‘Biggest hypocrite ever’: Josh Duggar admits to cheating on his wife
NEW YORK (AP) — Calling himself “the biggest hypocrite ever,” ex-reality star Josh Duggar has apologized for a “secret addiction” to pornography and for cheating on his wife.
“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 posted and later removed from the family’s website on Thursday.
The statement was apparently spurred by Duggar’s name appearing among millions exposed in a data breach of customers of the Ashley Madison website, an online service that caters to people looking to cheat on their spouses. Leaked data showed that a Josh Duggar whose address was the same as the reality TV star was a member of AshleyMadison.com from December 2012 to October 2014.
In his statement, Duggar did not address whether he had used AshleyMadison.com, nor did he detail the exact nature of his marital infidelity. A family representative did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the statement or its removal.
The 27-year-old Duggar’s admission comes several weeks after his exposure that as a teen, he molested four of his sisters and a babysitter. Those revelations led to the cancellation of “19 Kids and Counting,” the hit TLC reality on which he appeared with his 18 siblings and his parents. The series ran from 2008 through its 10th-season conclusion in May.
“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,” Duggar said in his statement.
The TLC series had chronicled the wholesome home life of Arkansas couple Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar and their now-19 children.
But in May, Josh, their eldest child, apologized for unspecified bad behavior on a Facebook post and resigned from the Family Research Council, a conservative Christian group, where he had worked as a lobbyist.
Two weeks later, the Duggar parents were interviewed on Fox News Channel, as were two of their daughters, Jill and Jessa, who said they weren’t aware the fondling had happened until Josh confessed years later and their parents told them about it.
“The last few years, while publicly stating I was fighting against immorality in our country, I was hiding my own personal failings,” stated Duggar, who in his website testament sought the public’s forgiveness and their prayers “for my precious wife Anna and our family during this time.” The couple’s fourth child, a daughter, was born a month ago.
In an accompanying statement on the family’s website, Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar said, “When we learned of this late last night our hearts were broken.” That statement too was removed.FULL STATEMENT
Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar posted the following statement from son Josh Duggar on Thursday (the statement was later removed):
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.
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.