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Josh & Anna Smuggar: A Series of Unfortunate Events


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Speaking as someone who suffered from anorexia as a teen/young adult and still has issues with disordered eating to this day, I wonder if part of Anna's weight loss has to do with how everything in her life is so out of her control. Josh had an affair - for whatever reasons (she didn't do enough of what he wanted/he's a jerk/whatever she feels). She couldn't control it and stop it from happening or coming out. She (seemingly) lives with Duggars or very close by them. The Duggars basically control everything in Josh's absence. The money, the decisions, her kids, etc. In their culture Anna controls nothing aside from home schooling...and does she really control that? Can she decide to change to secular or Catholic homeschool curricula? Or decide to send the kids to public school? Nope.

Maybe controlling what she eats or doesn't eat is a way to exercise some form of control in her life because it's one thing she CAN control. I know at times when I felt my life was out of my control my disorder was "louder." As a teen with very strict and overprotective parents, controlling my calories, what I ate/didn't eat and how much/often was one of the only ways I could feel some control and autonomy. I'm not saying Anna has an eating disorder or anything, but maybe she is using her diet to control at least some small part of her life.

Edited by MyPeopleAreNordic
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Speaking as someone who suffered from anorexia as a teen/young adult and still has issues with disordered eating to this day, I wonder if part of Anna's weight loss has to do with how everything in her life is so out of her control. Josh had an affair - for whatever reasons (she didn't do enough of what he wanted/he's a jerk/whatever she feels). She couldn't control it and stop it from happening or coming out. She (seemingly) lives with Duggars or very close by them. The Duggars basically control everything in Josh's absence. The money, the decisions, her kids, etc. In their culture Anna controls nothing aside from home schooling...and does she really control that? Can she decide to change to secular or Catholic homeschool curricula? Or decide to send the kids to public school? Nope.

Maybe controlling what she eats or doesn't eat is a way to exercise some form of control in her life because it's one thing she CAN control. I know at times when I felt my life was out of my control my disorder was "louder." As a teen with very strict and overprotective parents, controlling my calories, what I ate/didn't eat and how much/often was one of the only ways I could feel some control and autonomy. I'm not saying Anna has an eating disorder or anything, but maybe she is using her diet to control at least some small part of her life.

Sorry about your struggle with this, glad it has improved.

 

I was wondering the same thing.

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I guess I'm the minority. I think Anna looks nice.

She has lost a lot of weight. Joshie was clearly the muncher (haha) and must've encouraged Anna to eat junk foods with him. Anna was thin before she married Josh. Maybe being free from that fast foodie Josh has given Anna the freedom to eat healthier meals and focus a little more on herself.

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I guess I'm the minority. I think Anna looks nice.

She has lost a lot of weight. Joshie was clearly the muncher (haha) and must've encouraged Anna to eat junk foods with him. Anna was thin before she married Josh. Maybe being free from that fast foodie Josh has given Anna the freedom to eat healthier meals and focus a little more on herself.

Yea, as in "Hey Anna, have a bite of this iced donut burger and then watch me swing my not so in shape arse from the trapeze. After this, I will go home and pay hookers to have sex with me."  

Yea, I would say she is over that load of tilapia chickenetti donut burger dinner stuff.  She probably bought a few carts of microwave foods from Whole Foods on his credit card and told him to go trapeze himself.  

 

ETA:  Yes, I think she looks nice.

Edited by truthtalk2014
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She does look really different.

I think it's the weight loss, better make up, better hair and seems her teeth are fixed.

I'm sure there is a little of "aren't you sorry now, joshie" and a little of "I need to pay attention to myself. I can be pretty and nice looking if I put a little effort into it". And no fat Josh bring crap food into the house.

Maybe the Duggar girls encouraged a make over? Take her mind off things, feel good about herself etc. The Duggar girls really don't know too much about anything but they enjoy clothes, make up and hair stuff. They probably tried to boost her spriits with "girlie" stuff.

I hope it's not an eating disorder.

I hope Anna is starting to take back a few parts of her life, even if she stays with the jerk.

