TLC is at its best when examining real life and no show was more fascinating than 19 Kids and Counting.
The bizarre reality series featured the lives of the Duggar family, who followed a particularly hardline religious sect of Christianity called the Institute of Basic Life Principles — IBLP for short. Jim Bob Duggar and his wife Michelle follow these practices without question, including the IBLP’s tenet of massive procreation, known as the Quiverfull movement.
The male figurehead of the house must be respected and adhered to at all times, with the women of the household adhering to extreme modesty. The IBLP is so intense in its values that it is often referred to as a cult, as women have no say in the decisions of their families.
19 Kids and Counting showed the facets of this culture and one of the more unfamiliar practices, which is babies raising babies. Because women are encouraged to reproduce so much, it is effectively impossible to raise their children by themselves. When the output of children increases, the mother will often delegate raising the younger children to the older children so she can continue to procreate.
While the series was wildly successful, controversy has followed in its wake. In May 2022 Jim Bob and Michelle’s eldest son, Josh was sentenced to prison for child pornography. However, that was just the tip of the iceberg, as revelations soon emerged that the elder Duggar child had a history of molesting his sisters.
This harrowing story was explicitly detailed in Amazon Prime’s documentary series, Shiny Happy People. The unfortunate reality is that the family knew about Josh’s transgressions and hid them for some time. The convicted felon is now serving a 12-year sentence and has left a wave of devastation in his wake.
Where is Anna Duggar now?
Some of Josh’s siblings have been making moves to separate themselves from the trauma of their upbringing. Jill Dillard (neé Duggar) is featured with her husband in Shiny Happy People, trying to untangle her life in such a strict religious sect. However, many people may be most interested to know what became of Josh’s wife, Anna. As is customary in the IBLP, Anna married Josh at a young age with very little interaction with him before the wedding. She is the mother of his 7 children, Mackynzie, Maryella, Marcus, Mason, Michael, Meredith, and Madyson.
Since Josh’s conviction, Anna has stuck to the party line and offered continual support to her husband. InTouch Weekly suggested she had a presumed falling out with Jim Bob and co. but has since reconciled with them. Currently, she is still married to Josh, but a source states that she is struggling with these circumstances.
“She took her wedding vows seriously and she wants to stand by her man and all that, but the reality of her situation is very difficult. [She’s] trying to stay positive, but it’s not easy. … [She] wants Josh by her side, as a husband and as a father to their children.”
Anna has deleted her Instagram, making it difficult to predict her whereabouts. As for her future with the Duggars, that remains to be seen.
