Josh Duggar's Marriage Has Been Rife With Issues From the Beginning
By TheBlast Staff on May 4, 2020 at 3:28 PM EDT
Gettyimages | Kris Connor
While the Duggar family grows larger by the year, longtime viewers of the TLC reality show remember the first family marriage. Josh and Anna Duggar wed in 2008, and a lot has happened since then.
When viewers first met the Duggars, they seemed far more innocuous. Word of major scandals had yet to emerge, in spite of the fact that allegations of sexual abuse had been made against Josh in years prior.
The story goes that Josh and Anna met in 2006 while attending a homeschooling conference with their mutual families. There are rumors that Josh had a prior courtship, but the woman involved allegedly ended things. Allegedly, Josh chose to court Anna after that.
Anna Duggar | Instagram
While Josh and Anna may have met in 2006, it is not clear exactly when they began courting. In the Duggar world, a courtship lasting two years is unheard of. This indicates that while they may have known each other, they were not in an official relationship for the entirety of that time.
In an episode titled "Josh Gets Engaged" of 17 Kids and Counting, Anna reportedly says she did not want to court until she turns 20. Josh proposes to Anna on her 20th birthday, and apparently she had no idea he was even interested in marrying her when he showed up unannounced at her birthday dinner to propose.
Later, Anna would say that she already knew about the allegations against Josh when they married, but it is not clear if she learned the truth before or after they became engaged on camera.
Anna Duggar | Instagram
Viewers of Duggar programming were treated to a special wedding episode. They saw a pillowcase Anna slept on that featured Josh's face and even watch Josh sing a song about loyalty in front of all the guests.
In the honeymoon episode, viewers also saw the house Anna and Josh spent their first nights together in. Not long after that, Anna gave birth to their first child, Mackynzie. They announced a second pregnancy when Mackynzie was 1 year old, and they've now welcomed six children altogether.
Anna Duggar | Instagram
Everything looked picture perfect for Anna and Josh on screen, but things changed after the couple moved up north so Josh could work with a conservative lobbyist group, the Family Research Council.
It was while Josh was working for the organization in 2015 that stories emerged about the molestation allegations, which had initially been made when Josh was a teenager.
Months later, Josh Duggar's name was released in a leak of those who had been caught up in the Ashley Madison scandal. It became clear that Josh had been unfaithful in his marriage, even spending money to do so. The family's TV show was cancelled after this, and Anna reappeared on a new version of the show called Counting On with Josh's siblings. She discussed feeling betrayed by her husband.
Anna Duggar | Instagram
The "little" Duggar family sold their home and is apparently now living on property belonging to Josh's parents. They seemingly live in a home attached to a warehouse on the Duggar compound.
The couple has tried to maintain a low profile since scandals broke, but there has been a lot of talk about the family possibly being under investigation again.
In many situations, some would say that the family's future is uncertain. In the Duggar's world, divorce is largely unheard of. It would appear that Anna is in it for the long haul.
