Scandal Fallout - MEGA MERGE

[galateasca]

In all of this, I wonder if somehow THIS is why Jana isn't "courting". I think she's traumatized. If any other person did this, they'd have been in jail. It makes my head swivel....

I only hope the rest of the girls get outta Tontitown because there isn't another fundie courtship going on with that group...BUT I don't think TLC will cancel the show, because it's their top rated show. I agree that we won't be seeing so much JoshAnna anymore. I feel bad for Anna...talk about DEFRAUDED. Either she knew ahead of time and she's either a huge forgiver or just wanted to be on the telly or she's just as gobsmacked as the rest of us.

[MisUndrstd]

In all of this, I wonder if somehow THIS is why Jana isn't "courting". I think she's traumatized. If any other person did this, they'd have been in jail. It makes my head swivel....

I only hope the rest of the girls get outta Tontitown because there isn't another fundie courtship going on with that group...BUT I don't think TLC will cancel the show, because it's their top rated show. I agree that we won't be seeing so much JoshAnna anymore. I feel bad for Anna...talk about DEFRAUDED. Either she knew ahead of time and she's either a huge forgiver or just wanted to be on the telly or she's just as gobsmacked as the rest of us.

I think Anna had some knowledge of it but it was downplayed considerably. It may have been like Josh touched one sister, one time on the breast because he was curious. I'm hoping Anna wouldn't have entered into a relationship with Josh if she had known to what an extent this is happening. But she was pretty head over heels for Josh for the get go, so who knows.

[Blueruin]

Anna knew about it. All the articles I've read say that. Here's one: http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/acts ... legations/

So my prediction is:

* Indefinite hiatus (after all, the problem was many years ago, not current like with Honey Boo Boo or Gosselins. After a couple years we will start to get Very Special Episodes updating us on everyone except Josh & Anna.

* Josiah's courtship carries on as usual because they can't hold his brother's actions against HIM...that would be un-Christian of them.

* Even more relaxation of standards like Duggar dress code.

* A tell-all book, by Jessa and/or Jinger, after DimBob and J'Chelle die.

* Josh crawls under a rock for a little while. I think the FIL's prison ministry thought is a good one.

This explains a LOT of things, for example, why none of DimBob's kids have married into fundie royalty, and what Jinger's big trials and tribulations were. Maybe the girls really DID want to all share a room in the TTH, to protect each other. And maybe this is why they took the law enforcement/community first responder/whatever class, to help them feel confident and safe. That one is a stretch, but in their eyes, sending Joshie to work with some guy is "therapy," soooo.....

I would not want to be josh in a prison, child molesters are the lowest of the low I can't imagine any criminal working with him or even tolerating his presence. Unless he works only with convicted child offenders and that would be a powder keg of disgusting as they all get off rehashing their crimes.

[Rowan]

I agree with the hiatus with all reruns being pulled.

This fall, either a new season or just occasional specials for the big events are both equally likely at this point IMO.

One thing for sure, Anna better be able to handle her current 3 + newborn because I highly doubt the Duggar sister-mom/aunt train will be running any more. And I don't see her leaving Josh

[carriedaway14]

What I want to happen:

Anna divorces Josh, takes the kids, and goes to live with Susanna. She sends them to public school because watching four kids all by yourself all day is exhausting.

Jana and John David write a tell-all and give a 20/20 interview to Diane Sawyer. They also get custody of the howlers and the lost girls. (Except James, Jackson and Joannah, who go live with Jill). They tell Diane about blanket training, Gothardism, the rod, what the heck actually happens at ALERT and JTTH. Jana says she believes in evolution and doesn't take it back this time.

Joy and Jinger move to the city together. Jinger gets to study photography at NYU. In NYC, she sits at a table in an outdoor cafe drinking coffee, alone, wearing pants. Joy finds a boy her own age to flirt with that isn't betrothed to her sister.

Jessa and Bin get a nice TLC stipend and move away from Jim Bob's control. Bin becomes a personal trainer and Jessa goes to beauty school. She preaches at her beauty salon. Bin convinces Jessa that watching and enjoying Lord of the Rings wont send her to hell.

Derrick gets his masters and becomes a CPA. He whisks Jill away to Oklahoma. James, Johanna and Jackson go with them.

