Amy Duggar has been a vocal critic of cousin Josh Duggar amid his various scandals — even to his face.
Known for being the foil to Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar‘s 19 children, Amy, 36, reflected on her “rebellious” label in an interview with Vanity Fair published on Wednesday, June 28. She remembered finding out “like the rest of the world” in 2015 that Josh, now 35, had previously molested several girls as a teenager — some of whom were his sisters — instead of hearing directly from her extended family.
“I was pissed,” she recalled. “I felt like I wasn’t worth telling … that they didn’t want to protect me. They didn’t want anyone to know, [and] they wanted to keep it inside their little bubble.”
Amy pointed to the Duggar family’s strict conservative beliefs and the Institute in Basic Life Principles as part of the reason why the scandal was kept under wraps for so long. “Secrets breed in the IBLP. Things are hidden,” she said.
When news broke of the accusations against Josh, he issued a public apology but was never faced with any criminal charges. His parents instead sent him to a faith-based counseling camp — where Amy confronted him about his actions.
“He was staying in a trailer and I went in there and I said, ‘How could you do this?’ … And I was very bold about that,” she told the magazine, claiming that her cousin said he “knew better” than to ever try being physical with her.
Amy went on to allege that Josh was “absolutely” empowered by IBLP teachings to force himself upon girls who he believed wouldn’t speak out against him. “The IBLP prizes the first child, [and] it doesn’t get much better than if it’s a son,” she said. “They hold the family name and the family value.”
She continued: “If you’re valued from the moment you’ve been born and people hide your secrets and cover up things, and you never get in trouble for the things that you’re doing, I believe you just become numb to how the world really is, and how the law really is. It’s so sad how far it was taken, where he thought he could get away with anything.”
Amy called out Josh’s parents for attempting to keep his behavior hidden. “To think that someone holds a higher value than someone else is just so disgusting,” she said.
The Duggar family has been in the spotlight since 19 Kids and Counting premiered on TLC in 2008. Their reality series was eventually canceled in 2015 as Josh’s scandal made headlines. However, the network continued working with the Duggars on a spinoff titled Counting On.
After 11 seasons, Counting On was axed in 2021 and TLC officially cut ties with the family. The decision came shortly after Josh was arrested for possessing and receiving child pornography. He was sentenced to more than 12 years in prison in May 2022 and is currently serving time at FCI Seagoville in Texas.
Amy and her cousin Jill Duggar recently opened up about their time on reality TV in Prime Video’s Shiny Happy People: Duggar Family Secrets. Jim Bob and Michelle slammed the four-part docuseries, which debuted on June 2, in a lengthy statement.
“We have always believed that the best chance to repair damaged relationships, or to reconcile differences, is through love in a private setting,” they wrote via their family website. “We love every member of our family and will continue to do all we can to have a good relationship with each one.”
If you or someone you know have been sexually assaulted, contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).
