In a statement issued Thursday, “19 Kids and Counting” star Josh Duggar admitted to cheating on his wife and having a secret addiction to pornography.
“I have been the biggest hypocrite ever. While espousing faith and family values, I have secretly over the last several years been viewing pornography on the internet and this became a secret addiction and I became unfaithful to my wife,” Duggar wrote in a posting on his family’s website.
The statement follows allegations that Duggar was one of 37 million members of ashleymadison.com, a website that facilitates extramarital affairs. On Tuesday, hackers released the contents of a large database purporting to contain names, addresses, credit card numbers and sexual preferences of Ashley Madison customers.
Data released online shows a credit card belonging to a Joshua J. Duggar paid nearly $1,000 for two different monthly Ashley Madison subscriptions from February 2013 until May 2015.
The billing address on the first account matches a home in Fayetteville, Arkansas belonging to Josh’s grandmother Mary. The birthday listed on the first account is Feb. 3, 1988, one month off of Duggar’s actual birthday: March 3, 1988.
The second account address is linked to his Washington, DC home with a March 2, 1988 birthday, just one day off his actual birthday.
Earlier this year, Duggar admitted to acts of child molestation when he was teenager. Two of the alleged victims were his own sisters.
Read the full statement released Thursday:
Statement from Josh Duggar
I have been the biggest hypocrite ever. While espousing faith and family values, I have secretly over the last several years been viewing pornography on the internet and this became a secret addiction and I became 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 brought hurt and a reproach to my family, close friends and the fans of our show with my actions that happened when I was 14-15 years old, and now I have re-broken their trust.
The last few years, while publicly stating I was fighting against immorality in our country, I was hiding my own personal failings.
As I am learning the hard way, we have the freedom to choose to our actions, but we do not get to choose our consequences. I deeply regret all 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.
Josh Duggar
