Josh & Anna Smuggar: A Series of Unfortunate Events

[Ljohnson1987]

They can hold hands, if they choose to. Anna and Smugs had many hand sex sessions.

[Flowers]

It's a pretty impressive mea culpa. It was surely written FOR him, though.

[JoanArc]

 

JoanArc, I've followed fundies long enough to know that they have an obsession with viewing porn on the internet as sin, and actual sexual sins are a separate category.

Oh, I understand that. They also seem to blow porn use WAY out of proportion. A happily married man in his 30's that admits masturbating to Playboy a few times when he was 16 is THE WORST PORN ADDICT EVER.

 

 

They were careful not to use the A word in his statement.

Nothing would surprise me at this point. Even Josh paying for the other A word, too.

[wovenloaf]

I give it 2 years before he is on the Christian circuit talking about how Jesus cured him of his problems and helped him become a godly man again.. The healing power of Jesus blah blah blah

I think he's already blown it. If he was some guy who started the preaching/speaking about his "reformation" after he was already reformed, then I think people would care what he has to say. But he would be saying the same exact things as he was saying while he was actually in the reform-needing-behavior, so I don't think people (save a couple cronies who do the same lurky, nasty stuff) will care/want to push what he has to say. And he already pulled the "I got reformed when I was 16!!!" card, then it came out he obviously wasn't "reformed." 

[Gbb]

The link is not working for me. Says the page has been taken down.

The permalink doesn't work. This one does: https://www.duggarfamily.com/michelles-blog?ID=651536de-8b7d-4525-afb0-3f525bc390e1

Edited August 20, 2015 by Gbb

[Defrauder]

Maybe it's just me but I'm not impressed with his apology at all.  It started out alright then just went in to the usual minimizing his personal failings.  Sorry but years of lies and deceit in action make me not believe a 3 paragraph letter - written by a liar. Funny how he didn't write it before he got caught. Now suddenly he is humble in 12 hours.  Bullshit on that one.

[JoanArc]

They took out Satan! There's always room for Satan in your heart!

 

 

Edited August 20, 2015 by JoanArc

[truthtalk2014]

I'm just sorry for the poor woman sitting with the footlong and jello.  No way in hell she got to finish it before this story broke! ;)

[NextIteration]

I called it earlier, King of FAP!

[sometimesy]

They cast out Satan!

[Sew Sumi]

Courting couples are not allowed to hold hands while they're praying, but they are allowed to see movies about porn and talk to their future in laws about boning each other?

Hell, the LITTLE Duggars all saw Fireproof at the San Antionio Film Festival that Doug Phillips, formerly of Vision Forum fame, used to put on. 

 

These people's priorities are mega screwed up. 

[hendersonrocks]

It is fascinating to me that they took Satan and his fortress out. Why? What changed between when they first posted it and now? They have to be smart enough to realize people are now going to pounce on this on top of everything else. It's really unfortunate no respectable PR person will go within 50 miles of them...they could use it right now.

[yogi2014L]

If Josh has any shred of decency he will divorce Anna but continue to financially support her and the kids forever.

 

THIS is why I have such a intense hatred for this cult. Anna. She's done everything she was told to, what she thought " god" wanted and now look at her. 26, Undereducated, 4 kids, no job history to speak of and a unfaithful husband who very well might just say fuck it and leave

 

Really REALLY hope the Jslaves are thinking long and hard about Anna and her predicament.

[sandyskyblue]

Last sentence in Josh's statement just floored me: 'please pray for my precious wife Anna and our family'  Hey, Josh: WTF???  You mean the  'precious wife' you humiliated and cheated on??  THAT 'precious wife'???  How 'precious' was she when you were cheating, lying, leading a double life, answering all those questions on the AM form, paying for the AM membership, etc, etc???

[Oldernowiser]

So...the Duggar Era finally ends on August 20, 2015. If you're quiet, you can hear the empire walls tumbling down.

Only question remaining...is the official time of death the first announcement or the second?

[Missy Vixen]

Ladies and gentlemen, I don't think this is all. I think there's more. And I have to admit waiting for the revelations like a kid waits for Christmas morning.

 

And I knew the minute I saw that GIGANTIC TV in their bedroom Smuggar was not watching Andy Griffith on it...