Josiah convinces Margery to run away with him. He uses his TLC stipend to go to a real, secular college. He becomes a lawyer and sues TLC and his parents for child labor abuse/not getting paid for being on the show as all their money they got previous to the "Josh Duggar Incident" went into the family pot.

Everyone gets the counseling they need.

What will happen:

TLC cancels the show.

Jana (who stays home to protect her siblings) throws away the best years of her life.

Jinger gets married off. Joy gets married off.

They pretend this never happened and get a deal with another production company/network and soon air a slightly different show on another channel. This show focuses on the married couples. While the scripted scenes play out on this new show, Jana watches in the background with a sad, listless look.

JChelle smiles at the camera and says how much she loves her family, life and being SUCH a great mother to these 18 wonderful kids.

They never speak of Josh Duggar again.

No one gets the counseling they need.

[DGayle]

I'm just shocked. How is legal for him to continue being in the house with his victims? I just, I don't know, TLC better not keep them on the air. I don't think they will. They kicked Mama June off.

Free Jinger ALL the Duggar children.

It's legal because there wasn't a trial or conviction. I don't think TLC will keep them. I think people will stop watching ALL TLC shows if they do. June was kicked off for re-dating a guy who molested 1 of her daughter. JB & M protected someone who molested 5 kids under their roof. This is actually worse.

The Duggars WERE a cash cow. Now they're a disease for the station. If this was 1 kid, I think the show might eek by, but it's 5. That's what blows my mind. 5!!!

[zz22zz]

Working education I can tell you that the laws in the U.S. DO NOT protect children in cases like these like you would hope they would. I had a student repeatedly tell the school counselor and myself about things that an uncle and her dad did to her over the summer. We reported it to CPS, several times, but kept being told that they could only investigate if something had happened within 30 days. This girl was crying uncontrollably several times a week and kept asking us why no one could help her, it was heartbreaking.

Also since Josh was a minor at most he would have gotten some detention time and probation until 21.

What he did is heinous but really what needs to happen is therapy for all in involved, real non televised therapy. For the student above that is what we made sure happened for her and arranged for a better third party child care option for her the following summer with her mom's cooperation (dad and uncle only had access to her unsupervised while mom was working, her parents were not together).

[WhiteRun]

TLC will take 19KAC off the air while they "decide on what will happen with the tv show 19 Kids And Counting" and will return once everything blows over.

Anna parents would probably rather nail their daughters feet to the floor than let her divorce Josh. It would be hypocritical to her statement that she knew about him molesting his sisters. The M'kids will be sent to grandma and grandpa Keller while Josh and Anna try to get through the media storm outside their house. Anna develops postnatal depression after M4.

All of the Duggars and their associates (Dillards, Seewalds, Kellers ect) will stop using social media for a while.

Josiah and Majorie will end their courtship.

Joseph will stay at Crown College till he graduates but won't go home. JD and Jana will leave home too and ultimately lose contact with their parents but not their siblings.

In a few months time we see a TLC exclusive about how "God forgave Josh" and Jim Boob/J'chelle, teary eyed, describe how they turned to God for guidance during this difficult time.

I wish at least one of the girls would escape and write a tell all book however I'm sure they've been threatened that they'll never see their brothers/sisters again if they try.

[Eatingintheprayercloset]

As much as I want 19KaC to be canceled, I doubt it will(at least right away). It'll probably last one more season with a special episode dedicated to Josh's situation....maybe the J'slaves will tell their side of the story....but I highly doubt it. I hope Ben and Derick will help their wives and maybe hang out with their more secular families and get off the Duggar's tit. Also, it would be amazing if they tag team and kick Josh's ass(c'mon Ben, I know you can do it!). I wouldn't be shocked if a courtship is on horizon and announced in the coming weeks(Jana or Jinger). I do hope the victims seek legitimate help with dealing with the emotional baggage that comes with being sexually abused. I know they might say they forgive Josh and they are stronger because of it but their lives were negatively changed once he took a piece of their innocence. I hope this scandal will help the Duggar kids leave Gothardism behind and be more secular. Hell, maybe we will see one of them start an ex-quiverfull blog eventually. I'm not sure why but I have a soft spot for Jana and she seems the most sensitive so I hope she moves far away from quiverfull and writes a book, though very doubtful but how many of us would have guessed this type of scandal would be the Duggar's fall from grace?

