Josh Duggar has admitted he was “unfaithful to his wife” Anna after a report came out saying he was part of the Ashley Madison hack, calling himself “the biggest hypocrite ever.”
The 27-year-old disgraced reality star admitted his infidelities in a statement on his family’s website on Thursday.
The new scandal comes just a few months after Duggar’s admission he molested five young girls when he was a teenager caused TLC to cancel his family’s reality show, 19 Kids and Counting.
Duggar said that over the past “several years,” he became addicted to porn. This led to him being “unfaithful” to his wife Anna, with whom he has four children including a newborn.
Duggar didn’t address whether he used Ashley Madison, but acknowledged that he conducted his infidelities while simultaneously advocating “family values.”
“I have become the biggest hypocrite ever…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 said in part.
The admission came a day after Gawker and others reported Duggar’s name was part of the hack of the dating website for cheaters.
According to Gawker, Duggar paid nearly $1,000 for two separate accounts on Ashley Madison between 2013 and 2015.
He also reportedly at one point paid $250 toward an “affair guaranteed.”
Of course, this is only latest in a series of scandals involving Duggar. In June, InTouch broke the story that Duggar had admitted to molesting five girls when he was a teenager.
His parents, Jim Bob and Michelle, admitted to Fox News later than month that four of the victims were their own young daughters.
Two of the girls, Jill and Jessa Duggar, also appeared on the network and confirmed they were molested by their brother. They said they forgave him.
In addition to the Duggars losing their TLC show over the admission, Josh Duggar also quit his job at the Family Research Council, a Christian non-profit.
In the statement, Duggar said that his new admission only further damages his credibility as a Christian activist.
“I brought hurt and a reproach to my family, close friends and the fans of our show with my actions that happened when I was 14-15 years old, and now I have re-broken their trust,” he said.
His parents also released a statement asking for prayers for their family.
“When we learned of this late last night our hearts were broken,” they said.
Anna Duggar released a statement when her husband first admitted to molestation, and said she was standing by him. However, she has yet to release a statement on her husband’s infidelities.
The full statement from Josh Duggar:
I have been the biggest hypocrite ever. 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.
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.
I brought hurt and a reproach to my family, close friends and the fans of our show with my actions that happened when I was 14-15 years old, and now I have re-broken their trust.
The last few years, while publicly stating I was fighting against immorality in our country, I was hiding my own personal failings.
As I am learning the hard way, we have the freedom to choose to our actions, but we do not get to choose our consequences. I deeply regret all hurt I have caused so many by being such a bad example.
I humbly ask for your forgiveness. Please pray for my precious wife Anna and our family during this time.