Josh & Anna Smuggar: A Series of Unfortunate Events

[farmgal4]

1 hour ago, laurakaye said:

What in tarnation is that colossal mess behind them?  It does look like they're in an RV...and they get Olive Garden take-out when they go camping?  WTH?  I don't know how many mouths they're feeding, but that's some pricey take-out.

That type of mess in a small space would drive me completely bonkers.  I'd never be able to go road-tripping with this family.

HOLD. UP.  Did she really say this?  Is this a Duggar rule?  Designed to what...make young boys feel like they will do something wrong if a baby sits on their lap?  Or make them think that because they are boys, they are inherently dangerous in some way?  What the crap kind of message is this to give her sons??  So what are they supposed to think when they have children of their own? 

I can't even.....wow.

Yes, she really said that, to Megan Kelly, if I'm not mistaken.  Olive Garden has the buy one/take one special going now, so they actually paid 2 for 1, which would come to around $7 or $8/person.

1 hour ago, laurakaye said:

I cannot imagine telling my young son that he could not hold his baby sister.  This makes my blood boil.

Those two clowns have irreparably damaged all of their children.

I agree, and what makes my blood boil twice as hot is MEchelle being honored as Mother of the Year, more than once.  There are no words...

[Aja]

I think not letting the littles sit in the boys' laps was something Michelle implemented or said she implemented as one of their super-effective, Jesusy ways to deal with Josh's "little mistakes."

Edited October 14, 2016 by Aja

[laurakaye]

24 minutes ago, Aja said:

I think not letting the littles sit in the boys' laps was something Michelle implemented or said she implemented as one of their super-effective, Jesusy ways to deal with Josh's "little mistakes."

So she punished all her boys for the sins of one.  Excellent parenting.  Those boys must have some serious, simmering rage towards their vaunted oldest brother.  I suppose for Michelle, it's just easier to condemn all of them in one fell swoop...since they're all boys, they must all think alike and act alike.  She's horrible.

[Sew Sumi]

3 hours ago, riverblue22 said:

But...that was when there were more J'slaves to mother the littles.  Now that Jill, Jess, and Jinger are busy elsewhere, someone has to watch the babies while Michelle tends to her own important business.

Yeah, you can see the crunchy Mullet in the background of the picture. I wonder if the wedding is actually going to be in Texas, and this is part of the family caravan down there? As I noted in another thread, JinJer were spotted on the San Antonio Riverwalk a couple of days ago (maybe Tuesday?) with Pa Vuolo and KJB. Hannie's "birthday party" could have been celebrated anywhere with a nail salon and ice cream parlor. 

eta: Another possibility is that they attended the IBLP Family Camp this week that Davey Waller has been pimping out on his social media. I'm not sure what the exact dates were on that, but they usually wrap those things up on Thursdays, but this wasn't the "official" homeschool camp that they attend every year in Big Sandy, This was not quite as elaborate and might not have lasted as long and you might not have to attend every day? No clue how this camp works, since it's the first time they've held it. 

As I said in the show thread, the Duggars were in the Stink Bus campaigning as late as the Thursday before Jessa's wedding, so we can still see a wedding on Saturday, even if they were in Big Sandy through yesterday. It looks like Jinger was elsewhere, at least earlier in the week. 

I find it sad that Smuganna have to tag along with his parents to go to these events. I'm sure Smuggar had to sell his RV after Joshgate, but he's almost 30 years old. Shouldn't he be traveling with his own little family to these events? After all, as Mechelle reminded us in the Smuganna wedding special, "Leave and cleave, baby!" Well, we all know how well THAT turned out! 

Edited October 14, 2016 by Sew Sumi

[SMama]

I might be completely wrong but IIRC the picture was already posted here or FJ awhile ago. There was a lot of talk about the no girls on boys laps at the time.

I apologize if I'm mistaken, I suck at searching, and I'm on my way to pick up my baby girl from school.

[Sew Sumi]

I know there was a picture/discussion a while ago, but I think that picture was taken at the TTH. I'm assuming this is a newer picture; Mere looks about the right age, but it could be a picture from maybe late summer? I have no clue what the weather was like in AR or TX this past week (but when have Duggars ever dressed appropriately for the weather?). 

eta: The Mere pic is not new, maybe from the summer. I forgot that Mechelle was in AR earlier this week when Joe took her out to "Take Your Parents Out To Lunch Day" at the Marketplace Grille. They stupidly didn't realize that this is a program aimed at elementary school kids to invite their parents to the school to see what cafeteria food is like these days. 