 

Poor Anna.

[sometimesy]

Back to the flip phone for you Josh. Jebus, this probably just set the 'internet freedom of information regulations' in that house back even further. Hope they like colouring.

[KittyS]

I really feel sorry for Anna. Either the brainwashing is complete and she still wants to be married to Josh (a child-molesting, "porn-addicted," adulterous, jobless LIAR) or she wants out and is stuck with four young children, no marketable skills, and no support from family or friends in her religion. No way does she deserve this.

[kathe5133]

On Fox news mewing about how “the girls were asleep”, “the girls didn’t know”.  How could they be so fundamentally fucked up to think few weeks building stuff would knock the pervert out of him?  And now look what he has gone and done!  I don’t think we’ve heard the “addict” claims yet, but Dr. Drew could be weighing in soon and playing the “addict card” may be the only way for them to continue to earn a living.

[Magoo]

I take Josh's public, regret-filled, sorrowful, shamed confession with a giant grain of salt and major side-eye.  There is no way he, graduate of the SOTDT, could craft such a polished and "honest" statement.  So my question is, does he even believe he did anything wrong and truly feels shame over his actions?  Or just shocked that he got caught.  I doubt for one second he understands what the word "hypocrisy" even means.  What frustrates me the most is that none of these Josh-centric scandals will  do one thing to change his ugly views. In his mind, one has nothing to do with the other.  That's a real shame.

Edited August 20, 2015 by Magoo

[JoanArc]

Anyone think there's 7 figures in a Josh interview now? If he's at rock bottom he'll still want a paycheck.

[Jamiesmum]

He only admitted it, because he got caught.

Well, yes. No use admitting anything that's not already out there. That would just confuse everyone.

Now would be great time for Anna to take the Ms for a loooong visit with her parents. And a good time to do it. Starting to get cold in AR, while the weather will still be warm in FL. She can properly recover from childbirth. As no details were given out at the time, some problems may now be surfacing. Nothing horrible. She just needs rest. The visit could then streeeeetch out as long as she wants. And while she is there, start to live her own life with the kids. Just a thought. At least it would give her time and space, something she doesn't get in AR.

[cheatincheetos]

Lydia Madison. Dainty Mary-Kate & Ashley Jewell.

Oliver Klosoff.

[Ilovemylabs]

JB and Mechelles hearts are broken because he got caught.  I just don't believe they didn't know something....until late last night.   Josh stopped the account apparently in May when he probably 'confessed' yet again to JB and Michelle who probably told him to cancel the account. They may have known long before that even.  They like to Keep the Silence.

I disagree.  I think this was news to them and a terrible shock.  Having had a child who has made some SERIOUS mistakes during his life, every time I learned of something new he had done wrong it was a punch in the gut.  I was almost numb with shock and I believe JB and Michelle feel the same way.  Nevertheless, I still love my child.  He has made some progress, but is far from perfect.  But I do believe in redemption.  Another close family member is a member of AA.  It was a struggle for him, but he is now a financial success and a good husband and a good person.   He still attends meetings and will continue to do so.  But he has turned his life around and so I believe that others can do the same. 

[sometimesy]

Stupid quote function.

 

Josh can change his views, it looks like he didn't buy into them anyway. He can leave the compound and he can sell his story for cold hard cash. BUT, he has to be careful regarding the 'inappropriate touching'. That one is still facing a lawsuit if I'm not mistaken

[sr7698]

Shit just got real.  This is depressing, Josh asked for prayers, here are mine:

 

1. I pray for Anna.  I pray that Anna finds the strength she needs to deal with the reality that is her husband and their marriage.  I pray that she has the courage to make the best decision for herself and her children when determining whether she wants to stay married to Josh.  I pray that she finds real, non-Gothard support in assessing what her future will be.  I pray that she realizes that she can be a strong and vocal advocate for her children and herself in determining that future. I pray that she doesn't blame herself for any of this.

 

2. I pray for their children.  I pray they don't grow up in the isolated environment of their parents.  I pray that they know that God spends more of his time loving them, not judging them. 

 

3. I pray for Josh.  I pray that he gets the help he so desperately needs.  I pray that he finds peace.  I pray that he accepts whatever the future may bring. 

