Jim Bob Duggar was spotted out and about in Springdale, Arkansas on Tuesday, not far from the compound the former 19 Kids and Counting family calls home. This is the first time the Duggar patriarch has been seen in public since the Josh Duggar Ashley Madison scandal made news.
Clearly annoyed by photographers snapping his picture, Jim Bob Duggar did some banking and returned home to the family compound–driving fast.
It was less than a week ago that Josh Duggar publicly humiliated his family yet again–admitting he had Ashley Madison accounts, an addiction to pornography, and even worse–that he had cheated on his wife, Anna Duggar.
Jim Bob Duggar and his wife Michelle issued a statement shortly thereafter, saying they are praying about the situation and for their son.
Duggar family patriarch Jim Bob Duggar stepped out for first time since his son Josh's cheating scandal: http://t.co/0IqvIrcP9B
— Us Weekly (@usweekly) August 27, 2015
On Wednesday, Michelle Duggar wrote in a blog post on the family’s website that Josh Duggar had entered a treatment facility.
Michelle and Jim Bob Duggar have kept a very low profile since Josh Duggar’s initial media scandal. He was outed in the news for having sexually molested five underage girls–four of whom are his sisters–when he was a teenager. Jill Duggar Dillard and Jessa Duggar Seewald admit to being his victims, although they maintain they wouldn’t have known about the molestations had Jim Bob Duggar not told them what happened. Jill and Jessa Duggar say they were asleep when their brother sexually molested them.
How Jim Bob Duggar exerts authority over his wife and family and is 'like a dictator' http://t.co/M1ReSK6Cdw pic.twitter.com/wMUePhnRxh
— People magazine (@people) August 26, 2015
A source close to the Duggar family recently told People magazine that Jim Bob Duggar rules the Duggar family with a series of code words. When the boys see an attractive woman, Jim Bob Duggar says, “Nike,” and the boys (Jim Bob, too) drop their eyes to their shoes in their efforts to ward off any lustful thoughts they might experience.
Do you think Michelle and Jim Bob Duggar will welcome Josh Duggar back into the fold after his most recent admissions? Clearly Josh Duggar needs a lot of help, and hopefully he is in a facility where that help is available.
When Josh told Jim Bob Duggar of the sexual molestations, the “help” he received was akin to a slap on the wrist.
Jim Bob Duggar is certainly avoiding the media out of respect for his son, but he likely also fears some of the hard-hitting questions reporters might ask him–like what kind of help his son is receiving this time around.