The mom and dad of the former TLC series 19 Kids and Counting are speaking out against the newly released Prime Video docuseries Shiny Happy People: Duggar Family Secrets, an exposé of the Arkansas clan’s evangelical beliefs and lifestyle. In a note published on their website, Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar described the series as “sad because in it we see the media and those with ill intentions hurting people we love.” “Like other families, ours too has experienced the joys and heartbreaks of life, just in a very public format,” the couple said. “This ‘documentary’ paints so much and so many in a derogatory and sensationalized way because sadly that’s the direction of entertainment these days.” 19 Kids and Counting was canceled in 2015 after son Josh Duggar—who has since been sentenced to prison for more than 12 years on child porn charges—faced allegations that he molested several of his family members. The new docuseries paints a damning picture of the family, with their ties to ultra-religious Institute in Basic Life Principles governing every aspect of their life. The family prohibited birth control (no surprise), gave kids corporal punishment, and exercised complete male authority over women and girls.
Read it at CNN