Josh and Anna will probably stay together but go through a horrible rough patch. On the surface, they will act like everything's dandy but they'll be miserable behind closed doors. Josh lost his job, another M'kid is gonna be born soon, and they owe a lot of taxes.......karma is sweet but I do feel for the kids.

[Jessa's Side Eye]

I can't see Anna divorcing Josh. It makes me wonder though if maybe she didn't know about what Josh did and that's why the Duggars gave them that "marriage retreat" gift voucher. Maybe that was so Josh could take her away and tell her the truth with some IBLP "counselor" sitting there, weighing in on how Josh was such a "Godly" man now.

[MalteseBaby]

I can't put this into a timeline of 3 months, but I think and hope very much that the show will be cancelled.

-I think FJ can help effect change with TLC in the short term, since they are not taking decisive action at this time.

I'd like a list available to all of us listing the show's sponsors (as I do not pay any attention to things like that and will not ever watch the show again if it returns to the air in a new season) with a master list of contact emails posted on this site, so that we can be a part of the solution in this case. Help free the girls in every way we can.

They deserve our help.

-I think Jill and Derek will separate from JB and Michelle as best as possible and also stay away from Josh. Ditto for Ben and Jessa. I think " drop in" visits to the Dillard and Seewald homes will be changed to " by invitation only" for the parents and Josh. A line was drawn in the sand when the report was leaked to the media. There's no going back from this knowledge.

-I hope Josiah continues with goals of his own because this is the grown son in whom I see empathy, genuine true deep feelings, and I suspect that due to his age, he may have been innocently hurt by possibly being present when the molestation took place in communal areas of the house. I suspect his hurt and sense of betrayal goes deep. I hope he is wise with Marjorie and her family and that the goals of his heart concerning her are genuinely for her and not for an escape from " home".

-I think Anna and Josh will have extreme problems, all behind closed doors. Josh's unemployment will probably be " handled" by his " handler" Jim Bob, but there's the issues of the almost trashed house he bought in AR, and the $54,000 IRS back taxes which no one seems to know much about. I also think his TV and pseudo- political days are over. ( I sincerely hope so anyway).

Mack, the baby girl to be born, and the little boys will know what their daddy did one day because-- the Internet is forever.

-I think the Duggars risk having this same thing happen with one of the howler boys and the little lost girls unless they change their approach to sex from " Don't ask, don't tell" to age- appropriate sex education, and also monitoring of the children's activities. I believe they already have a better system than they did when Josh was 13 and 14, and maybe this situation will never repeat. No one knows.

-After reading how Oprah was proactive and her team faxed reports to AR the day they received the emails, I want to see OWN succeed and I will be watching it for the first time ever occasionally.

I will also subscribe to " O" magazine as a show of support.

-Each one of us, the collective us, plays a part in what happens in the next few months. As Oprah says, " Live your authentic life". If you are disgusted by what Josh has done and gotten away with for so many years, sign petitions to remove 19KAC from TLC.

Don't watch the show in prime time or reruns. Email the sponsors of the show with well- worded and polite protests of their sponsorship of the show.

Lastly, there are long- term members here who have heard or read rumors about what happened for a long time. Some of you are attorneys. Some of you may be in Law Enforcement. Nothing was ever followed up.

Maybe the FIOA wouldn't have applied to any of the FJ membership, but it might have.

Can we please do things differently in the future if we suspect that there is a child sex predator active in a family? This site has MANY outspoken and very intelligent members. We can use what we now know as a learning experience, I think.

We are NOT the police of the fundie world, but I believe each one of us has a responsibility to go the extra mile if a child is in danger, or if rumors are persistent and fairly specific, as they were in this case. I know hindsight is 20/20 but life is a learning process. We die the day we stop learning. :)

I respect everyone who has cared about the Duggar daughters and the littles and worried for much longer than I have known enough to worry. Let's not let Gothardism rule. Let's help HUMAN RIGHTS/ WOMENS' RIGHTS RULE! We are woman, we are strong in number and in belief systems.

I will do whatever I can do and volunteer now to help raise awareness if another child molestation situation is strongly suspected in a fundy home.