That said, we know that OTHER members of the family WERE in TX earlier this week. 

Edited October 14, 2016 by Sew Sumi

[Churchhoney]

3 hours ago, laurakaye said:

HOLD. UP.  Did she really say this?  Is this a Duggar rule?  Designed to what...make young boys feel like they will do something wrong if a baby sits on their lap?  Or make them think that because they are boys, they are inherently dangerous in some way?  What the crap kind of message is this to give her sons??  So what are they supposed to think when they have children of their own? 

I can't even.....wow.

 

This is how they "protected" the family after the Josh incidents. Also, no games of hide and seek. They're both stupid and rotten. But they're Jesus's favorite people. Just so you know.

1 hour ago, laurakaye said:

So she punished all her boys for the sins of one.  Excellent parenting.  Those boys must have some serious, simmering rage towards their vaunted oldest brother.  I suppose for Michelle, it's just easier to condemn all of them in one fell swoop...since they're all boys, they must all think alike and act alike.  She's horrible.

Oh, no. Hadn't you heard? (cause they keep telling you) Nobody in this family has any leftover feelings or issues from that long-running mess. They're a sweet, fun, playful, wholesome, romantic, very very happy TeeVee family.  Thanks to JB and M!

[GeeGolly]

Maybe when Jana said Anna lives nearby she meant deep in the woods of the TTH land, in an RV.

[SMama]

I'm going to come across as mean but I'm with GeeGolly. 

Not that GG is mean, only talking about myself. In a perfect world Anna and the kids would live in a McMansion and her repugnant husband in a 10 foot RV. Said RV would not have a toilet, and Boob would have it under camera surveillance 24/7.

Oh man, I AM mean.

Edited October 14, 2016 by SMama

[Sew Sumi]

1 hour ago, GeeGolly said:

Maybe when Jana said Anna lives nearby she meant deep in the woods of the TTH land, in an RV.

I still think they're in the guest house on the property. Those little are there far too often for the 30ish mile round trip from the house they bought in Sialom Springs every day. I have a feeling Anna and Tabitha are tag-team teaching these days. It's easier than two separate groups of kids all doing the Wisdom Booklets. If Anna was teaching Mack and Mike separately, her kids wouldn't constantly be shown with the Lost Girls. But if Anna was earning her keep, so to speak, by teaching, you'd see her little with various aunts and uncles as they "babysit." And that's what their social media shows us.

[Tabbygirl521]

18 hours ago, JoanArc said:

Olive Garden takeout! OMG they read my post! It's how there gonna cater Cringe's wedding!

 

But seriously, how frugal.

"Buy One, Take One."

[Churchhoney]

On 10/14/2016 at 6:26 AM, JoanArc said:

Olive Garden takeout! OMG they read my post! It's how there gonna cater Cringe's wedding!

 

 

Well, that food is just going to be wasted on guests. So I'm thinking -- more likely Pizza Hut. .... Or Cicis.

[Arwen Evenstar]

There's lots of speculation that Anna is preggers. I think that Smuggley Do Right's behavior has killed that for her.  Every other word out of her mouth was "babies" when they were happy...until he broke her.

Edited October 15, 2016 by Arwen Evenstar
No coffe yet when I posted.

[Almost 3000]

16 hours ago, Sew Sumi said:

I still think they're in the guest house on the property. Those little are there far too often for the 30ish mile round trip from the house they bought in Sialom Springs every day. I have a feeling Anna and Tabitha are tag-team teaching these days. It's easier than two separate groups of kids all doing the Wisdom Booklets. If Anna was teaching Mack and Mike separately, her kids wouldn't constantly be shown with the Lost Girls. But if Anna was earning her keep, so to speak, by teaching, you'd see her little with various aunts and uncles as they "babysit." And that's what their social media shows us.

This is what I've always thought but for no other reason than it makes sense. (Not that sense is a Duggar thing)

[GeeGolly]

18 hours ago, Arwen Evenstar said:

There's lots of speculation that Anna is preggers. I think that Smuggley Do Right's behavior has killed that for her.  Every other word out of her mouth was "babies" when they were happy...until he broke her.

And this makes me wonder for them what is a true belief and what isn't. If they truly believe that only God decides how many babies, than what choice to they really have? 

This is why organized religion confuses me.