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I wonder if Amy -- and maybe even Jill and Jessa -- are encouraging her to leave Josh. They may buy into all that Gothard stuff, but they are married now and I can't help but wonder how they feel about Anna being called out for not putting out for Josh.

 

I can particularly see Amy and Jessa wanting to send a message to their own men that straying isn't going to be tolerated at all, and that they won't be accepting any blame for a straying spouse.

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Now I can see why Jessa does her "modern modest" thing and is so fixated on her look. The older girls are scarred, y'all !!!! Gah.

 

Modest?!  haha... now that's funny...

 

But I agree that's why she (eta: Jessa) dresses the way she does.

 

I think Anna looks good but I'm worried about her. What she's going through is horrible even when it's not publicized for all the world to see.

Edited by NikSac
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I think Anna looks good but I'm worried about her. What she's going through is horrible even when it's not publicized for all the world to see.

 

This. .... And especially when people around you are wildly urging you to minimize it all, as I'm sure is what's happening, at least on the part of Jim Boob and Michelle, if not the whole damned family.

 

People who go on national television to proclaim that a molestation wasn't very serious because it occurred while a child was sleeping obviously have absolutely no clue about the ethics and psychology of sexual things. (Sorry, but I still haven't stopped reeling over the Duggar clan's insistence that molesting a sleeping person is only an itty bitty peccadillo when it's the very worst thing in this whole mess. Everything this bunch of arrogant yahoos thinks is upside down and backwards, so I'm quite sure they're doing and saying the very worst things possible to Anna right now.)

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I bet Anna's weight loss is due to stress. I really hope for her sake it is not due to a conscious effort to starve herself or a new eating disorder. Anna has had enough pain!!!

 

I guess we will see if she loses more or not. 

When my FIL spent 25 days in the critical care unit ( ie intensive care) almost dead I dropped weight really fast due to the stress and nerves. I looked great. LOL didn't stay off though, once things stopped being so stressful I went back to normal. 

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Anna's weight loss is probably a mix of many things.

No Joshie bringing all that junk food and fast food in the house. I bet he likes greasy, fat, processed cheap crap foods and Anna cooked what he wanted.

Stress

Aren't you sorry now...I look hot.

Hey, I'm loosing some weight and I look good...maybe I will try out some new make up and fix up my hair.

Speaking of Joshie and his greasy overprocessed boxed foods...wonder if he will emerge from RU having lost his sin and fat too. Do they allow McDonald's runs? Is he trapped there with only a Bible, a red pen, a blue pen and a notebook?

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Anna's weight loss is probably a mix of many things.

No Joshie bringing all that junk food and fast food in the house. I bet he likes greasy, fat, processed cheap crap foods and Anna cooked what he wanted.

Stress

Aren't you sorry now...I look hot.

Hey, I'm loosing some weight and I look good...maybe I will try out some new make up and fix up my hair.

Speaking of Joshie and his greasy overprocessed boxed foods...wonder if he will emerge from RU having lost his sin and fat too. Do they allow McDonald's runs? Is he trapped there with only a Bible, a red pen, a blue pen and a notebook?

If he is buddies with Cisco, they are hanging out at the Golden Corral.    

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Anna, if you are reading... YOU LOOK GOOD GIRL!  Keep it up.  

 

I hope the only thing Josh has to look forward to each night are images of the speakers at RU and he dreams of being tied to the chair during the Friday night sermon.  

 

Nah, I won't even send myself to the prayer closet for that.  Laughing myself silly.  

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Can she apply for WIC? 

Eligibility for WIC (Women, Infants and Children) is based on income and, if she qualifies, Anna would receive aid whether she is breastfeeding or not.  Nursing mothers get vouchers for nutritious foods for themselves while moms who bottle feed get formula for the baby.  Vouchers would also be given to any children under the age of 4 in the household. It probably depends on whether Josh got a severance package from FRC; which he probably did.  The family's income has to be somewhere between 100-185% of the federal poverty level depending on the state in which they live.  Even families who are not eligible for other assistance (ie, they have health insurance from their jobs) can receive WIC.

