trial is now set for November 30th.
Throughout all of this, I’ll admit that I didn’t think too much about the rest of the Duggar family, even though they were busy issuing statements of support for Josh. I kind of forgot that TLC still does Counting On, the “spinoff” show featuring the mostly-adult Duggar children, with less of an emphasis on Jim-Bob and Michelle, the parents of this unholy brood. Counting On was the compromise TLC reached with the Duggar family when it was revealed that Josh Duggar molested his sisters and other children – CO was supposed to be about the oldest daughters, but I think it’s spread out to be about all of the kids. Anyway, that sh-t has been cancelled.
Counting On has been canceled at TLC. In a statement issued to PEOPLE on Tuesday, the network confirmed that the long-running reality series will be ending after 11 seasons.
“TLC will not be producing additional seasons of Counting On,” the statement reads. “TLC feels it is important to give the Duggar family the opportunity to address their situation privately.”
Counting On premiered on TLC in 2015 and served as a spinoff series to 19 Kids and Counting, which ran from 2008 to 2015. The spinoff was created amid the molestation controversy surrounding Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar’s eldest son, Josh Duggar. At the time, the Duggars made headlines when news broke that Josh had allegedly molested five underage girls as a teenager. Two of his sisters, Jill Dillard, now 29, and Jessa Seewald, now 28, later came forward as two of the victims, insisting they had already “moved on” and forgiven their brother when the news surfaced.
Following the scandal, 19 Kids and Counting was canceled in July 2015 after nine seasons on air.
Everyone felt pretty strongly that 19 Kids and Counting should be cancelled back in 2015, and then TLC and the Duggars came up with this dumb Counting On work-around. It was pretty stupid and it must have been a giant hassle for the network too. And predictably, it blew up in TLC’s face yet again. Why do the Duggars keep getting so many “chances”? They act like they have the God-given right to “have a TV show.” Anyway, I’m glad TLC has finally dumped this mess and I hope the Duggars all fail terribly.
Photos courtesy of Instagram.
It is about damn time. Several of the women have literally escaped from this family and one has even started wearing (gasp) pants. Stop glorifying this hot hillbilly religion gone wrong mess
Sadly, they didn’t escape. They were just lucky and were chosen by JimBob to marry men who turned out to be a little less strict than him. So now they are allowed to wear pants and makeup.
Oh they always got to wear makeup, had to make sure they were a visually pleasing little helpmeet.
The glorifying of it is so disturbing. And at this point it’s not just glorifying their cult religion (it’s a cult, check it out some time if you haven’t).
They are also glorifying rug-sweeping of abuse. The only people I know who like this show are also the few people I know who are highly dysfunctional and excuse abuse in the home. Someone actually told me she was “glad” that the show opened the conversation about how “normal” it is for brothers to go diddle their little sisters in their rooms at night. She literally was saying that Josh shouldn’t be judged for this because it’s normal in large families and not a big deal. It does a lot of damage when abuse and dysfunction is excused on a National stage like this. The Duggars have been normalizing abuse for a decade or more, and some abusers and even victims eat it up and truly take it as proof that their behaviors, or what was done to them, are normal and acceptable.
It’s part of a larger movement to return to greater white, male authority. Anyone responsible for giving these sick people a platform should be deeply ashamed. This family represents all that is wrong with this country in one neat package.
I just hope that they don’t get another “spin off” like Counting On was. Hopefully the uproar would be too much.
Two of them are wearing pants!!
That family literally makes me nauseous.
Me too … and angry. Anna Duggar is a gigantic, willfully-ignorant fool. So much pride in being perennially pregnant with a child-molesting husband. Ugh. The rest? No words.
Buh-bye! Finally! Honestly, I never saw the appeal but I’m sure I’m not the target demographic.
“TLC feels it is important to give the Duggar family the opportunity to address their situation privately.”
Gee, wouldn’t it have been refreshing if TLC had said they were cancelling the show because they won’t support criminal acts against children? But then they would be admitting they did so previously, when they kept the family on air after the first revelations about Predator Son and the Divine Coverup came out in the media.
Agreed, Hoofrat!
Meanwhile, TLC keeps cranking out other TV shows about ridiculously large families. I’m not sure what The Learning Channel is trying to teach everyone except how to fail spectacularly at using contraception and common sense because none of the families portrayed would be able to afford it if not for the TV show revenue.
I can only assume TLC is a white supremacist network.
Tell that to the Derrico family who are cashing in on the TLC big family money train. https://www.intouchweekly.com/posts/doubling-down-with-the-derricos-cast-meet-tlcs-new-reality-family/amp/
OMG. Their kids are very cute, but holy crap, can you imagine having quintuplets and then continuing to have more children???
Is the Derrico shrouded in the whole religious aspect? If not, I’m for it. If they can afford the kids, than so be it. I still don’t think each of them get a lot of attention, but at least the parents are religious nutcases. Whew, 6 pregnancies and all those kids, I’m tired just thinking about it.
They really need to change their name.
Bring back the classics like “Trading Spaces” and a “baby story.”
I can’t even remember ever watching TLC. 🤔
I only know who the duggars are because of here, so…they sound hideous.
@ MerlinsMom1018, me too!! I only hear about them here and in the news. What is the demographics TLC is trying to draw to? I truly don’t understand. Are the board members all Scientologists? I don’t understand and I don’t think I ever will in my life time.
The head of TLC is a fervent fundamentalist Christian who believes in a lot of the same ideas as the Duggars.
The channel is essentially propaganda to gateway people into fundamentalism
That explains so much!
Yikes.
