UPDATE: The Duggars just announced on their Facebook page that Jill and Jessa Duggar will “tell their story” in an interview with FOX News on Friday! It does not appear that Josh, nor the other victims, will be participating.
FOX News’ Megyn Kelly scored the first post-sex-abuse-scandal interview with Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar and, while many fans are skeptical that the interview, which airs tonight, will be little more than a pre-rehearsed apology from the Duggars, Megyn is promising that she didn’t give the Duggars a free pass.
“When I spoke with the Duggar family, I said, ‘I am going to ask you the tough questions,'” Megyn, host of The Kelly File, said in an interview with The Wrap. “‘But I will be fair, and you will be permitted to answer and offer context. And it will not be a ‘gotcha’ or an attempt to bring down the Duggars … That is not my role.”
Megyn managed to score the first interview that the 19 Kids and Counting stars have done since news broke earlier this month that oldest Duggar son Josh admitted to molesting at least five young girls, including some of his sisters, while in his teens.
Many news media outlets were clambering for the first sit-down with the Duggars, but Megyn got it because, as she claims, she didn’t pull any punches with the famous family.
“I reached out to them and made the case I was the best for the job,” Megyn told Deadline. “I specifically told their representative, ‘You know my reputation. I’ve never been accused of giving anyone a pass, and I’m not going to give them a pass. If you want a soft place to fall, I’m not your person… I think it’s a service to you to have me ask tough questions.'”
She also assured the Duggars that their words wouldn’t be subjected to a bloodbath in the editing room.
“I have final say on the ultimate broadcast — and no one but me,” she told The Wrap.
Fans of the show have come down hard on the Duggar parents for not reporting their son’s crimes or seeking professional help or actual counseling for him for years. (It is still not determined that Josh actually received real counseling; the police report states that Michelle admitted that she and Jim Bob sent Josh away for a period of time for counseling, but he actually went to a family friend’s property to help remodel a house.)
A new police report from a neighboring town surfaced today that showed the Duggar parents failed to do anything about Josh’s molestation problem for at least sixteen months after Josh first confessed to fondling his sisters. The molestations continued during that time, according to the police reports. Josh’s last victim was his then-five-year-old sister.
Their inability to react, alert authorities and get Josh removed from the home (and allowed to get help), could have landed the Duggar parents behind bars for permitting abuse of a minor, had the statue of limitations not already passed by the time the crimes surfaced.
Last week, Jim Bob and Michelle issued a statement about the interview.
“We will sit down with Megyn Kelly on Fox News to share our hearts with you about the pain that we walked through as a family twelve years ago, the tears we all shed and the forgiveness that was given,” they posted on their official website and social media accounts. “We appreciate the outpouring of love and prayers for our family at this time.”
Megyn acknowledged that the Duggars know there is a lot riding on what Jim Bob and Michelle say during this interview. After all, TLC has pulled all ’19 Kids and Counting’ reruns from the air, removed much of the show’s presence from the network’s website and had many advertisers pull their advertising campaigns from the show in light of the scandal. The network has not, however, officially cancelled the show yet.
“I think this is the Duggars’ effort to try to get out from under that pressure cooker,” Megyn said. “They very much understand their show and reputation are on the line. “[The show] has a chance still. It’s not totally done.”
Other details of the interview are scarce, but it has been reported that much of the sit-down took place in the Duggar’s Arkansas hometown. There has been no indication that Josh will participate in the interview.
Megyn’s interview with the Duggar parents airs tonight on FOX News’ The Kelly File at 9 p.m. ET. A one-hour special containing more interview clips will air on Friday.
To read all of The Ashley‘s coverage of the Josh Duggar sex abuse scandal, click here.
UPDATE: Watch a sneak peek clip of the interview here!
15 Responses
Sexual intercourse is not the first step to a physical relationship. Holding hands and hugging is a very important phase not to be rushed. I would have been terrified is my first experience at intimacy was full blown wham-bam thank you m’am! Michelle and Jim Bob are poor role models, those poor kids think SEX is the golden ring to be grabbed as soon as you can. No woman should be a release for a man’s urges. Women are wired differently than men. They need kissing, hand holding and hugging.
