Josh Dugger
TMZ is reporting that TLC has yanked the reality series “19 Kids and Counting” from its lineup after the Dugger family — which is busy overpopulating the world with bigots — acknowledged this week that one of the 19 kids, Josh Dugger, really did molest underage girls. But, “Sources familiar with the situation tell TMZ, the fate of the show is uncertain, but there’s now so much heat in the wake of Josh Duggar’s molestation confession … the network had to make the decision.”
TLC officials released this statement to The Huffington Post today: “Effective immediately, TLC has pulled all episodes of 19 Kids and Counting currently from the air. We are deeply saddened and troubled by this heartbreaking situation, and our thoughts and prayers are with the family and victims at this difficult time.”
But HuffPo also notes that the TLC website continues to list the show as airing on June 1.
Josh Dugger admitted his guilt after InTouch magazine published a story Thursday, May 21, about police records it obtained from Springdale, Ark., hidden since 2006, that show Josh Duggar confessed to his father, Jim Bob Duggar, who then waited more than a year before telling police what his son did. Reports indicate Josh Dugger molested five girls who lived in the Dugger family home in 2002 and 2003.
Following the InTouch report Thursday, Josh Dugger resigned from his job with the ultra-right-wing Family Research Council. He then apologized in a post to the Dugger family Facebook page, saying, “Twelve years ago, as a young teenager, I acted inexcusably for which I am extremely sorry and deeply regret. … We spoke with the authorities where I confessed my wrongdoing, and my parents arranged for me and those affected by my actions to receive counseling. I understood that if I continued down this wrong road that I would end up ruining my life.”
Back when he first got caught, instead of contacting police, Josh’s mommy and daddy made him spend a couple of months in a “Christian rehabilitation program” in Little Rock.
The Dugger family is famous for its anti-gay rhetoric and right-wing political efforts, including mom Michelle’s robo-calls pushing for passage of transphobic legislation in Arkansas last August, the family’s support of right-wing politicians like Rick Santorum and Sam Brownback and referring to abortion as “an American Holocaust.” Josh, whose now-former employer the Family Research Council has been classified as a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center, has himself defended Chick-Fil-A for its anti-gay policies, and “Duck Dynasty” patriarch Phil Robertson for his anti-gay statements. He has claimed that LGBT people are dangerous to children, and last November led an anti-gay rally in Little Rock.
“Mama June” Shannon
While TLC hasn’t said that it is actually cancelling “19 Kids,” a former TLC reality star is threatening the network with a lawsuit if the show isn’t canned, again according to TMZ.
“Mama June” Shannon said her show, “Here Comes Honey Boo Boo,” cancelled last October after TMZ published reports that she was dating a convicted child molester and thus putting her children at risk. Mama June, who denied those reports, said today that she would sue TLC if the network doesn’t cancel “19 Kids” after Josh Dugger’s admission.
Mama June said that the cancellation of “Honey Boo Boo” cost her hundreds of thousands of dollars, and that her show was cancelled even though she never molested anyone and the sex offender she was supposedly dating never appeared on the show. Josh Dugger, on the other hand, is a central character in “19 Kids” and he admitted molesting children.