 

 

[kokapetl]

I take Josh's public, regret-filled, sorrowful, shamed confession with a giant grain of salt and major side-eye. There is no way he, graduate of the SOTDT, could craft such a polished and "honest" statement. So my question is, does he even believe he did anything wrong and truly feels shame over his actions? Or just shocked that he got caught. I doubt for one second he understands what the word "hypocrisy" even means. What frustrates me the most is that none of these Josh-centric scandals will do one thing to change his ugly views. In his mind, one has nothing to do with the other. That's a real shame.

He's got no reason to lie anymore. I can't imagine he thinks he has a future.

[Isthisok]

I think we may have found Bristol Palin's baby daddy!

[kellylovessnark]

I just got a Yahoo News in my Facebook feed. It states he admits to having an affair on Anna.

[Sew Sumi]

I disagree.  I think this was news to them and a terrible shock.  Having had a child who has made some SERIOUS mistakes during his life, every time I learned of something new he had done wrong it was a punch in the gut.  I was almost numb with shock and I believe JB and Michelle feel the same way.  Nevertheless, I still love my child.  He has made some progress, but is far from perfect.  But I do believe in redemption.  Another close family member is a member of AA.  It was a struggle for him, but he is now a financial success and a good husband and a good person.   He still attends meetings and will continue to do so.  But he has turned his life around and so I believe that others can do the same. 

I'm happy for your family members, but as long as Josh doesn't admit the full extent of his addictions, he's not going to get the help he needs. Christian "counseling" is garbage. He obviously has deep-seated problems that stem all the way back to puberty needing to be addressed. We now know that swinging a hammer and praying for three weeks when he was 15 didn't help. We know taking him to the kiddie porn cop didn't help. Marriage and four kids didn't help. 

 

It's going to take a lot more than he's ever been willing to give to "cast out his demons." 

I just got a Yahoo News in my Facebook feed. It states he admits to having an affair on Anna.

He admitted to being "unfaithful." That can be read a thousand ways. I would be careful about this; they used that word on purpose to raise such ambiguity. 

[Tabbygirl521]

WTF was that? Seems like he is confessing in front of his church. No bub I'm not forgiving you for being a complete idiot!

I'm amused and still LMAO that SATAN made him do it.

I always find it so entertaining when Satan manages to have his way with these oh-so-godly types. Meanwhile, little old non-churchgoer me just passed my 26th wedding anniversary, having managed not to cheat on my hub without even trying. Go figure.

Edited August 20, 2015 by Tabbygirl521

[Tracy]

I'm just gonna say this.. I feel so badly for Anna. She only did everything she was supposed to do and it blows up in her face. Someone needs to bend her ear and tell that young woman to cut her ties, write a TELL ALL book and secure her own damn future.

[charmed1]

JoanArc, I've followed fundies long enough to know that they have an obsession with viewing porn on the internet as sin, and actual sexual sins are a separate category. They are BIG on 86ing porn addiction. Like I said, they made a whole movie about that (Fireproof). A movie that Josh and Anna saw while they were courting. How...ironic.

Joshie admitting to being unfaithful can be anything from "lusting in his heart" to a full-out affair. They were careful not to use the A word in his statement.

Poor, poor humiliated Anna.

There is a very popular and extremely successful gospel artist named Kirk Franklin. He's like the Sean Puffy Combs of gospel. A few years ago, there were all these rumors that he was stepping out on his wife. Lo and behold, he claimed to have a "porn addiction." And then all was forgiven by his fans because "we're all sinners."

[MichellesRobocall]

I call BS on the porn addiction. I think Josh looked at porn just like everyone does (let's be real; most of us have looked at porn) but because of the culture he grew up in, he has categorized it as an addiction. I also think the the idea that looking at porn is the same thing as cheating is stupid; it's not cheating, and in Josh's case, it's a total cop-out so that he can avoid admitting to physically cheating on Anna. 

 

That said, I've very much enjoyed his downfall as bad as that sounds. It's been like Christmas morning for me, waiting to see if he'd release a statement. Everybody loves a scandal, right?