I couldn’t even watch the whole thing because I was so disgusted. They still think that they did nothing wrong. What’s worse is that the parents are acting as if THEY are the victims.
What I want to know is why Josh, who is 27 and an ADULT, is not speaking for himself? He’s still hiding behind mommy and daddy. He’s not a baby anymore. Let him face the music! He can run his big mouth off publicly and spread his hateful ideas, then he can defend himself. He’s a coward!
I used to like Jim Bob and Michelle, but after this interview I think we have seen some of their true colors shine through. Pitiful.
I watched the interview and firstly this blog doesnt have all the facts straight as far as the details and how the report was obtained. But for the most part the allegations are true, we all know. As a parent I really feel for this family. How do you condemn a son you love so much, your first born. It’s such a tough place because you love and want to protect your daughters and all you want is to keep your family from falling apart. I don’t agree 100 percent with how they handled it but I can’t imagine if I wouldve been able to handle it much better if it were me. So I’m not going to judge. And who I feel for most is the girls who have to go through such a trauma publicly now after 12 years. Shame on intouch magazine for running a story that puts the victims though public hell again.
“How do you condemn a son you love so much”
Well they sure as heck knew how to do it to the four daughters!
That doesn’t even make sense.
I understand what you are saying Chrissymh83, many parents have covered up for their child, but it gets tricky when one child does it to your other child. I say the victims should have parents loyalty. I’m surprised those girls ever trusted their parents again for taking his defense against them. Michelle had a word with the girls about practicing better modesty as not to tempt their brother in the future. That is wrong!!!
“…this blog doesn’t have all the facts staight as far as the details of how the report was obtained.”
No, Megyn Kelly doesn’t have the details of how the report was obtained, falsely referring to it as ‘illegally’ obtained. Whether you think InTouch should or shouldn’t have published the report, it WAS legally obtained under the FOI Act. InTouch’s lawyers sent the request for the records, which had to be reviewed by multiple attorney’s for the city to see if it qualified for release under the law, which it did, hence why the city’s lawyer’s had to release it with victim info blacked out.
I like MK but was a little disappointed with this interview. She asked good questions but the Duggars would then, obviously, avoid answering. She never would attempt to visit the avoided topic again. Thought a gal like her could have pried more juice out of them. I hope the victims aren’t being brainwashed into thinking they have to defend their brother/abuser. Wonder why it was only the two girls out of the home doing the interview. Jana and/or Jinger must have been victims as well. Both being over 18, one has to wonder if still being under their parents wing, is why they aren’t speaking.
Is it 9pm west coast or east coast time?
I don’t think there is anything they can say that changes the fact that one of the children victimized many of the other children and they kept him around. He should have been sent to say w a grandparent or relative at the very least. There are no excuses for Josh’s actions or his parents. The situation was not handled correctly and he should have been punished, just like anyone else who does something like this. Its illegal for a reason. And he knew he was going something wrong or he wouldn’t have done it while the girls were asleep. Big brothers are supposed to protect their sisters, not violate them.
I feel so bad for the sisters. Now we know at least one of the four who were victims. I’m sure they really don’t want to relive this.
Unfortunately, anyone with the police report and a list of Duggar birthdays could have already figured it out. I believe the parents moved to have the original documents destroyed because one of the victims is still a minor, also giving that info. And there was something to identify which sister hadn’t been a victim (but maybe caught Josh in the act, I lose track) in any case. That it was his sisters, aside from making this even more unsettling, in terms of identifying the victims it’s even more unfortunate given the boy/girl breakdown. Not that the abuse itself would have been any less traumatic if it was say, 4 out of 7 girls rather than 4 out of 5, but which individual girls had been directly affected would have been much less obvious.
I already watch Megyn Kelly so I’m interested in what she asks and how th interview goes…should be interesting