He called himself “the biggest hypocrite ever”.
For a self-described ‘family man,’ Josh Duggar‘s latest scandal is about as awkward as it gets.
The 20-year-old former reality star has admitted to cheating on his wife and to a “secret addiction” to porn, days after his name emerged on the list of people who use Ashley Madison – a website that exists soley for the purpose of having affairs.
On Tuesday, data from the global cheating website was leaked online by hackers. It showed that a Josh Duggar was a member of AshleyMadison.com from December 2012 to October 2014. The email address on the website was the same as the reality star’s, according to the Chicago Tribune.
Duggar called himself “the biggest hypocrite ever” in a statement posted on the family’s website on Thursday.
“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.
The post, which was later removed, did he detail the exact nature of his marital infidelity.
The full statement, as republished by Gawker, read:
Statement from Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar:
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
Related: Ashley Madison has revealed the names of a whole lot of cheaters.
According to Gawker, between February 2013 and May 2015 Duggar paid Ashley Madison a total of $986.76.
He apparently sought a partner for the purposes of cheating on his wife by engaging in the the following wholesome activities:
“Conventional Sex,” “Experimenting with Sex Toys,” “One-Night Stands,” “Open to Experimentation,” “Gentleness,” “Good With Your Hands,” “Sensual Massage,” “Extended Foreplay/Teasing,” “Bubble Bath for 2,” “Likes to Give Oral Sex,” “Likes to Receive Oral Sex,” “Someone I Can Teach,” “Someone Who Can Teach Me,” “Kissing,” “Cuddling & Hugging,” “Sharing Fantasies,” “Sex Talk.”
He was also seeking someone who was fit, petite, tall or short, long-haired or short-haired and in possession of a “secret love nest”.
This latest embarrassment will no doubt reassure the network TLC which produced 19 Kids and Counting about its decision to cancel the show following revelations Josh Duggar had sexually molested several little girls, including four of his sisters, as a teenager.
Related: One of Josh Duggar’s victims is suing him.
He was forced to resign from the Family Research Council following those revelations, but his family stood by him.
His two sisters, Jill and Jessa, gave and interview to Fox’s Megyn Kelly in which they absolved their brother of his youthful transgressions. Duggar himself explained that his molestation of his sisters had been an aberration, a momentary straying from God’s path.
“I understood that if I continued down this wrong road that I would end up ruining my life. I sought forgiveness from those I had wronged and asked Christ to forgive me and come into my life. I would do anything to go back to those teen years and take different actions. In my life today, I am so very thankful for God’s grace, mercy and redemption,” he wrote on his family’s Facebook page.
Duggar’s wife since 2008, Anna Duggar, was also forgiving. She wrote on Facebook:
“And when you, our sweet fans, first met me when Josh asked me to marry him… I was able to say, ‘Yes’ knowing who Josh really is – someone who had gone down a wrong path and had humbled himself before God and those whom he had offended. Someone who had received the help needed to change the direction of his life and do what is right. I want to say thank you to those who took time over a decade ago to help Josh in a time of crisis. Your investment changed his life from going down the wrong path to doing what is right.”
It will be interesting to see Josh Duggar try and squirm out of this one.
Some Duggar family photos:
Related:
Did Josh Duggar pay Ashley Madison almost $1000 to cheat on his wife?
‘I tried to sign up to Ashley Madison.’
Ashley Madison has revealed the names of a whole lot of cheaters.
Top Comments
This. Has. Made. My. Actual. Day. He's blaming porn for sexually molesting his sisters or just for cheating on his wife and exposing her to all sorts of diseases and spending the family money? I'm confused!! No. Kidding. Not confused. He is a revolting hypocrite of the sort that truly gives the shiny-eyed happy clappy brigade the worst name. I truly and genuinely do feel for his wife. I just hope she can break free from that whole sick mess and go on to live an authentic and un-brainwashed life.
Wow. This just keeps getting worse and worse.... read: More and more entertaining.