 

I think it's a combo of having a lot of the stress of keeping up the façade of the perfect fundie marriage gone (because I do think Anna had at least an inkling that Joshie was misbehaving but couldn't do anything about it before the scandal), as well as breastfeeding and the fact that she is now in charge of the menu in her home instead of being forced to stock the kitchen according to her headship's preferences.  I doubt she has an eating disorder; I am hoping the turmoil of the last few months has allowed Anna to realize that she needs to take care of herself so she can care for her kids because she cannot count on the worthless POS she married.

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Exactly. Also, JMO, while it was disturbing enough on its own how many people didn't think molesting children was any big deal because he was 'only' 14, that is only one aspect of Joshgate I that blows my mind. The interviews, the People articles, the blatant lies, the appalling excuses, the absolute INSISTENCE that what Josh did is totally benign because they were asleep. I think that's worse than a d-bag husband trying to hook up on Ashley Madison. I get all sins are the same in God's eyes, but not in mine.

 

To be fair, it's made pretty clear by the sensible and godly that their interpretation of the Bible/God giving the bird's eye view to sin, is that he thinks all sins are equally bad.  Which sucks for those kids who just want to watch R-rated movies to be put on par with thieves and adulterers, but it's not that God is oh so unconcerned because he thinks none of that is a patch on famine.  Those who interpret it like "eh, all sins are molehills", are giving the wrong inflection.

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Cisco is staying away from Golden Corral. Can't say the same for Josh -- eating his feelings is all he has left.

I think that is sad but true.  If he isn't allowed to truly say what he feels in therapy ("I can't handle any more kids." "I have serious doubts about my marriage." "I no longer want to follow Gothard."  "My dad is the world's biggest idiot.") then eating may be his only pleasure.

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Poor Cisco. Hot Ryan is at RU for coke addiction (and I assume too much sex), Josh is there for porn addiction (and sex with prostitutes), and Cisco is there for McDonald's addiction.

Edited by Kokapetl
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I don't believe him for one second.  He's sorry he got caught.  If he didn't get caught, he would still be cheating on her.  She needs to get the hell out of there.  Blackmail JB for some money and live somewhere else.

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Heh.The ol' "I can't live without you, baby. I'm terrified of losing you. I can change." Ah, that takes me back. What wonderful, stabby memories. Anna? ANNA. You are a beautiful, beautiful girl. You are a wonderful mother. So many men would take you so, so seriously. There are lots of Christian men who actually like women. I know a ton of them. PM me, girlfriend. 

Edited by Aja
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Since we've seen Derick and Jill eat meals at the pool house (via Instagram), and Jessa had a talking head segment filmed there for her new show, I think JimBob bought the pool house for one of the "Counting On" couples, so he could keep tabs on the new show, and have his family members just "randomly" show up when the tv cameras are there.

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Since we've seen Derick and Jill eat meals at the pool house (via Instagram), and Jessa had a talking head segment filmed there for her new show, I think JimBob bought the pool house for one of the "Counting On" couples, so he could keep tabs on the new show, and have his family members just "randomly" show up when the tv cameras are there.

He just can't stay away from the spotlight, can he ?!  It's so weird to try to define his behavior, but it's like he's jealous of his own daughters. 

 

In a very squicky way it reminds me of aging beauty queens who drag their poor daughters to "Mommy and Me" pageants so they can smile and wave and soak up all the attention they crave so much. The depth of JimBob's immaturity and desperation has no limit. 

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Let's see. You've cheated on your wife by registering with an on line sex site. You have been tossed into a rehab, no communication with anyone, but you take the time and make the struggle to confide in "insiders" so they will confide the state of your marriage to "Hollywoodlife". Yes. That makes so much sense.............

Edited by kathe5133
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If he isn't allowed to truly say what he feels in therapy ("I can't handle any more kids." "I have serious doubts about my marriage." "I no longer want to follow Gothard."  "My dad is the world's biggest idiot.") then eating may be his only pleasure.

