By Holly Rasmussen
Four months after her husband Josh was exposed as an adulterer, Anna Duggar is finally speaking out on the scandal(s) that rocked her family. On the first installment of Jill & Jessa: Counting On, we got to hear a sentence or two from Anna, but it appears that this weekend’s episode will include Anna’s full story.
In a new clip for the episode, which airs on Sunday night, Anna talks about how hard life has been for her over the past few months.
“It was definitely a hard thing,” she says. “I think it is such a betrayal for a spouse to go through what we’re walking through.”
Of course, she’s referring to finding out in August that her husband Josh had been cheating on her. News broke that Josh had an account on the cheating website Ashley Madison.com and eventually Josh admitted to being unfaithful to Anna—and to having an addiction to p*rnography.
During last week’s episode, the show’s producers kept prodding Jill, Jessa, and several other Duggar kids to talk about how their lives have changed “in the last four months.” Finally, they brought Anna in to talk but the scene cut right before she could began speaking her piece.
In the newly released clip of this week’s episode, the mother of four held back tears as she discussed how being in the public eye puts even more pressure on her.
“It was hard to realize that it was such a public thing, and so, not only was it a betrayal against me, but it was also a betrayal for those who call themselves a Christian,” Anna says. “Here we were as a Christian couple, and everyone was able to see us get married and to vow before God to be loyal to each other and that loyalty was broken.”
Josh famously worked for a The Family Research Council which supported “traditional family values.” He resigned in May after it was discovered that Josh had molested five young girls while in his teens.
There has been much speculation about whether Anna will stay with Josh or divorce him. She has made no announcements on that, but she has visited him twice at the rehab center he is in for his “pornography addiction” in recent weeks.
“How could this happen in our marriage?” Anna asks,while holding back tears. “Josh is my first love. He’s my one and only.”
Anna said she turned to her faith to get her through the ordeal, which obviously made her very angry.
“I knew if I went off of what I was feeling, I would turn a mess into a disaster,” she said.
Josh’s sister, Jinger, also appears in the clip to tell us how “amazing” Anna is. Jinger said Anna models unconditional love for them and that she’s “walking through this better than any of us could have imagined.”
It sure sounds like Anna’s planning to stay with Josh after he completes rehab. She has no education, no work history, and four mouths to feed, so the prospect of leaving her husband is surely quite scary for her.
The next episode will air Sunday night on TLC. Watch the preview clip of Anna’s interview below.
18 Responses
Ugh! Weak A** Females!!!! I can’t stand women like that! He clearly didn’t give a sh*t about his family! Her life before Josh was probably amazing! Her life without him will be better! Nobody deserves that, but if she stays, then she is ok being a doormat.
Personally I am boycotting TLC and it’s sponsors. They were quick to cancell Honey Boo Boo but have continued the relationship with the Duggars which is totally unfair. I find it very disrespectful that Anna is being USED by TLC and the Duggars. Anna is not permitted to have her own opion without outside influence. Something so private and personal as this is splashed all over the world just for the sake of money. I’m so over hearing about this. Disappointed in TLC. They use to be a respectful station.
Amen.
Josh deserves to have to live the rest of his time on Earth with Farrah Abraham. That would be real hell on Earth. J/K sort of. I get that marriage is supposed to be forever and forgiveness is a huge part of Christianity, but aren’t vows said for a reason? I always thought that vows were like the boundaries of the marriage (of course a couple can set up additional ones outside of the vows). Like you don’t ditch your spouse just because they may be ill (sickness and health) and when you have small arguments you work through it (for better or worse). I feel like once someone breaks the vows then you are free to decide if you want to stay. I wish her family would realize it is possible for her to forgive and still leave Josh. He broke the vows by not forsaking all others. She can forgive him and move on from him. If the vows mean nothing and that someone gets to cheat & mess up without consequence of divorce, then what’s the point of making a marital promise. Divorce doesn’t mean that she doesn’t forgive, it just means she doesn’t want to go through it again with him.
So, if she’s not supposed to go off of feelings, is she to go off of facts? Facts are that he is a porn addict who paid for sex. Sounds diasatrous to me.
If they do get back together….and we all know they will….how can Anna ever trust him again. P#rn addicts never loose the urge and temptation always gets the better of them. I know this to be true…..just ask my X-husband…lol
I feel just awful for her. As a Christian forgiveness is preached a lot but some things are unforgivable. Anna was the perfect fundie wife and yet at the end of the day it didn’t matter.
I feel for Anna also……but common sense tells you not to have kids so early in your marriage…..also, not to have so many back to back. The Duggar’s have so many kids, I doubt they even know their kids.
If they had gotten the type of therapy for Josh in the first place, he might have not had so many problems now. That is the problem with some of the funtalmental Christians……they handle everything with prayer.
Say what you want about the Duggars but Anna was the PERFECT Fundie wife, she did everything wanted and she did it with a smile on her face.
Oh hey I just explained to myself while she did this interview!
She deserves so much more. She deserves someone who will treat her as well as she treats Josh and his family.
It is quite evident from that clip of Anna that she is still struggling to cope with what has happened to her. I just hope that for the sake of her kids she does what is best for them. I wonder if she has sought any advice from her own family? Did she take the kids to spend time with that side of the family? Ever since the scandal broke she seems to have just shacked up at the Duggar compound. She needs some time (w/out anyone else’s influence)to figure out for herself what she should to do and what is best for her kids.
Evidently her parents are even more fundie than the Duggars and while a brother has spoken out hoping she’ll leave Josh, her parents think she should stay because that’s what a good wife does. So she has no outside support.
I really just wish they’d go old school with Josh Duggar and shun him completely. He doesn’t deserve a happy and loving family. He deserves druggie porn stars and a sad pathetic life. Anna is far too good and beautiful for him. How could anyone regardless of their faith take someone back like that? I’m a Christian but if my husband did that to me My knuckles would be heavily bruised if you get my drift. Sad.
That brother is currently my favorite player in all of this.
That nice tell all would set up her quite comfortably.
Anna is uneducated and has no job skills. She is in a tough spot with 4 young kids. I feel sorry for her. She really does not know that she has options. She is locked in the Duggar compound with Boob and Mullet giving her martial advice. I would not be surprised if they renew the vows and welcome M5 when he gets home from his “rehab”…poor Anna and the M kids.
I feel terrible for Anna. She is a Duggar robot and truly knows no better. I almost wish I could donate money to her or something to help her escape