Josh Duggar's sister, Jill, called the arrest of the former star of the TLC show 19 Kids And Counting "very sad," in the family's first public statement since the arrest.
In a statement sent to Entertainment Tonight, she wrote, "We just learned this information. It is very sad."
The statement from Duggar's sister marks the first public response to his arrest, which occurred on Thursday. Jill Duggar sent the same statement to Newsweek after reaching out to her for comment.
According to records from the Washington County Sheriff's office in Arkansas, Duggar was arrested by U.S. Marshals, indicating that he was arrested by a federal agency and not a state-related one. While it is currently unclear why Duggar was arrested or what charges he faces, the records show that the 33-year-old is currently being held without bail and was booked into jail in Washington County at around 1:15 p.m. local time on Thursday.
Newsweek reached out to the U.S. Marshals Service for comment but did not receive a response in time for publication.
Josh Duggar's arrest comes less than a week after his wife, Anna, announced that she is pregnant with the couple's seventh child.
"It's a GIRL!!!!! We are overjoyed to announce baby seven is on the way and we can't wait to hold her in our arms this fall!" Anna wrote in an Instagram post showing a video of the couple in a field as their six other children run toward them.
Josh and his wife have been married for the past 13 years and already have six children with ages ranging from 11 years to a 17-month-old.
The Duggar family first became popular in 2008 following the premiere of 19 Kids And Counting, which followed the lives of Josh's parents, Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar. Along with Josh, who is the couple's eldest son, the Duggar couple is also parents to 18 others.
The show aired for nine seasons but was cancelled in 2015 following a sexual abuse scandal that involved Josh. According to People, after the news broke that Duggar had allegedly molested five underage girls when he was a teenager, two of his sisters came forward as victims.
"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," Duggar said in a statement sent to People following the allegations. "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."
Newsweek reached out to the Duggar family for comment but did not receive a response in time for publication.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Matthew Impelli is a Newsweek staff writer based in New York. His focus is reporting social issues and crime. In ... Read more
