The Duggar family rose to fame after their TLC show 19 Kids and Counting became a total success.
The series, which premiered in 2008, followed Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar as they raised their brood of 19 children. The couple, who wed in July 1984, are the parents of Josh, twins Jana and John-David, Jill, Jessa, Jinger, Joseph, Josiah, Joy-Anna, twins Jedidiah and Jeremiah, Jason, James, Justin, Jackson, Johannah, Jennifer, Jordyn and Josie.
During their time in the public eye, the family has raised eyebrows due to their strict religious beliefs. The family has also been rocked with several scandals, including two involving Josh and Joseph.
Keep scrolling to see the Duggar family’s ups and downs over the years:
The TLC Show’s Success
19 Kids and Counting ran for eight seasons on TLC from 2008 to 2015. The show also had a series of specials and spinoff series, including Duggars World Tour, Bringing Up Bates, Duggars Do Asia, Josh and Anna and Jill & Jessa Counting On, which eventually became Counting On.
The Counting On spinoff aired for 11 seasons from 2015 to 2020.
Josie Duggar’s Recovery
Jim Bob and Michelle’s youngest daughter, Josie, was born prematurely in December 2009, experiencing a series of health complications at birth. After six months in the hospital, Josie was released in June 2010.
A Comprehensive Guide to the Duggar Family: Kids, Grandkids and More
Expanding the Family
The Duggar family has continued to grow since Jim Bob and Michelle’s kids have started raising families of their own. Josh and Anna welcomed their first child, Mackynzie, in October 2009, making Jim Bob and Michelle grandparents for the first time. The matriarch and patriarch now have a total of 41 grandkids.
Josh Duggar’s Molestation and Cheating Scandals
News broke in May 2015 that Josh had been investigated in 2006 for molesting five underage girls. It was later revealed that four of his past victims were his sisters, including Jill and Jessa, who came forward. This led to the cancellation of 19 Kids and Counting.
“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,” Josh said in a statement at the time. “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.”
Later that same year, a hack revealed Josh had an account on Ashley Madison, a website that fosters extramarital affairs. (Josh has been married to Anna Duggar since September 2008.)
“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,” Josh confessed in a statement at the time, noting that he was “so ashamed of the double life” that he was living.
In August 2015, Josh was admitted to a rehabilitation facility. Upon his release, he and Anna started marriage counseling. They are still married.
Josh Duggar’s Child Pornography Case: What to Know About the Arrest, Trial
Several Family Estrangements
The Duggars have experienced several familial estrangements.
Jill and her husband, Derick Dillard, announced in 2020 that they had been spending time apart from her family. She has reunited with her family for a few events over the years, but they have mostly stayed separated.
Perhaps the most famous estrangement in the family is that of cousin Amy Duggar King, who was outspoken against her family following Josh’s 2021 arrest.
“I don’t think anyone would make the mistake of assuming I support my cousin,” she told People in a statement at the time. “I’m struggling to even find the words to express how angry I am. I’m angry at my cousin. I am deeply disappointed in him as a person. But let me tell you, I am furious at the family that looked the other way and, still today, refuse to hold him accountable.”
Josh Duggar’s Arrest and Conviction
Josh was arrested on charges of receiving and possessing child pornography in April 2021. By December of that year, Josh was found guilty and eventually sentenced to 151 months in federal prison.
Joseph Duggar’s Arrest
The Bay County Sheriff’s Office in Florida confirmed in March 2026 that Joseph had been arrested on two charges: lewd and lascivious behavior involving molestation of a victim less than 12 years old and lewd and lascivious behavior conducted by a person 18 years or older.
Joseph was accused of molesting a 9-year-old girl in 2020 during a family vacation in Panama City Beach.
