While many of the Duggar siblings have opened up about their feelings toward older brother Josh Duggar's charges involving child pornography, Joy-Anna Duggar and her husband, Austin Forsyth, have remained quiet — until now.
The couple, who started their courtship in November 2016, made it official in May 2017. Currently, the couple are parents of two, Evelyn Mae Forsyth and Gideon Forsyth.
At the end of April, Josh Duggar was hit with charges of receiving and possessing child pornography. Despite the horror of those charges, he's still allowed to have "unlimited contact" with his own six children, albeit supervised. His wife also recently announced that she's pregnant with her seventh.
While sister Jinger's statement seemed to be the most severe toward her brother, other family members — including parents Michelle and Jim Bob Duggar — have treaded lightly.
Austin and Joy-Anna chose Instagram Stories to give their statement. According to People, they wrote, "The recent accusations brought against Josh sadden us to our core. We have not wanted to be hasty in making any statements while trying to process the news ourselves. We are especially heartbroken by the reality that there are children in the world being harmed and exploited."
"We ask for prayer for all those involved, and it is our continued prayer that the truth comes to light," they added. It seems as if they're in disbelief that someone so close to them could treat children this way. But it may also be denial. These aren't Josh's first association with sexual abuse, but they're among some of the most severe.
Back in 2015, it was revealed that Josh had sexually molested five young girls — and four of those girls were his own sisters. TLC responded to these allegations by canceling the Duggar family series, 19 Kids and Counting. While there were spinoff series featuring the other siblings, Josh was not on camera.
At the time, Josh reportedly underwent a Christian counseling program. But according to USA Today, it might not have been with a certified counselor. All of that information had been hidden from the networks and the Duggar community until In Touch Weekly reportedly found the reports from back in the day and exposed them.
When all was revealed, Josh was 27. He made a public apology, but the news tarnished his image and made the series harder to watch, knowing what some of the Duggar girls had to endure. "Twelve years ago, as a young teenager, I acted inexcusably for which I am extremely sorry and deeply regret. I hurt others, including my family and close friends," his apology stated. However, this was just the beginning of his problematic behavior.
A month afterward, Josh admitted that he was addicted to pornography and had been unfaithful to his wife, Anna, after his information was leaked in the Ashley Madison scandal. Ashley Madison was a website for those who wished to step out on their spouses and meet someone else. This news was likely hard for wife Anna to process, as she has openly referred to Josh as her best friend. Yet they still remained together.
Anna Duggar reportedly thinks the world of Joy-Anna and the fact that Joy-Anna and Austin seem legitimately happy together. On Instagram, Anna once commented on a photo shared, stating, "The way you both adore each other is so sweet, you are such a beautiful couple!" The fact that Joy-Anna and Austin released a statement must be weighing heavily on Anna.
Anna and Josh had announced the news that she's pregnant with their seventh child right before Josh's charges were unveiled. While Josh has pleaded not guilty, his trial will reveal more information. It's scheduled to begin on July 6. If he's guilty, he's looking at a total possible sentence of 40 years, per People.
The news has truly divided the family. While it's hopeful that Joy-Anna and Austin face the truth that these charges are likely — as many illegal images were found on his computers and phone — Jinger seems to be the most disgusted over what happened. She wasn't afraid to use stronger words when it came to statements.
"Being a family themselves, the idea of these kinds of charges against Josh are a horrific thing. Jinger is having a hard time coping with it," a source admitted to People. It is unclear if Jinger was one of her brother's victims years ago. Jill and Jessa both stepped up to admit they were victimized, which is heartbreaking to know.
Jinger was also outspoken about what Josh's 2015 revelations meant for the family. She wasn't afraid to detail her feelings in her book, The Hope We Hold: Finding Peace in the Promises of God. In it, she explained how the family handled the situation prior to the television series. "One of my siblings had made some sinful choices, but it had all been years ago. It had been awful, but we had dealt with it as a family," she said.
She said that the public reveals made her feel exposed and confused. "Earlier that day, Dad had gathered my siblings and me to tell us that the worst trial in our family history, a trial we had long since dealt with and made our peace with, was now public knowledge," she noted. "Intimate details about our lives were splashed across a magazine page and all over the Internet for anyone and everyone to read. I felt shell-shocked, as if a bomb had exploded."
To suddenly feel as if their children can't be safe around their brother must have been yet another big shock. Hopefully, both Jinger and Joy-Anna are talking to each other about how they feel — since no matter how complicated their family matters may be, they'll all be able to heal if they accept the truth when it comes and act in the best interest of their individual families today.
Despite the difficulty, it's important for Joy-Anna's words to be heard. These allegations are quite serious, and Josh's offenses — if he's proven guilty — need to be taken seriously. The family has tried prayer before, but perhaps jail time will make him realize that any sort of celebrity credit he has can't excuse him from harming children in such a disturbing way.