The good thing is that Josh didn't kill a sibling through erotic asphyxiation or other violence prevalent in sibling sex abuse. Where there's life, there is hope. Recovery is painful and extremely personalized, but when it occurs, the abuser loses his power over his victims.

Thanks for reading my post.I'm sorry it's so long but above all, I want to prevent this from happening in another fundy dysfunctional household with numerous children or an abusive parent if posters know a bit about " something not right" there.

[MalteseBaby]

PS- Again no timeline, but I have a special fondness for Jana and I hope very much that the public outcry against her possible abuser ( and definitely her sisters' abuser) will help her self- esteem to blossom and her tears will turn to genuine laughter.Whatever is missing in Jana's life, and there is something for sure, I hope she will find it and embrace it as an adult, not the child she used to be. It is common for young teens to become stuck at the age when they experienced a severe trauma. It's time for beautiful butterfly Jana to unfurl her wings and learn to fly outside the Duggar compound. She is SO much more than the parents who try to pigeon- hole her.

I want her to realize that she is NOT the caretaker of the howlers and littles. She has parents who are no longer reproducing as an excuse, and the littles are the parents' responsibility.

That she, Jinger and Joy are single adult women who can make employment plans and find an apartment to share away from Tontitown and AR if they want to.

[ILoveJellybeans]

I think the show will be cancelled.

I think that nothing will happen, because Michelle, Jimbob, Josh and Anna do not accept how bad it was and are still trying to cover up Josh at the expense of the victims.

What I hope happens is that Jill and Jessa both move further away from their parents, and closer to their husbands parents, and get some proper therapy that will not tell them that they could have changed it by being more Godly.

I hope that the adult Duggar girls still at home move out, either together, or move in with one of their older sisters. Joy can go and live with her buddy Jill.

I hope that CPS investigates both Michelle and Jimbob, and Josh and Anna to make sure that the current crop of small kids is not at risk, and to ensure they are not being abused in any other way too, as I bet there is spanking and blanket training going on, as well as neglect, which would probably be worse if all of the older girls move out.

I hope that if the children are seen to be at risk, that the older daughters or other relatives who are not fundie can have them so they are all kept together as a family instead of split up and given to strangers.

[jinseng]

Amidst all this drama, I feel one important aspect of Jill and Derricks future has been overlooked. In the upcoming season trailer, we see the duggars in a family meeting, and Jill and Derrick share some BIG news about their future.

Does anyone wanna have a guess at what their plans are? I suspect they'll be headed to central america to work as missionaries... That was their original plan, after all... I hope they get the hell out of the stoney brook mansion ASAP, and go live a regular christian life somewhere else, away from all the hoopla.

[Sundaymorning]

Amidst all this drama, I feel one important aspect of Jill and Derricks future has been overlooked. In the upcoming season trailer, we see the duggars in a family meeting, and Jill and Derrick share some BIG news about their future.

Does anyone wanna have a guess at what their plans are? I suspect they'll be headed to central america to work as missionaries... That was their original plan, after all... I hope they get the hell out of the stoney brook mansion ASAP, and go live a regular christian life somewhere else, away from all the hoopla.

I hope so too that they will finally get away from Boob and J'Chelle. But working as missionaries in Central America? I don't think Derrick should give up his job at Walmart, it provides the family the financial security they need with a newborn, especially now that the shows future in very uncertain.

[JHeathen]

I can't see Anna divorcing Josh. It makes me wonder though if maybe she didn't know about what Josh did and that's why the Duggars gave them that "marriage retreat" gift voucher. Maybe that was so Josh could take her away and tell her the truth with some IBLP "counselor" sitting there, weighing in on how Josh was such a "Godly" man now.

SHE KNEW. She said she knew before they married. He told her. Read the articles.

[Jessa's Side Eye]

SHE KNEW. She said she knew before they married. He told her. Read the articles.

I have read the articles. I'm saying maybe her press release was well scripted and I thi k it would look very strange if she said she only just found out about it recently. It wouldn't look good for their marriage. it would be admitting she never really knew the man she married and they would not want any negativity like that.

[Cactus]

I have read the articles. I'm saying maybe her press release was well scripted and I thi k it would look very strange if she said she only just found out about it recently. It wouldn't look good for their marriage. it would be admitting she never really knew the man she married and they would not want any negativity like that.

