Josh Duggar reportedly expressed anger and frustration toward his family in a jail message sent to his mother, Michelle Duggar, years after his past molestation scandal became public.
According to messages obtained by PEOPLE, Josh claimed he and his wife Anna Duggar were “devastated” by how the Duggar family handled the fallout after reports surfaced in 2015 that he had molested four of his sisters as a teenager.
The scandal led to the cancellation of the family’s TLC reality series and sparked massive public backlash against the Duggar family.
In the message, Josh reportedly complained that he and Anna were “cut off from public view on TV” and “kept at arm’s length by most of the family” after the allegations became public.
He also claimed “no one banded together to stand with us” during the controversy.
The abuse allegations date back to incidents between 2002 and 2003 involving several of Josh’s sisters. Although the Duggar family allegedly learned about the behavior years earlier, authorities were not immediately notified, and the matter was initially handled privately through counseling and church involvement.
The situation became public in 2015 after police records were released, leading to the cancellation of 19 Kids & Counting.
Josh later resigned from public life, while TLC launched the spinoff series Counting On, which largely excluded him and Anna from appearing on camera.
In the jail message, Josh also criticized what he described as the family’s focus on public relations and protecting the television brand over family relationships.
Despite his criticism, Josh acknowledged that his mother had privately supported him over the years.
Josh is currently serving a federal prison sentence after being convicted in 2021 of receiving and possessing child sexual abuse material. His projected release date is currently set for 2033.
