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Josh Duggar admits to marital infidelity


NASHVILLE (BP) — Josh Duggar admitted to marital infidelity today (Aug. 20) in a post on the family website after a massive Internet hack revealed he had subscribed to an online adultery service.

“I have been the biggest hypocrite ever. While espousing faith and family values, I have been unfaithful to my wife [Anna],” the statement read as of 2 p.m. Central Time. “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.”

Earlier news reports, including posts from ABC and Time magazine, quoted Duggar as admitting to a porn addiction with the statement, “I have secretly over the last several years been viewing pornography on the internet and this became a secret addiction,” but such an admission was no longer in the statement posted on the Duggar family website.

“I have brought hurt and a reproach to my family, close friends and the fans of our show with my actions,” Duggar wrote. “The last few years, while publicly stating I was fighting against immorality in our country I was hiding my own personal failures.”

Duggar’s admission was introduced with a statement from his parents, Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar.

“When we learned of this late last night our hearts were broken,” the parents wrote. “As we continue to place our trust in God we ask for your prayers for Josh, Anna, our grandchildren and our entire family.”

Josh Duggar’s name is reportedly among the 32 million who have subscribed to the online adultery site, revealed in the Internet hack by Gawker.com. The 27-year-old and his wife have four children.

His admission is posted at http://www.duggarfamily.com/2015/8/statements-from-jim-bob-and-michelle-duggar-and-josh-duggar, and is printed in full below.

Josh Duggar was embroiled in a scandal in May when he admitted to having molested five underage girls as a teenager, including four of his sisters. His admission led to the cancellation of the family’s TLC reality hit series “19 Kids and Counting” and Josh Duggar’s resignation from his position as a lobbyist with the Family Research Council (FRC) family values group.

“Twelve years ago, as a young teenager, I acted inexcusably, for which I am extremely sorry and deeply regret. I hurt others, including my family and close friends,” he admitted in May. “I confessed this to my parents, who took several steps to help me address the situation. 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.”

In June, his sisters Jill (Duggar) Dillard and Jessa (Duggar) Seewald identified themselves publicly as two of the girls their brother molested.

Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar will participate in an upcoming TLC documentary on child sexual abuse produced in partnership with RAINN, the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network. “Breaking the Silence” is set to air Aug. 30 at 9 p.m. Central on TLC.

Aug. 20 Josh Duggar statement

I have been the biggest hypocrite ever. While espousing faith and family values, I have been 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 have brought hurt and a reproach to my family, close friends and the fans of our show with my actions.

The last few years, while publicly stating I was fighting against immorality in our country I was hiding my own personal failures.

As I am learning the hard way, we have the freedom to choose our actions, but we do not get to choose our consequences. I deeply regret all the 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.