Recap of Megyn Kelley with Jill and Jessa

[Destiny]

The Duggar Girls Demonstrate That Stockholm Syndrome is Real - Part 1

 

Megyn - for the very first time two of the young women inappropriately touched speak out... Jill and Jessa are J'kids... the show is a hit... tonight they reveal themselves as victims to set the record straight.

 

Its been an "intense few days" - recaps the wednesday interview in all of Boob's grammatical glory. Gives a good glossy sugar coating on how the Duggars handled this mess, including Boob's ridiculous statement that the success rate at real programs sucks. They had nothing to hide...

 

Media reaction was swift and strong. Shots of other media railing against them ( I mean, persecuting, of course). There is another story, one we havent heard... Jill and Jessa. It had beenthe happiest of times - Izzy... the wedding was "wildly popular"... Jessa is prego and their wedding was a success. As girls they were subject of unwanted touching and today, a media circus.

 

Megyn introduces them and gets their ages.

 

How old were you when Josh touched you

 

Jill - 12

Jessa - 9 or 10

 

Megyn - you are on the record as a victim, does it feel strange to use that word?

 

Jill - This wasnt our first choice, we saw the headlines and what people are saying and as victims we had to come out.. .we chose to do it... its lies, not true. For truth's sake we wanted to do this.

 

Megyn - do you feel like the victim of a molestation?

 

Jessa - I think in the case of what josh did, it was wrong. I'm not going to justify or say it was ok. I want to speak in his defense to people who are callling him a child molester or pedophile or rapist. It is SO overboard. A lie, really. People will get mad at me for saying it. I can say it because I was one of the victims. In Josh's case he was a young boy in puberty, a little too curious about girls and that got him into some trouble and he made some bad choices but really the extent of it was mild inappropriate touching on fully clothed victims whil...

 

Jill - We didnt evern know about it until he confessed it to my parents

 

Jessa - none of the victims were aware of what happened until joshua confessed

 

Jill - it wasnt like we were keeping a secret afraid or something, it wwas we didnt know until josh explained to our parents what his thought process was

 

Megyn - How did you learn about it?

 

Jessa - they took us aside indiividually... you were shocked.

 

Megyn - your parents told you that you were molested? What was your reaction to that?

 

Jessa - I was shocked (laughs), It was strange, I was like ... I didnt know, I didnt understand this is what happend until they told me.

 

Jill - you never think this will happen to me. it was very mild compared to what happens to others so when my parents told me I'm sad and shocked, Ok... I'm sad because this is my older brother who I love a lot and so its conflicting... I was angry at first, how could this happen. My parents expalined what happened and jOsh asked individually to forgive him. I mad ethat choice, wasnt forced. You have to make that decision for yourself.

 

Megyn - Lets go back in time. Youre 12, 10... your parents sit you down and tell you this happened. Do you remember the year? So did josh go away right after that?

 

Jessa - He did pretty soon after. I remember at the time I was young so it seems like a whirlwind.

 

Megyn - Was there time when you were in the house with josh knowing this prior to him going away?

 

Jessa - Not really. I think that whenever it was brought to my attention it wasnt very long.

 

Megyn - do you remember a dynamic in the house like "this is my brother" what am I supposed to do with this?

 

Jill - we were sad when he was sent away. He's your brother but at the same time it was burned in our memory josh made some bad decisions and he's going to suffer the consequences of those decisions.

 

Megyn - did you get the chance to express that anger to him, did you fight?

 

Jessa - No, I think we're different than most girls in that he was subtle = he knew in his mind his actions are wrong but he was very sly. The girls didnt catch on. If you catch them sleeping its like a quick feel or like you know if youre just not really aware. They werent awake and not aware. It was very subtle (Jessa repeatedly looks up and to the left and smiles as she's talking). We realize this is seriuos but it wasnt a horror story or this terrible thing where we're like OM goodness... its ridiculous... I think my parents acted. I can see looking back as an adult, they handled this very well . They set up safety guards in our house and they sent josh away and get help. When he came back he was a totally different person.

 

Megyn - how did that manifest itself?

 

Jessa - you could just tell. He was repentant. When he came back I could see he made life changes and he'll never go down that path again.

 

Megyn - did yo ufeel scared he might resume?

 

Jill - When this happened my dad and mom sat down with us and josh asked us for forgiveness we had to make that choice (this is clearly her pattern line), that I think everyone has to make and my dad explained there is a difference between forgiveness and trust.. you forgive and then you have boundaries. Trust comes later. Josh destroyed that trust at the beginning and so he had to rebuild that. When he came back that was his point... when he asked us to forgive that was the beginning

 

Megyn - what were the safeguards just to make sure?