[Churchhoney]

38 minutes ago, GeeGolly said:

And this makes me wonder for them what is a true belief and what isn't. If they truly believe that only God decides how many babies, than what choice to they really have? 

This is why organized religion confuses me.

Well, this kind of situation is where organized religion's rubber really hits the road, isn't it?

I expect that at least one of the Smugs has now abandoned that level of belief in their particular organized religion. But he's also an incompetent lazy coward who appears unlikely to be able to -- or, probably, even try to -- support even the relatively hefty-sized family he's already got without taking jobs from JB for the rest of JB's life. But I suppose doing that will require that Joshley at least pay lip service to his stupid "God will set the size of our family" vow. (I suppose. It's also possible that even JIzm Bob doesn't want to see any more children emerging from the Joshley union, in which case Joshley would be off the hook.) 

I expect it boils down to who Joshley can convince to go along with a plan to stop having kids or at least not have very many more. If Anna is on board, then they can just do that. Or he could go get himself snipped and not tell her, if he's got the guts to sneak around for something other than girlfriend-seeking.

I think that in some ways this is a pretty normal situation for people like Josh and Anna, who've grown up in these supposedly super-devout families. Seeing how some of the "teachings" clash with real life, people do stop "believing" in those teachings (although not necessarily in the faith generally, and whatever "believing in them" ever meant in the first place). But that's only the first step, and it's the easy one. I'd almost say it's the unavoidable step, when it comes to these really out-there beliefs like this one about having kids by the dozen.

Then they have to figure out how to act on their changed idea. And that takes gutsy moves of various kinds and almost certainly requires some kind of confrontations -- talk to Anna and see whether she feels the same way, potentially face Jizm Bob's wrath if he actually thinks you should go on pumping out the kids, etc. That's where the "religious beliefs" (or unbeliefs) get sticky for everybody. But particularly for a lazy coward like Josh, I would think. He continues to be up shit creek without a paddle. And considering how high he was riding a couple of years ago, that must still be quite a shock to him.

Edited October 16, 2016 by Churchhoney

[Absolom]

This is why I both love and hate the cafeteria labels.  When you get down to it everyone treats "the rules" like a buffet.  Jim Bob certainly doesn't even follow the rules that he espouses himself.  They aren't necessarily truly following quiverful because they actively sought to have as many kids as possible.  Josh has shown that he only follows what he wants and is quite capable of plenty of hypocrisy.  I expect Jim Bob might be a lot less confrontational over the number of future pregnancies if Josh will simply not have any more affairs that get caught out publicly and not be seen buying Penthouse. 

[lascuba]

I think at this point in Josh's "recovery" (not enough scare quotes in the world), any  mention of not following the rules will lead to Anna tattling to their certified fundie counselor and/or JB. If Josh even hints that he doesn't want to have an indefinite number of children, he'll be sent to "rehab" again and put under even greater financial blackmail. I think Anna is as baby obsessed as ever...she stopped expressing it so much publicly before the scandals as a result of the criticism she got over it.

[Churchhoney]

4 hours ago, lascuba said:

I think at this point in Josh's "recovery" (not enough scare quotes in the world), any  mention of not following the rules will lead to Anna tattling to their certified fundie counselor and/or JB. If Josh even hints that he doesn't want to have an indefinite number of children, he'll be sent to "rehab" again and put under even greater financial blackmail. I think Anna is as baby obsessed as ever...she stopped expressing it so much publicly before the scandals as a result of the criticism she got over it.

I think you're probably right. But it's pretty horrifying, isn't it, that she'd want to pop out babies right now with a guy she can't possibly know if she can trust at this point and into a situation where nobody can really get a decent job? It's an obsession that's about on a par with heroin addiction when it comes to being utterly unaccountable and potentially life destroying, to me.

[farmgal4]

On October 13, 2016 at 11:04 PM, Malvina said:

That poor child's nose is so unfortunate. (I'm trying to be nice) I'm praying to baby Jeebus that she somehow outgrows it.

[Darknight]

The Duggars are cafeteria fundies. Michelle and Jim Bob are two dumb assholes. Josh needed help not to punish all the boys and their sisters. I hope Anna isn't pregnant. Josh will continue to be an asshole. I hope he wears a condom. Anna should get checked for stds.