Ugh—really? No wonder TLC has so many marry and reproduce shows. 🤮🤮
I never understood the appeal of shows like this myself. They got a TV show just because they bred alot? That’s what it is when you have so many kids that older children are designated a smaller child to ‘look after.’ You want alot of kids? Fine. If YOU the parents can look after and raise them. The first time other siblings have to step in and raise them to that extent you stop being a parent and become a breeder for money. At least pigs care for and sing to their large broods, they don’t have them to get TV contracts.
Any podcast listeners out here, PLEASE check out “Someplace Under Neith”, they are on ep 3 of 4 of these disturbing people. The women who run the podcast are thoughtful and funny and are part of the Last Podcast on the Left network. Cheers!!
I will check this podcast out thanks, Emily
Let me know what you think @Liz version 700! <3
@Emily it’s such a good podcast! I’m really loving the new last podcast network content like SPUN
@Claire – Yes! I was worried I was the only nerd who would know it 🙂 Love Natty Jean and Amber!
Thanks for this recommendation, Emily! I’d add that “Gangster Capitalism” is doing a great series on the Falwells and Liberty University — more insight into the damage this kind of right-wing fundamentalism can do.
I listened to that one – wooo!
Thanks @ Emily!! I am eager to find new podcasts!! Thanks!!
Yuck. What took so long? These companies have no morals.
I follow Pickles on Facebook–definitely my favorite for Duggar snarking.
Yes me too, highly recommend. She outs together all the ways the duggars and their faith are misguided in what they promote on the show-which is putting it lightly
pretty sure their sordid reality show will get picked up by some Christian broadcasting network next. Fundies eat it up.
What’s with the store bought clothes? Isn’t that the whole schtick? “We save money by making our clothes from Wal-Mart remnants”?
T:C candy coated these abusive, Christian cult followers and gained them a following of rabid fans, who find them aspirational. It’s stomach churning. These mega families that follow Gothard doctrine are all toxic and fake. The Bates have a show on UP tv that is still on the air despite the fact that two of the sons were part of the capital riot. They refuse to wear masks in a pandemic, but covered their faces with American flag bandanas at the insurrection. They have a framed photo of the founder of the KKK displayed proudly on their wall. They need to be cancelled as well.
This is truly disturbing to hear about the Bates! These fundamentalist really are a twisted bunch…hiding morbid ideals under the facade of family values.
This is truly disturbing to hear about the Bates! These fundamentalist really are a twisted bunch…hiding morbid ideals under the facade of family values.
I stopped watching all TLC shows when news broke the first time. This family has at least one predator in their midst and TLC continued to fund them and promote them. The canceling of this show is too late.
They’re so nasty
I feel sorry for the wife and daughter of the family that is housing Josh. I don’t think they had much say in the decision and now he is living with them for another 5 months!
Apparently the daughter is dating Josh’s brother-in-law (his wife’s youngest brother). They’re looking at a lot longer than five more months of being stuck with him!
She basically said in court that her husband made the decision to house Josh and that she’s submitting to his authority. They have a daughter at home as well. Now that Josh’s trial is pushed to November, they have another five months of having to cater to his predatory, sleazy, disgusting ass, while he clings to his last gasps of freedom.
About time, thank God. The cousin Amy Duggar (who doesn’t adhere to the lifestyle) was posting on her IG yesterday asking if an NDA was enforceable if the show no longer existed since there is no point in protecting it. She said something like “it might get very interesting” so I dunno if she intends to spill anything or if some of the other Duggar kids like Jill will reveal more. I feel like Jinger and Jeremy may be the next ones to do some kind of tell all and I think she has distanced herself from her family (also she lives all the way out in CA).
Part of me is pessimistic, is amy just looking for a cash grab thinking of this as s soon as the show is cancelled or did she not know NDAs don’t cover crimes and she could’ve gone to the authorities?
Something VERY interesting I saw on TikTok (don’t judge this GenX b!tch)…Amy Duggar (the cousin that wears pants) posted a video asking for input on whether she still needs to abide by her NDA, now that the shows have been cancelled!!!!
She’s obviously got some major tea that she wants to spill. I am here for it!
THANK GOD.
Good! And shame on TLC for platformming this family. There are many more crimes that need to be accounted for.
Yes about time! Show is super gross! And the son better serve some serious jail time!!!!
The entire reality tv show product is something I’ve never really watched much.
I want my entertainment to distract me.
The Duggers, Honey Boo Boo, and Kate & 8 = No thank you at all.
Producers should stop televising these families. They need counseling, not a tv show!
When will the TPTB start to value quality/standards/actual talent of any kind?
The Almighty Dollar rules now days.
WTH took so long to cancel the Duggers?
Never saw the appeal of this show. I guess people who like to watch the lives of turn off the 20th century circus performers?
Never watched it.
I watch as I’m falling asleep and I don’t even know why, it just relaxes me. I’m as liberal as can be and opposite of them in almost every way, but something about their non device obsessed lifestyle is appealing to me, it reminds me of my childhood.
I’m torn on canceling counting on, these girls don’t have any real life skills to fall back on and it’s not fair that their perv brother ruined this yet again for them, BUT, I’m glad that the money they make from the show doesn’t go directly into their fathers pocket then to Josh and his legal funds.
If they do a remake every single person needs their own contract, every single man, woman, and child!
Remember when TLC just showed “A Baby Story”, “A Wedding Story”, and “Trading Spaces?”
Omg, I loved those early 00s shows! Such a simpler time before reality is tv took over everything
I remember when they actually ran educational type documentaries a LONG time ago.
I grew up in a religion with ultra-conservative values on sex, marriage and gender. I’ve seen the harm it can do.