 

Jill - not being alone. No hide and seek where two people go off to hide together (verbatim from michelle),

 

Jessa - not babysitting girls

 

Jill - locks on the doors, everybody's in bed - girls in the girls room, boys in the boys (LIE!) and so ... as a mother, now. I look back and think my parents did such an amazing job for me. Even when we went through the DHS investigation they complimented my parents on what an amazing job they did... not only taking the legal actions, going the extra mile, as a mom I hope I can set up the same safeguards in my family (HOLY CRAP WHAT???!?!?) and reaching the heart of their children. Not only taking care of josh but us girls.

 

Megyn - For the records, did you ever have any trouble with other family members

 

Girls - no

 

Megyn - This is about Josh and prior to counseling...

 

Jessa - My parents did talk to us, they sat down with all of us kids every age and said if anyone touches you come and tell us. You have a voice

 

Megyn - did you ever think of youself as a victim?

 

Jill _ I dont believe so

 

Jessa - in our situation we werent aware that was going on

 

Megyn - did you go through shame?

 

Jessa - when we were foing the DHS investigation that was really... its another thing to talk to a complete stranger

 

Jill - our parents told us to share what happened and they told us to be open and honest, share what happened.

 

Jessa - we told them and we were honest and my parents said that we could trust them, its a safe place.

 

Brainwashing is an amazing thing - part 2

 

Megyn - Any hesitation when you decised to be on tv that this would come out?

 

Jessa - No, the reality show was 5 years afet all this. We had dealt with it and moved on

 

Megyn - so you werent laboring under a fear...

 

Jessa - No I think all the people in our lives, the official... they knew about this it wasnt a complete secret.

 

Jill - people during that time knew. We didnt think we had to share with people who werent a part of the problem or the solution.

 

Jessa - We had dealt with that when the investigation was closed. they praised our parents said they had done and amazing job and said that your home is a safe place for children (anyone think this is odd and IMPOSSIBLE that this was said to a 9 year old???)

 

Megyn - what about some of the critics who say you put your neck out advocating strong christian values?

 

JIll - I think that some people say we're hypocrites. If you look back we never said we were perfect, we said we are a family with lots of kids that have 20 times...

 

Megyn - how about josh and the FRC - gay and lesbians etc.

 

Jessa - Its right to say heres what I beleive even if youve made stupid mistakes, failures, if you've had failures in your past. It doesnt mean you cant be changed. People are making it sound like this happened yesterday

 

Jill - and that its ongoing

 

Jessa - it happened 12 years ago. He was a child himself and so I think seeing the change in his life

 

Jill - we live with him. Our viewers feel like they're in our home and they know him. But we're friendly but we dont know them. People expect to know every detail of our lives but its been taken care of

 

Megyn - when you gound out this was going to be on the cover what was your reaction?

 

Jessa - we were pretty furious.

Jill - I called my husband and I was in tear. crying - I couldnt believe what was going on. I calle dhim - cries more - whenever I heard the police report had been released I said. This isnt right, we're victims, they cant do this to us. and they did.

 

Jessa - the system htat was set up .... greatly failed (this is the teaser).

You go to the store and theres a picture on a magazine

 

 

Jill - and like theres like, whatever choices or like legally, they can say "we can do this or that' its like, its obviously not... they're not protecting us here

 

Jessa - the FOIA is not you cant foia a juvenile cases, everyone knows that (oh, you have a law degree now?). There was some hokey pokey going on there I dont know what the deal was

 

Jill - there may be an agenda. The tabloids are USED TO EXPLOITING WOMEN.

 

Jessa - the parent company Bauer publishing, they're a major porn provider ( sure, this is a real interview... ) I dont know, maybe theyre just used to MAKING OBJECTS OUT OF WOMEN. Maybe we didnt seem any different.

 

Megyn - Jill, we see the tears, what was it about the disclosure that was so painful?

 

Jill - I see it as a revictimization thats a thousand times worse (sobbing) because this is something that was already dealt with. We already forgiven josh, we already moved on... its not the truth, everything was distorted and our story was not being told and it shouldnt have been told. We're the victims and we're the only one who can speak. Now that its warped and told how they want to portray it we felt like thats why we wanted to say "thats not what happened." We've dealt with this and we've taken care of it.

 

Megyn - do you feel like you are speaking on behalf of your other sisters?

 

Jill - we cant speak for the otehr ones but I feel like as far as

 

Jessa - I can speak for the others and say that everyone is angry this was publicised. Everyone has forgiven

 

Jill - Long ago

 

Megyn - what about hte babysitter?

 

Jessa - Yeah, definitely

 

Megyn - what about legal action?

 

We TOTALLY got real counseling. The diploma was in color! Part 3

 

Megyn - your parents indicated they will look into legal action, do you want that?

