Josh Duggar Calls Himself ‘Hypocrite’ in Response to Ashley Madison Account

Update: Since this story was published at 2:31 p.m. ET, the Duggar Family removed the statement from their website briefly before putting it back up after 4 p.m. ET. Below you will find a screengrab of the statement in its entirety.

Josh Duggar, who starred on the recently canceled 19 Kids and Counting on TLC, responded Thursday to the revelation that he had a paid account on Ashley Madison, a site that facilitates extramarital affairs.

“I have been the biggest hypocrite ever,” he said on the family’s website. “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.”

His account was found after hackers stole data from the controversial website and then posted that information online.

“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,” he added.

Duggar, who is the oldest of Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar's 19 children, first came under fire in May after it was revealed that he had molested several underage girls when the now-27-year-old was a teenager.

The admission, which was first reported by In Touch Magazine, resulted in TLC pulling his family’s 19 Kids and Counting from the air and then subsequently canceling it.

Jessika Walsten

Jessika is an analyst for TVREV and Fabric Media. She previously served in various roles at Broadcasting + Cable, Multichannel News and NextTV, working with the brands since 2013. A graduate of USC Annenberg, Jessika has edited and reported on a variety of subjects in the media and entertainment space, including profiles on industry leaders and breaking news.