Josh Duggar displayed what was described as “the most eerie smile” when confronted by his cousin Amy Duggar regarding the abuse of his sisters.
In May 2015, it became public knowledge that the “19 Kids and Counting” star had inappropriately touched five girls in the early 2000s, including his siblings, when they were very young.
Josh, who was a preteen at the time the abuse occurred, admitted to the acts but faced no criminal charges.
When these revelations surfaced, Amy confronted him, questioning why he hadn’t targeted her in the same manner, as recounted in a passage from her memoir.
Amy, now 39, shared that Josh replied, claiming he “knows her better” than to do such a thing. This left her feeling unsettled.
“It was the most eerie smile,” she remembered. “In that moment, I realized I didn’t know him at all.” The situation left her both horrified and heartbroken, as the cousin she once felt close to seemed like a stranger.
They had shared texts and laughter, exchanged memes, and gone on double dates, making the disconnection even more painful for her.
Amy noted that she didn’t receive a clear answer from Josh and insisted she wouldn’t simply back down. As she wrote her book, she reached out to his fifth victim to offer her respect and support.
She expressed the hope that the contents of her book would have a significant impact.
Josh, now 37, has seven children with his wife, Anna Duggar, but is currently serving a 12.5-year prison sentence for receiving and possessing child pornography.
When he faced sentencing in May 2022, Amy mentioned on Instagram that she hoped he would receive the maximum 20 years. Yet, she felt some relief knowing “another monster” would be kept in check.
Amy reflected on a minuscule sense of “greatness” amidst the bleakness of the circumstances.
She criticized how Josh’s past misconduct was inadequately addressed, implying a lack of genuine intervention. “It was just a way of saying, ‘We’ll just send you here and ignore the real issues,'” she asserted.
When Josh first confessed to his father, Jim Bob, about his actions, he claimed to have disciplined him. After a second confession, Jim Bob consulted church elders and enrolled Josh in a Christian counseling program, while claiming he was with family friends. Later, after another incident, Jim Bob spoke to Joseph Hutchens, a family friend and former Arkansas trooper, who met with Josh but did not file an official report. Further complications ensued as Hutchens has his own legal troubles now.
