911 Calls, Molestation Claims & Porn Star Sex — Duggars’ Top 20 Secrets & Scandals of 2015
They couldn't pray the pain away! In 2015, the Duggar family experienced a rollercoaster of a year, highlighted by disgraced son Josh's two sex scandals.
Drama in the delivery room! Jill, 24, and husband Derrick Dillard, 26, welcomed their first child, son Israel, in April, but the birth turned terrifying when she tested positive for bacteria Strep B. The family ditched the home birth plan and headed to the hospital, where she eventually delivered via C-section following a shocking 70-hour labor. "I was praying to God to give me strength," Jill told People magazine. "I was really scared and nervous, but I was praying."
Fans were shocked and horrified in May when an uncovered police report revealed that married father Josh, 27, had sexually molested at least five minor females as a teenager. Authorities interviewed multiple victims, in addition to Jim Bob and Michelle, who confessed that they knew about the abuse as far back as 2002. Josh spent three-months in a Christian recovery center, mainly building homes, in 2003 as punishment.
Josh immediately confessed his vile sins, claiming he had acted "inexcusably" as a young teen, and was "extremely sorry" for his behavior. He resigned from his position as a "family rights" activist for a conservative lobbying organization, the Family Rights Council.
On June 3, Jill and sister Jessa, 23, came forward as two of brother Josh's sexual abuse victims in an interview with Fox News reporter Megyn Kelly. Jill said her parents, Jim Bob and Michelle, put locks on the doors of their room to keep the molester out. But, they claimed, Josh's abuse had been "mild" and a simple "mistake."
Canceled! Less than two months later, TLC pulled the plug on the Duggar family's hit reality show, 19 Kids And Counting.
Josh and wife Anna, 28, welcomed their fourth child, Meredith Grace, on July 19. It seemed to signal a new beginning for the scandal-racked family.
But it was just the calm before the storm. On August 20, NYC news blog Gawker reported that married Josh was an active member of affair-seeking website, Ashley Madison. The disgraced dad paid an alleged $986.76 for subscriptions lasting a total of two years.
Josh's swiftly issued his second big apology of the year. He admitted to being "unfaithful" to his wife of seven years, Anna, and harboring a secret porn addiction.
RadarOnline.com soon exclusively discovered that he was also friends with strippers and porn stars on a secret Facebook account under the name "Joe Smithson."
A Duggar family member finally slammed Josh for his sick behavior. As RadarOnline.com exclusively reported, Anna's older brother, Dan Keller, went on a Facebook rampage, claiming he would go to any lengths to get the "pig" out of his long-suffering sister's life. "I have been thinking of her and sick to my stomach for her for the last few days," he wrote.
The scandal gets even sicker. Porn star Danica Dillon, 28, claimed Josh paid her for violent, rough sex two times in seedy hotel rooms during the spring. She later filed a lawsuit against him, demanding $500,000 for "physical and emotional injuries."
Josh was whisked away to rehab, his mother Michelle confirmed, where he likely remains to this day. He is reportedly checked into Bible-based treatment center Reformers Unanimous, where patients often stay for six months or more.
Jill and Derick faced backlash from fans after they begged for donations for their "mission trip" to central America— but refused to explain where they were or what they were doing in their travels. Critics also spoke out against their decision to return to Arkansas for a month-long hiatus just two months into the "long-term" trip. In response, the couple offered donation refunds.
More lies! In June, RadarOnline.com exclusively revealed that Jim Bob and Michelle were slapped with at least five liens and lawsuits stemming from unpaid bills, despite swearing they never accrue debt. The outstanding bills totaled to approximately $14,000.
Courting no more! In the fallout from Josh's molestation scandal, the Duggars confirmed RadarOnline.com's report that son Josiah, 18, and 17-year-old girlfriend Marjorie Jackson had split. Josiah stopped posting photos of Marjorie just days after news broke of Josh's sick secrets.
In the midst of the madness, cousin Amy, 28, married boyfriend Dillon King, 27, in September. But her ceremony was hardly Duggar appropriate: The bride dirty danced and drank alcohol until midnight!
Terrifying 911 call! Michelle alerted police after daughter Jessa started bleeding heavily following the home birth to her first child, son Sturgeon, in November. "We need her to be checked out!" Michelle told authorities. Both mother and baby ended up being healthy.
A secret confrontation. Nearly three months after he left for rehab, Anna finally visited her husband in treatment. Josh reportedly denied the porn star's sex allegations, which Anna apparently believed.
On December 13, Jessa and Jill returned to TV with their three-part special Jill & Jessa: Counting On. "We were devastated," Jessa said of learning her brother had betrayed his family again.
For the first time, Josh's jilted wife Anna will speak out about her husband's double life. "It's such a betrayal," the mother of four tearfully says in a preview clip.