Jinger Duggar Makes Rare Comment About Disgraced Brother Josh Duggar’s ‘Bad Decisions’
Jinger Vuolo (née Duggar) made a rare comment about her disgraced brother, Josh Duggar, and the “bad decisions” he made as the former TLC star serves 12.5 years in prison after being found guilty of child p*rnography charges.
The Counting On alum, 31, opened up on how Josh, 36, played a role in changing her formerly strict Institute in Basic Life Principles (IBLP) beliefs during a Thursday, February 27 appearance on the podcast “The Deep End With Lecrae.”
“We held to this teacher as a prophet sent from God,” she explained to host Lecrae Moore, referring to IBLP leader, Bill Gothard. “So the girls wear skirts only, not listen to any music with drums, if you turn on music with drums, you’re calling demons.”
The soon-to-be mom of three said as she grew up and was put in difficult situations, she began to question her beliefs.
“You kind of step back and say, ‘Okay what things do matter?’ It was not until later on when we were walking through a lot of difficulties publicly, one of my brothers made decisions that were very bad and that landed him in prison,” Jinger recounted of her older brother. “In that time, I realized people are looking at this as Christianity, but this is not what the gospel is about. Somebody needs to speak up.”
Jinger rarely makes comments about her older brother, who has been behind bars since his April 2021 arrest on child p*rnography charges.
“Duggar allegedly possessed this material, some of which depicts the s*xual abuse of children under the age of 12, in May 2019,” according to a press release shared by the United States Attorney’s Office of the Western District of Arkansas at the time.
Prosecutors originally asked for a 20-year prison sentence for the former reality TV star due to his “prior s*xual exploitation of multiple minors” and “the extraordinary efforts Duggar took to obtain and view child s*xual abuse materials (CSAM), the nature of the CSAM he obtained and viewed, his efforts to conceal his criminal conduct.”
After a nine-day trial, the former 19 Kids and Counting star was found guilty of one count of receiving child p*rnography and one count of possessing child p*rnography in December 2021. The second charge was later dismissed during his sentencing hearing in May 2022.
Josh was originally scheduled to be released on August 12, 2032, after serving 151 months behind bars, but his sentence was extended to October 2, 2032, after it was allegedly discovered that he possessed a cellphone and he was moved to the facility’s Special Housing Unit (SHU) in March 2023.
Josh’s legal team has attempted multiple times to appeal his sentence, with his most recent petition made to the United States Supreme Court in December 2023.
“Mr. Duggar’s case raises an important question, inter alia, concerning a criminal defendant’s constitutional right to present a complete defense,” Josh’s legal team wrote in the letter obtained by In Touch.
His lawyers stated that they didn’t believe they were given “the time necessary to adequately prepare the petition” and said his defense would “benefit” from more time and consultation with legal professionals. The petition was ultimately denied in June 2024.
The father of seven was publicly seen for the first time in two years in December 2024 when he was spotted in the prison yard with new facial hair. The disgraced reality TV star showed off a new mustache while exercising, according to photos obtained by The U.S. Sun.