[lascuba]

6 hours ago, Churchhoney said:

I think you're probably right. But it's pretty horrifying, isn't it, that she'd want to pop out babies right now with a guy she can't possibly know if she can trust at this point and into a situation where nobody can really get a decent job? It's an obsession that's about on a par with heroin addiction when it comes to being utterly unaccountable and potentially life destroying, to me.

It's absolutely horrifying, and I have a hard time understanding the mindset of people like this. And while fundamentalism is the cause in her specific case, I can't even blame it generally. I know too many women of many walks of life who think nothing of having babies with untrustworthy men, who see it as a good sign for their relationships. 

4 hours ago, farmgal4 said:

That poor child's nose is so unfortunate. (I'm trying to be nice) I'm praying to baby Jeebus that she somehow outgrows it.

She looks exactly like Priscilla so I keep imaging the squinty eyes and wrinkled forehead and...err...simple affect on her and it makes me cringe. 

[AnnieBeez]

6 hours ago, farmgal4 said:

That poor child's nose is so unfortunate. (I'm trying to be nice) I'm praying to baby Jeebus that she somehow outgrows it.

Nose, mouth, chin. She looks like a cartoon elf. Let me go back and check her ears. 

[Arwen Evenstar]

6 hours ago, MischaMouse said:

Nose, mouth, chin. She looks like a cartoon elf. Let me go back and check her ears. 

Since elves are magical creatures, wouldn't Meri being an elf be problematic? Makes me wonder if Keebler cookies are banned in Duggardom since Gothard probably wrote that witchcraft was afoot in their making. No fudge stripes for you!

Of course, this is sheer speculation, but nothing these pinheads believe would surprise me at all.  He taught that Cabbage Patch Kids were the spawn of the devil.  He wouldn't have been the only one to be of the opinion that they're creepy, but to promulgate the nonsense that they were evil--I don't know who was crazier...him for saying it or his followers for taking it as an article of faith.

On another note, I just hope Mer doesn't end up being as simple as poor Prissy, but if the poor kid stays on the compound, there's no telling...particularly if Joy gets stuck being the teacher.

[Absolom]

I think Meredith is cute and adorable.  Certainly a toddler can do nothing about her appearance. 

[Almost 3000]

She has a Cindy Lou Who look and her nose looks like Anna's, who look too.

[riverblue22]

I think Mackenzie is a really cute kid, and I'm hoping Meredith somehow ends up looking like her.

[Almost 3000]

8 minutes ago, riverblue22 said:

I think Mackenzie is a really cute kid, and I'm hoping Meredith somehow ends up looking like her.

Anna's kids really are cute and seem well cared for. There, I said something nice.

[AnnieBeez]

On 10/17/2016 at 7:59 AM, Absolom said:

I think Meredith is cute and adorable.  Certainly a toddler can do nothing about her appearance. 

I do not disagree. I just think she looks like a little cartoon elf. Didn't say she was ugly. Didn't say she needed to be put in a burlap bag. I think it's "precious" when babies don't have generic baby faces. 

 

Oh. Looking back, I can see why it could be taken as criticism. It was the quote I was replying to. Lo siento. 

[CarolMK]

Is it confirmed that Josh is running a car lot again or is he really flipping/selling cars with a couple of his brothers? If he's living away from the family compound, I guess it's likely that more than half of Arkansas might not even know who he is. They've been on tv for quite awhile now but they were never on a major network so I don't know how recognizable he is to the locals down there. 

[Sew Sumi]

People have seen his listings online. He doesn't have a formal lot per se, but the twins were selling cars on a strip of land by a highway that I guess Boob owns. I tacked the twins in there because they stated that they wanted to flip cars when asked about their future. 

[becca3891]

On 10/5/2016 at 8:53 AM, Marigold said:

I agree.  I don tthink Anna and Josh will stay married forever. 

Anna was expecting Josh 2008 to come home from Pray Camp and maybe Josh was hoping that he would change also.  Then he came home and is still married to Anna, has 4 kids and is trapped in Duggarville...and is still unhappy. 

Thier life must be so miserable together. I used to think they were going to do a Redmeption Tour and write a book.  Now I'm not so sure.  

I still think Anna will leave one day.  Quietly.  She will get disillusioned when Josh wasn't reborn and her life is worse than hell with that Vile Pig. She is already being treated like Cinderella by the genetic Duggars, not on camera anymore and Josh hasn't changed. Aside from whatever money JB deposits in her account, not much to stick around for anymore. 

