Disgraced reality star Josh Duggar has entered a long-term treatment facility after it was revealed that he had an active account on AshleyMadison.com, the website that facilitates extramarital affairs, the Duggar family announced Wednesday.
“His wrong choices have deeply hurt his precious wife and children and have negatively affected so many others,” read the statement posted to the Duggar family website and attributed to Jim Bob and Michelle, parents of the “19 Kids and Counting” family.
Josh, a family values advocate, admitted to infidelity last week, saying in a statement that “I have been the biggest hypocrite ever.”
The revelation that he had two AshleyMadison.com accounts came as part of the hacked information dump that is currently plaguing the website and its members. Gawker posted the news and some evidence of the accounts belonging to the former reality star, including a credit card with his name on it and an address belonging to his grandmother.
Duggar had already faced scandal earlier in the year, when news broke that he had inappropriately touched numerous underage girls, including two of his sisters, when he was a teenager. That revelation prompted his resignation from FRC Action, the legislative affiliate of the Family Research Council, where he served as executive director. TLC later canceled “19 Kids and Counting.”
Read the full statement from the Duggar family below:
We are so thankful for the outpouring of love, care and prayers for our family during this most difficult situation with Josh. As parents we are so deeply grieved by our son’s decisions and actions. His wrong choices have deeply hurt his precious wife and children and have negatively affected so many others. He has also brought great insult to the values and faith we hold dear. Yesterday Josh checked himself into a long-term treatment center. For him it will be a long journey toward wholeness and recovery. We pray that in this he comes to complete repentance and sincere change. In the meantime, we will be offering our love, care and devoted support to Anna and our grandchildren as she also receives counsel and help for her own heart and future. During this time we continue to look to God–He is our rock and comfort. We ask for your continued prayers for our entire family.