 

jessa - what was done was very wrong. Youre helpless in the moment over the actions of other. We're again helpless as to the people handing oer the report... printing is, using it for your own profit.

 

Megyn - People arent staning up for child vicitims... is this because of who you are?

 

Jessa - I feel like people that dont like our family would be the ones to spread this aroudn... slander... malice

 

JIll - i feel for the other families out there. 2/3 of families deal with this. I feel for the other victims where the parents will take a pause to do something to report to take care of what going on and maybe these other victims will continue to live just not even having their situations handled (OMG - YOU MEAN LIKE YOU DID???)

 

Megyn - SOme referred back to the incident initially - the SOL had run. Would you have supported a prosecution?

 

Jessa - by the time that was done it was very obvious to everyone that josh was a changed person. He had not gone there for years, he was humble before god.

 

Jill - we all got counseling. Josh had to pay for his own

 

Megyn - did you work that out? What were you working out?

 

Jill - you talk about what happened and what was dont. We wanted to make sure everything in our hearts were taken care of.

 

Jessa - I'm really glad that my parents encouraged us to get that LICENSED counseling. I think it was really helpful for us.

 

Megyn - what was the most difficult part of it?

 

Jessa - I dont think we can exclude today. It was difficult when it came up, talking in counseling. Every step was hard but these past 2 weeks have been 1000 times worse

 

Megyn - do you care about the show? Do you want it to continue?

 

Jill - we've always had the mindset this show is a window of opportunity that god allowed to share our lives...

 

 

Jessa - life goes on. We're not a tv family, we're a family that happens to be on tv.

 

Jill - we love our film crew, they're family to us. We'll see what life brings

 

Megyn - this is it, right? Theres not another secret?

 

Jill - we've been through a lot and our viewers saw that. its not always easy but we've allowed the filminf and allowed people to see our struggles, see things that we've go through - josie, jubilee... this is another stuggle but its bringing the family closer together.

 

Jessa - when all this came out I said, on the bright side, we all love eachother.

 

Lets blame the liberal media! Part 4

 

They reshow Jill sobbing when she found out the report was being released... Jessa doesnt even look at her.

 

Megyn - you could hear izzy crying in the room below as Jill cried... these are vibrant beautiful women who are supposed to be in the prime of their lives... what ethical obligation did in touch have to think of them

 

Howard Kurtz - watching jill and jessa struggle... blah blah victimized by the porn rag... put aside the legalities, why is OK for in touch to violate an iron clad rule and identify these women

 

megyn - they did and it didnt take a lot of math. We're supposed to follow a code. Is it because they're christians. I dont see that exception in the ethics book

 

Howie - maybe they thought because of the reality show... when you look at those 2 women its like they were collateral damage.

 

Megyn - pundits on other shows asking where were the parents? Where is the media now asking who was there for the girls

 

howie - the stunning thing is the media conduct has been a non issue. Josh didnt join the interview. The parents put them at risk. To listen to jill and jessa, media can inflict a lot of damage and these 2 women are victims. They've been dragged through the mud

 

megyn - what of the other victims who are out these considering calling the hotline - they have a promise of confidentiality and they see this

 

howie - that the worst part of it. We want them to report and there has to be some doubt ... the media needs to wrestle, at what point is the story not worth it because of the damage inflicted.

 

Lets all call it a sophies choice! Part 5

 

I'm just going to point out that fox is clearly backing away from their ridiculous "illegal release" arguments from earlier. This whole "bad liberal" is much more like them.

 

Emily Horowitz - got lots of credentials and stuff - I think it highlights the complex nature of sexual abuse in families. they love their brother. It wouldnt have been the best thing for him to go to prison. 1/3 of people who abuse children are chilren themselves... I interviewed people on the registry... the average age is 14

 

Megyn - thats important. Is josh duggar a child molester in the term we understand?

 

Emily - Sex offenders have lower recidivism than we believe. (Is fox pro sex offender now). The treatment is effective

 

Megyn - 85 - 90 % dont reoffend

 

Emily - treatment and intervention works

 

Megyn - they faced a tough choice... our viewers say its the duggars fault

 

Emily 0- theres so much emotion... pitchforks... its a terrible dilemna. If you go to the police you will be put in jail (UM, NO). This was unusual

 

Megyn - what message does the outing of this send to other victims

 

Emily - i think families are hesitant to get help

 

 

FINAL THOUGHTS

 

Megyn -The judge in the duggar's juvenile case says this report should never have been disclosed the city attorney maintains its lawful. The law needs to be changed... we need to better protect victims. Flashes hotline again.

 

 

I JUST HAVE TO SAY, WEDNESDAY WAS BAD, THIS WAS EVEN WORSE. I CANT BELIEVE SHE CALLS HERSELF A JOURNALIST.