I'd love for this to be true, but I actually think Anna will remain married and quietly miserable until one of them dies. (Or possibly, Josh may just disappear one day.) But in their world, divorce or even separation is beyond shocking and forbidden. I don't think she could do it.

On 10/5/2016 at 4:28 PM, lookeyloo said:

She was just a kid herself.  Sheltered.  They probably sold it as all he needs is a wife and that can be his outlet.  And he was just experimenting.  And they were sleeping.  And it was over clothes.  And they forgave him.   I'm pretty sure she didn't research sibling molestations.  

That's what I thought too! The "sin in the camp" story always rang true to me, but I never guessed that it was abuse and not consensual kissing/fondling. That's what's so poisonous about Gothard's teaching that lust is just as bad a sin as committing the act himself. I firmly believe it's that teaching that emboldens young fundy men to go ahead with molestation because, well, they've already lusted; why not folllow through physically? I've seen other people agree with me on this theory.

On 10/6/2016 at 7:57 AM, WescottF1 said:

Guy posted an AMA on Reddit about his recent experience at a marriage retreat that was also attended by Boob, Mooch, Smuggar, and Anna...

https://www.reddit.com/r/19KidsandCounting/comments/55nyoa/spent_this_past_weekend_with_the_duggars_jimbob/?st=ITURI36H&sh=a40fc7b3&compact=true

An interesting read! Overall, I found the guy to be pretty convincing, but I'm not one hundred percent sold. I know that women DO tend to be more religious, and I wasn't surprised to hear that more women are the ones drawn to these marriage conferences, but I was surprised that he said none of the men talk about Jesus among themselves. In the fundy world I grew up in, quite a few of the men were very committed and into Jesus talk. But then again, I never saw them when they were talking only with other men.

On 10/7/2016 at 1:28 AM, Arwen Evenstar said:

 

On 10/19/2016 at 1:24 AM, CarolMK said:

Is it confirmed that Josh is running a car lot again or is he really flipping/selling cars with a couple of his brothers? If he's living away from the family compound, I guess it's likely that more than half of Arkansas might not even know who he is. They've been on tv for quite awhile now but they were never on a major network so I don't know how recognizable he is to the locals down there. 

I've seen people say "He can't go anywhere without being recognized," but I agree with you. Unless someone is a long term viewer of the show, even all the news reports about Josh probably weren't enough to cement him in their minds if they saw him out of the context of parading around with his parents and siblings like they used to do when everyone lived at home. Your average person probably doesn't recognize his face, although his name is quite telling. I wonder if he's tempted to change it.

Edited November 2, 2016 by becca3891

[Marigold]

I'm thinking Anna might leave in 5 to 10 years.  When the Duggars have run out of money and all this damage has really peaked. There will be nothing left except a dirty and disorganized TTH, some siblings who are all messed up and a bunch of cousins/grandchildren.  I'm sure some of the Duggar kids will slowly and quietly move towards a Christian faith that is less cult like and some might walk away completely. 

Anna might just slip away quietly....I hope one day we hear that she remarried and is living a normal life, probably will remain Baptist but maybe a more modern church. 

Josh will spend the rest of his life dicking around, trying to get himself together and then failing constantly.  He will live that "failed reality star' life forever.  

[lookeyloo]

And then we'll see him in the National Enquirer as one of the "whatever happened to..."  or "see what Josh Duggar looks like now".  But maybe not since not that many people will remember him.

Edited November 2, 2016 by lookeyloo

[lianau]

2 hours ago, becca3891 said:

 

That's what I thought too! The "sin in the camp" story always rang true to me, but I never guessed that it was abuse and not consensual kissing/fondling. That's what's so poisonous about Gothard's teaching that lust is just as bad a sin as committing the act himself. I firmly believe it's that teaching that emboldens young fundy men to go ahead with molestation because, well, they've already lusted; why not folllow through physically? I've seen other people agree with me on this theory.

 

I agree with this to a degree  but I don't think young fundie men go all "I already lusted now let's go through with the touching, too ". We're talking about young people mostly with no outside information and education in very controlled environment . Josh grew up in his parents conversion years before TLC showed up and nobody is as fanatical as a new convert  (I think this is the reason JD and Jana aren't married, same pressure different reaction). So Josh hits puberty with all the normal emotions and hormones attached to it  but has no idea that this is normal and not something sinful to confess and repress. A situation  like this is like  watching a faulty pressure cooker , waiting for it to explode .   Had Josh grown up in a normal family he'd simply started dating ,learned what he liked in a partner or sexually . Instead he was sold the lie that if you just follow all the rules to a godly marriage you'll be blessed with instant happiness. I have no doubt that Josh loves Anna he's just not in love with her and that is what he was promised . I also think Josh would be very happy with  just 2 or 3 kids and it's Anna who wants to up the blessing count . 