RU isn't a Gothard-based counseling center, is it? I would think that Josh would be encouraged to say what he feels & the things that aren't going to send him to hell (changing churches/cults, no more children) would be worked through to his satisfaction, while the things that would (giving up on his marriage, visiting prostitutes) he would be conditioned to overcome.

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Poor Cisco. Hot Ryan is at RU for coke addiction (and I assume too much sex), Josh is there for porn addiction (and sex with prostitutes), and Cisco is there for McDonald's addiction.

Sounds like a value meal to me.

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I have questions, somebody help me out.

A) Did josh and Anna (or did Anna) really sell the house they were working on? B) has JB recently bought another big house, or is it the consensus that he is offering them the big house Jill vacated? C) what "pool" house?

She's not leaving. All the articles, all the bs about him begging her to stick with him because, you know, Jesus - she's not going anywhere. She hasn't "really" entertained it for a second. She's too entrenched. Intertwined with the family. The sister moms are going to step in and give them all the time they need to work out issues once he gets out. Plus, she can play that martyr card for a good long time. for anyone else in America (maybe in the WORLD), if they'd been slapped in the face as hard as Anna has been enough times, but agreed to stay - roles would clearly be reversed. Josh could be her slave for LIFE, really. His options are very very limited. But...unfortunately, I'm not sure Anna has the chutzpah to DO that. I'm afraid the weight loss is all stress, and when he gets out, she's going to fall right back into her "obedient wife" role.

The way I think it shakes out is this: he gets done with his rehab and comes home a new man, on fire for Jesus and determined to prove to everyone he's a new, changed man. They don't continue with proper guidance, real therapy or counseling, and so they eventually go right back to the roles they always lived. Josh will have a much more menial (substandard according to his belief in his superiority) job, but will conduct himself as the self serving, head-of-the-house buttwipe he's always been. She may even get pregnant again pretty quickly to seal the deal. And then...one day...JOSH wakes up and says, "you know what? I can't LIVE this life anymore. I can't do it. I want out". I firmly believe it's going to be Josh who splits. And Anna gets bitch-slapped yet again. That's what I see. I'll be amazed if it doesn't fall out pretty close to that scenario.

D) how much longer is he in rehab? Anybody know?

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A) it sold according to RE records.  To whom? Maybe back into corporation..

B) Don't know who is living in Derick's house. 

C) Pool house was bought, right next door.  May be used a lot for filming.

D) Rehab was 6 months or longer.

Josh is probably not getting counseling now.  Just work every day for no pay (church takes the money for room, board, fees).  It is praying that they offer.  Tune in sometime.  I'd go out of my mind if I had to listen to it.

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I think he gets out in February, assuming he hasn't broken any rules and been forced to re-starte the "program."

 

I tend to think that they will stay together -- for the worst possible reason, in that they have nowhere else to go.

 

I, personally, believe the blind item that someone posted a while back that said that Josh has a "girlfriend" in rehab and may well have been promising to marry her. My perception is that all of the Duggars lack empathy, and my feeling is that Josh may feel bad about his indiscretions, ir is only because he has been caught and because he's been made to look bad in his world. I don't think he has any intention of remaining faithful to Anna once he leaves Jesus prison.

 

I also think that Anna has at least contemplated leaving Josh, but it would require her essentially abandoning her faith to do so. As far as I understand, she believes that God chose Josh for her -- transmitting this bit of wisdom directly to her "headship" -- her father. Leaving Josh would imply a lack of faith in God's plan. She has been raised from infancy to believe that it is her God-given responsibility to submit to her "headship" -- her father, and now her husband. She has been raised from infancy to believe that her sole value in life is to be a wife and mother. And, if your remember the weird, sad thing that Priscilla wrote about marrying David Waller, she isn't supposed to expect happiness in marriage -- she's supposed to expect trials and grief.

 

Josh isn't going to be willing to break with his parents and struggle financially and Anna has no skills and no ability to support herself. Even if they wanted to divorce, I don't think that either of them is willing to accept the financial hardship that would follow.

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