Does anything look good for their marriage at this point?

If Anna was aware, she'll be shamed for knowingly marrying a child molester.

If she was not aware, she'll be shamed for marrying someone she barely knew.

[Jessa's Side Eye]

Does anything look good for their marriage at this point?

If Anna was aware, she'll be shamed for knowingly marrying a child molester.

If she was not aware, she'll be shamed for marrying someone she barely knew.

But look at the world she comes from. She of course would say she knew. She is a submissive brain dead idiot. she is trying to look like the supportive wife. This is her gravy train (even though it's running out) it's still a better option then going back home to the Kellers. Think about how many politicians wives stand by their husbands and they issue statements how they've known about indiscretions etc but they have a strong marriage, I support him blah blah, when in actual fact they could have only just found out the day before.

These women read whatever is given to them. Maybe she did know all those years ago, but maybe she didn't and it just reading off whatever is shoved in front of her. If she only just found out recently, she would be too shell shocked to do anything but do what the Duggars tell her to do. She knows no better.

[Sweet Fellowship]

My predictions:

- 19 Kids and Counting will be cancelled.

- There'll be a 'special' catching up on the lives of the Dillards and Seewalds.

- Josiah's wedding (if he remains courting) will be a special, but Josh will be purposely edited out.

- Josh will work for Jim Bob out of the public eye.

- Josh and Anna's marriage will be strained.

[Nic]

I agree with the hiatus with all reruns being pulled.

This fall, either a new season or just occasional specials for the big events are both equally likely at this point IMO.

One thing for sure, Anna better be able to handle her current 3 + newborn because I highly doubt the Duggar sister-mom/aunt train will be running any more. And I don't see her leaving Josh

That babysitter train will continue in secret as always. They sent Jana on a Josh and Anna road trip episode and kept her hidden. With Josh and Anna back in Arkansas, it will be even easier.

[Walking Cat Bed]

I suspect that the Dillards won't stay in Duggarville much longer. Especially if Cathy and Derick's dad have a say in the matter. I can easily see them helping Derrick and Jill gain custody of her buddies, too -- or several of the Lost Girls.

Ben and Jessa might be the tell-all writers. If they can get the hell out of Duggarville, they will be significantly better off. And, hey, Jinger can go with them and "help" with Baby Seewald.

Once the littles are away from their useless parents and disgusting brother, Jana and Joy should book it. John could tag along, but they both ought to get out, get some actual therapy, and get on with their lives.

Joe will stay at Clown until he's done. Josiah...either he will or won't continue the courtship. The rest of the boys split between non-terrible siblings.

Josh faces jail time for the tax evasion. Anna plays the suffering but submissive wife.

Jim Bob and Michelle lose all political connections, business connections, go bankrupt, and the only child who will speak to them is Redeemed Golden Boy Josh.

But in reality... Josh will get a slap on the wrist, Jim Bob and Michelle will be fine, and the kids will smile while suffering.

[jerkit]

I don't think the show will be cancelled. I think the show will go on and Josh will remain a part of the cast.

I think J&A will move home to AR shortly after M4 is born and he will start another car lot.

I don't think any of the girls will speak out.

Basically, I think everything will go on as usual, much to our frustration.

[gr8pyrz]

I do think the show will be cancelled because TLC cannot recover from this.

But I agree life will continue on as normal for the entire family. Regardless of the effect of all this, their belief sysytem is too ingrained for anything else. I truly believe the girls will defend the family as it has been so long, their mindset is one of "come together in forgiveness". That and they likely believe it WAS just a "mistake".

Sad, but this will hardly have any effect except financially.

[HereticHick]

Major story in the Washington Post--lots of hits online-- friends of mine who never seem to have discussed the Duggars before are talking about them (and FRC) on social media. Washington Post story points out that TLC was running a Duggar marathon while this was all going down yesterday. Perhaps it isn't resonating as much nationwide--but TLC and FRC are both Washington area-based entities--this is a MAJOR embarrassment to them. Especially to FRC.

I think the 19KAC series is toast. Maybe there might be a very special episode in the future--but not in 2015.

Speaking engagements will dry up.

No politician will want to be seen with Josh.

The gravy train has finally ground to a halt, y'all.