In general I don't like the way people just cast the women into the role of perpetual Gothard victim and the men as the oppressing perpetrator . Both are victims of a screwed up system that denies all agency to them and expects them  to conform to a rigid set of behaviours  or they're condemned to hell .

Edited November 2, 2016 by lianau

[yogi2014L]

1 hour ago, Marigold said:

I'm thinking Anna might leave in 5 to 10 years.  When the Duggars have run out of money and all this damage has really peaked. There will be nothing left except a dirty and disorganized TTH, some siblings who are all messed up and a bunch of cousins/grandchildren.  I'm sure some of the Duggar kids will slowly and quietly move towards a Christian faith that is less cult like and some might walk away completely. 

Anna might just slip away quietly....I hope one day we hear that she remarried and is living a normal life, probably will remain Baptist but maybe a more modern church. 

Josh will spend the rest of his life dicking around, trying to get himself together and then failing constantly.  He will live that "failed reality star' life forever.  

I think Josh is gonna snap living under Boobs thumb and leave. I hope Anna does come to her senses and leave but I just don't see that happening.

The best thing Josh could do would be to FIRST Move his family off the compound, possibly to another state, then divorce Anna and pay her alimony and child support

I bet Boob is discouraging any sort of Divorce even if the two are horribly miserable just so Josh won't have to pay. 

[laurakaye]

1 hour ago, yogi2014L said:

I bet Boob is discouraging any sort of Divorce even if the two are horribly miserable just so Josh won't have to pay. 

I bet Boob is discouraging any sort of Divorce even if the two are horribly miserable just so Josh Jim Bob won't have to pay. 

I know Anna was brainwashed to keep sweet, but I cannot imagine having to live in a false marriage just to keep JB happy, keep the entire Duggar family afloat with tv money, continue to submit as Josh grows fatter and grosser, and have to interact with the sisters he molested as if nothing happened.

[Minivanessa]

4 hours ago, becca3891 said:

I'd love for this to be true [Anna leaving Josh], but I actually think Anna will remain married and quietly miserable until one of them dies. (Or possibly, Josh may just disappear one day.) But in their world, divorce or even separation is beyond shocking and forbidden. I don't think she could do it.

^^I agree with that 100%. I believe that for the Duggars and the Kellers, the idea of divorce is as unthinkable as it would have been for devout Catholic middle-class people in the 19th Century.

That's a mindset foreign to a lot of us - maybe most of us - who participate in this forum. After all, this is the USA in the 21st Century, with no-fault divorce laws pretty much everywhere AFAIK. The fundies are pushing "covenant marriages" out of their abhorrence of divorce and their across-the-board refusal to deal honestly with the fact that even in "holy" fundie families, there are abusive spouses and parents. 

Nope. They are all into "whom God has joined together, let no man put asunder." Conveniently overlooking the fact that GOD didn't perform the ceremony, and GOD didn't declare them husband and wife, and these male religious leaders are claiming exclusive insider info as to what GOD intends. Regardless of the suffering of women and children (and even some men) trapped in abusive marriages - who just get a lot of GOD talk instead of actual help or relief from those sanctimonious self-proclaimed Men of GOD. Bastards.

Edited November 2, 2016 by Jeeves
Sorry about that rant at the end. Well, not sorry enough to delete it. Heh.

[Arwen Evenstar]

25 minutes ago, laurakaye said:

I know Anna was brainwashed to keep sweet, but I cannot imagine having to live in a false marriage just to keep JB happy, keep the entire Duggar family afloat with tv money, continue to submit as Josh grows fatter and grosser, and have to interact with the sisters he molested as if nothing happened.

So much this!  I'm sorry I'm only allowed to like this once.  This is so right on, and the perfect description of what life for Anna is right now and going forward. So depressing.

[Absolom]

The Kellers at least have to acknowledge divorces happen.  One of their daughters is already divorced.  How their parents handled that may influence what Anna does or how long it takes her to leave Josh.  I think another round or two of his misbehavior will have her out the door.