[Defrauder]

Poor Josh he says he 'learning the hard way'.  Yeah now there's an interesting way to put it.

[randomania]

None of the direct links posted above worked for me, although this one did. If you're having trouble go straight to Michelle's blog - it's (currently) the top link.

 

There's one big word missing from that statement: "Sorry."

[Isthisok]

Not showing up on Michelle's blog for me. So... He admitted to looking at porn and that is what he's calling "unfaithful", to maintain some level of plausible deniability with their denser fan base? That'll probably work.

[Wok Chop]

I always find it so entertaining when Satan manages to have his way with these oh-so-godly types. Meanwhile, little old non-churchgoer me just passed my 26th wedding anniversary, having managed not to cheat on my hub without even trying. Go figure.

Satan is only after the best, most special, and most PURE Christians. You are obviously small potatoes, and I think you'd best purpose to get right with God.

[Tabbygirl521]

Am snorting with laughter. That explains everything, WokChop!

[ShowsILoveToHate]

Now I'm getting a message saying their site is down....   Fortunately some of you were able to grab what had been posted there!

[Churchhoney]

Even if a credit card statement came to the house saying that he charged to "Ashley Madison," Anna wouldn't have had a clue what that was.  He could tell her he'd bought some clothes and she wouldn't know the difference.  (I know I'd never heard of Ashley Madison until they were hacked.)

 

A friend of mine said yesterday that "Ashley Madison" sounded like a brand of yuppified clothing sold mainly at K-Mart. Sounds about right to me.

[zoomama]

Satan is only after the best, most special, and most PURE Christians. You are obviously small potatoes, and I think you'd best purpose to get right with God.

actually, satan is after whomever he can get. it doesn't matter how big or small your celebrity status is.

[ShowsILoveToHate]

Now it's back up, but the last blog from M'chelle is from the 16th. 

[Tabbygirl521]

I bet poor Anna is being bombarded with everyone around her saying that this just God's way of testing her faith. I am sure that even THINKING of leaving will be considered some level of failure on HER part. I hope her renegade sister can get some time alone with her.

[Defrauder]

A friend of mine said yesterday that "Ashley Madison" sounded like a brand of yuppified clothing sold mainly at K-Mart. Sounds about right to me.

I agree.  Josh could have covered his tracks easily with a simple - oh you remember Anna that denim skirt I bought you for your birthday, that was from an Ashley Madison store.

[Churchhoney]

Wait wait wait....paying $1K for two separate Ashley Madison accounts held for over two years, plus an OKcupid profile, all of which solicit sex from women, and possibly having the extramarital affairs and/or sexual encounters sought through these profiles, is now reduced to "viewing pornography over the internet"?

 

"Viewing pornography over the internet" is the new "inappropriate touching."

 

Masters of understatement, the Duggars.

[Wok Chop]

Tabbygirl, I guess I'm on a higher spiritual plane than you. It is only the strong, true Christians who the devil seeks. The closer one is to God, the more at risk you are to Satan using your mortal body as real estate for his fortresses. I will pray for you.

But for real: congrats on 26 years of marriage!

Edited August 20, 2015 by Wok Chop

[Katydid]

I think that if he had "only" viewed porn and not had an actual affair(s) that he would have been sure to add a disclaimer of sorts making it clear that, while he was unfaithful in his mind, he didn't go beyond that to actually have sex with anyone else. Sort of like when he "only touched the girls over their clothes and while they were sleeping." He may not have had any luck with Ashley Madison, but that doesn't necessarily mean he didn't find some action by other means.

[Rane]

Wouldn't surprise me if the site crashed.

 

One of the things I noticed earlier today (after the statement was posted) was that it was possible to comment on the post, but that they clearly were screening/blocking the comment from then posting publicly.

 

I'm having problems posting this properly,but apparently Joshy Boy's statement was edited by someone (his parents? PR advisor?) after the fact - a kind soul on twitter got the screengrabs showing the removal of blame from Satan.

 

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CM3tpwWVEAM3K_R.png

Edited August 20, 2015 by Rane

[GreyBunny]

He says he has a porn addiction?  Maybe he's trying to gaslight his wife into thinking Ashley Madison is for porno films and not a place where he can pay to have an affair with a living, breathing woman.