TLC pulls "19 Kids and Counting" after sexual abuse confession

On Thursday, Josh Duggar admitted he had molested several underage girls, including his sisters

Published May 22, 2015 6:00PM (EDT)

In this Aug. 2, 2007 photo, Michelle Duggar is surrounded by her then only 17 children, and husband Jim Bob.                             (AP/Beth Hall)
In this Aug. 2, 2007 photo, Michelle Duggar is surrounded by her then only 17 children, and husband Jim Bob. (AP/Beth Hall)

Following the revelation that Josh Duggar, the eldest child in the Duggar clan, sexually molested a number of underage girls in the early 2000s, TLC has announced that it will pull the family's reality show, "19 Kids and Counting" from its schedule. The network had scheduled the show to air on the morning of May 27, but that has now been canceled.

The Hollywood Reporter's Kate Stanhope reports:

The move is no surprise considering that TLC canceled Here Comes Honey Boo Boo shortly after allegations surfaced about a romantic relationship between series matriarch June "Mama June" Shannon and a man convicted of child molestation.

Like Here ComesHoney Boo Boo19 Kids and Counting is one of the cable channel's biggest brands. The show has been on the air since 2008 and is in its 15th season. The profile of the Duggar family had been on the rise in recent years thanks to national magazine covers focused on the marriages and pregnancies of the Duggar children.

In November 2014, over 100,000 people signed a petition calling for TLC to cancel the show after matriarch Michelle Duggar sent out a robocall opposing a Fayetteville, AR anti-discrimination ordinance.

TLC has not responded to requests for comment, but we can surely expect a new series exploiting yet another deeply dysfunctional family in the near future.


By Joanna Rothkopf

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19 Kids And Counting Children Christianity Duggars Josh Duggar Sexual Abuse Television Tlc