[farmgal4]

Big article in the Daily Fail today.  Says that Anna's filing for divorce.  

[DangerousMinds]

They also seem to have no trouble supporting divorced political  candidates.

[88Keys]

Well...more like the article says Anna is considering filing divorce.  No papers yet.  https://www.google.com/amp/www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-3897650/amp/Will-Anna-Duggar-dump-disgraced-husband-Josh-Reality-star-considering-divorce-new-friends-urge-leave-one-year-molestation-scandal.html?client=safari

I don't think a divorce would be any more shocking than the stuff Josh has already done.

[Churchhoney]

3 hours ago, laurakaye said:

I bet Boob is discouraging any sort of Divorce even if the two are horribly miserable just so Josh Jim Bob won't have to pay. 

I know Anna was brainwashed to keep sweet, but I cannot imagine having to live in a false marriage just to keep JB happy, keep the entire Duggar family afloat with tv money, continue to submit as Josh grows fatter and grosser, and have to interact with the sisters he molested as if nothing happened.

J

I agree. But the thing is that you'd also feel as if you should be staying because you fear what would happen to you and your kids if you went, too. Would they be taken from you? Would you have to fight in court to avoid having them taken from you? Who will pay those kids' bills if you go? Jim Bob would surely withdraw his support, since he's weaponized it, so what then? Even if Josh wanted to help you support the kids, could he get a good enough job? Can your parents support them? Can you get a job, when you've never even imagined doing such a thing? Etc. For somebody who came to this point in the way that she did, this has got to be a pretty scary situation for her, with no option that really looks safe and acceptable. For her or for the kids. I don't like her. But I do feel a lot of sympathy for the difficulty of her situation and the choices she has.

Edited November 2, 2016 by Churchhoney

[yogi2014L]

I used to be very much in the why doesn't Anna leave camp, and then I read the book I Fired God which we talked about a lot here. The woman and her husband both decided to leave the QF cult ( so they had each other's support) but it was still extremely difficult and scary. these cults are no joke. Poor Anna. 

[sometimesy]

Didn't JB work some shell game magic with Anna and Josh's house to keep them safe from lawsuits. I'm not sure, but wouldn't that hurt Anna trying to get her share of the assets from the marriage? We know JB can claim to pay Josh as little as possible to avoid alimony or child support in an effort to get Anna to leave the kids in the cult.

[DangerousMinds]

Anna does/would have the support of her brother and at least one sister, if she chose to lean on them.

[Jynnan tonnix]

Brought my repy over from the Duggars in the Media thread, where it was also just brought up: 

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 35 MINUTES AGO, 88KEYS SAID:

Article about Anna possibly divorcing Josh.  It's the Daily Mail, so take it with a grain of salt. https://www.google.com/amp/www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-3897650/amp/Will-Anna-Duggar-dump-disgraced-husband-Josh-Reality-star-considering-divorce-new-friends-urge-leave-one-year-molestation-scandal.html?client=safari

 

A big grain of salt...but it does read quite plausibly. If true, I'm sure they would end up negotiating something which would come with a big ol' gag order for Anna...I think she probably DOES have a lot of dirt which could ruin them if she felt inclined to use it. Who know but that she might be feeling vindictive and bitter enough to go that route. Maybe a tell-all would not be quite as lucrative over time as striking a deal with JB, but it could give her enough of a boost to set herself up, combined with the help her brother and whatever other siblings are out of the cult, that she could come out of it standing. Besides, the Duggar empire is on far shakier ground than it's been in the past, and if that were to crumble, where would she be? I for one would be interested in seeing all this play out :)

 

[laurakaye]

I wonder if Jim Bob would withdraw support if Anna left Josh.  If he did, he'd surely be vilified and the show would be off the air faster than Michelle can pop a Xanax.  To withdraw support for his own grandchildren?  To condemn Anna for leaving his son who has repeatedly disgraced his family and his marriage vows?

Of course, this is the same JB who conveniently didn't disclose any of Josh's teen-age activities, assumed everything had been swept carefully under the rug, and went on to cash the TLC checks with nary a care in the world, and presented his family as wholesome and happy and kept knocking up his wife to ensure the ratings, so......yeah.  

[toodles]

I don't know if it's true or not, but the gossip site Crazy Days and Nights reported that Josh was cheating again earlier this summer.  If it's true, it would explain a lot.  If it is true, Anna may be in the driver's seat as far as divorce proceedings are concerned.