In Touch Weekly has yet to outdo their first series of Duggar stories. Which is both good and bad news. It’s good news because hopefully Josh Duggar’s year of molestations ended back in 2003 and nothing bad has happened within the family since. It’s bad news because there’s still the feeling that there’s another shoe to drop, and it will probably involve the current Arkansas DHS investigation about the family. In the meantime, In Touch is still releasing information gained from their FOIA requests. They even got their hands on an email sent by the police chief of Springdale, Arkansas, Kathy O’Kelley. That the same police chief that the Duggars claimed had some kind of “agenda” against them and “illegally” released information to In Touch.
The fallout from the Duggars’ sexual molestation scandal and damage control interviews continues, as In Touch magazine has learned exclusively that the Springdale, Arkansas police chief accused the family of slandering her. Jim Bob Duggar was asked by Fox News’ Megyn Kelly on June 3 if he knew of “any motivation” for police chief Kathy O’Kelley “to want to hurt your family.”
Jim Bob threw out the possibility that the chief had been bribed to release the police report of a 2006 felony investigation into Josh Duggar for multiple counts of sexual molestation. Amazingly, Kelly did not challenge the assertion. (The police report was released to In Touch magazine through a Freedom of Information Act request, after city attorneys determined the information was public under state law.)
“I think I have been slandered and wonder what they will say next,” Kelly wrote in a June 4 email, obtained exclusively by In Touch magazine via another FOIA request.
O’Kelley, writing to a government colleague, said in her email: “…missed last night [the Duggar interview]…not sure they had a good pr firm or how they arrived at pointing the finger of blame at me – I think I have been slandered and wonder what they will say next.”
Jim Bob later claimed that O’Kelley had a “personal agenda” to get him before she retired. Springdale mayor Doug Sprouse called the Duggars’ comments “outrageous and categorically false” in a June 8 statement that did not mention the family by name. The Duggars have not retracted their comments about the police chief.
At the very least, Kathy O’Kelley could teach the Duggars what “slander” actually means, because this is the first time it’s been used properly in this whole situation. Jim-Bob, Michelle, Jessa and Jill all use the word improperly – they think “slander” means “someone saying something true and provable.” I would love it if this issue went further.
What else? The Hollywood Reporter sent a reporter down to Arkansas to do a “how the town is reacting to the Duggar stories” piece – you can read it here. The town is pretty pro-Duggar and most of the people don’t seem to realize how stupidly hypocritical they are. THR points out that all the “deeply religious” people are wringing their hands over Caitlyn Jenner (even the Baptist minister cast judgment on Caitlyn’s transition) but those are the same people saying the Duggars should be forgiven. Like, “only Jesus can judge the Duggars” but all of the proud Baptists are condemning Caitlyn to hell.
Jim-Bob and Michelle have also had to cancel an appearance at a “homeschooling conference” in Colorado this month. They cited “recent attacks” on their family as the reason for the cancellation. You can read more about it here.
Cover courtesy of In Touch, photos courtesy of the Duggars’ social media.
Thou shall not lie.
One of the commandments the Duggars are having trouble with.
And they’re tallying up the Deadly Sins.
Gluttony – Fame and they can’t get enough of it.
Wrath – Attacking those who stand against them.
Lust – The molestations.
Pride – Can do no wrong.
Greed – TLC money.
There’s no humility in this family and it’s terrible.
I hope these claims of Slander from all around come in and hit that family.
How about Vanity? They seem to be all about their “image”.
I agree with the entire list and have never understood why Christians accept this family as one of their own – I’ve never found anything remotely Christian about these greedy fake-seekers. I guess all it takes is having many babies and a willingness to spew hate.
+1.
They certainly did. Sue them to their beloved Kingdom Come.
Yes exactly. She needs to sue, they need to be held accountable. You can’t go on national TV and spew lies about people and destroy their reputation all because you feel you are under “attack”. Last I knew being force to recognize and state the truth doesn’t mean it’s an attack. its the whole “oh yes I did this but look what you did” cr*p. Total attempt at deflection. I hate these people and any jacka$$ who believes and defends them. I’m sorry but I have no sympathy for such hateful people who hide molestation or defend the people who do.
You know, the world really NEEDS 19 more people like JimBob and Michelle. Obviously that was God’s plan.
THIS!!!!
These people are dangerous
Wow, her hair is so very tragic.
I cannot believe that all the locals are standing by these people. WTF is the world coming to.
Man, you said it. Tragic is the only word for that coif.
The general public may find the Duggars disgusting, and rightfully so but the fundamentalist see this differently. it isn’t just about forgiveness it’s about winning the war for Jesus.
If you have spent any time in a fundamentalist church you will learn we are at war, not just a spiritual war but a real war for America and the world. They live in a constant state of fear of anyone different because different is evil and possibly of the devil. That constant state of fear has to be fed and fed often. Gays? Trying to convert, molest and destroy your children and family. Feminism? Trying to ruin men and families by telling women they should have the right to their own bodies and 100% Satan driven. Science? Trying to prove Gos isn’t real, turn our children from faith and destroy the church. Modern music and entertainment? Created and inspired by Satan to turn everyone in whores, drug addicts and gay.You hear this constantly in fundamentalist churches.
The Duggars are Professional Christians. They will write a few books for Christian publishers, go on speaking tours, they will preach at churches and get ‘love offerings’ from congregations. This family will always have a market to sell to and they will sell well. In the minds of most fundamentalists Josh was led to his actions by the devil and delivered by Jesus.
These people really think there is a war against Christians. They believe we are in the end times and they are being tested to make sure they are doing the work of Christ.In their minds,if even the most pious family can be led astray by Satan then no one is safe and they like feeling that they are in constant danger. When everything good that happens to you is the work of God and everything bad that happens to you is Satan, if that is how you filter everything in the world it is easy to forgive Josh. And easy for these monsters to make money.
An ex bf’s grandfather is an evangelical preacher. They really do act like they’re god’s foot soldiers and we’re at war.
And the seperation of good and evil is only defined by what you feel should be good and what you feel should be evil. You can justify and spin it all to be as you want it. That’s an extreme, but also not christianity.
They’re not all like this, but i’ve met very few.
Most Christians are good people and not crazy. What I find most interesting, since I live outside of Boston is Fundy Christians here know to keep this crap under their hats. They believe it but they don’t say it out loud in mixed company. The more bible belty areas, they say this stuff out loud. They do tailor the message to the community.
The same way the Duggars tailored their message to Fox News. They hinted at an ‘ agenda’ but never said the Satan stuff. That part must have been hard for them. Not being able to blame the real culprit, Satan, and to be able to leave Josh blameless must have really killed this family.
Having grown up Christian in the Boston area, I would say none of Episcopalian, Congregational types believe anything remotely like that. I would say at least 50% would be hard-pressed to say that they truly believe in Jesus as a supernatural figure. Now, the Catholics are more of a mixed bag between the older and younger generations.
Yes, you are right. I’ve grown up around church people who think exactly like that. To them, this stuff is Satan’s way of persecuting righteous Christians who are doing the work of God.
Excellent description of the mindset and martyr complex these people have,
Really? If so, that’s……… sad.
It also has shades of “first world problems”, like none of these people know what actual war is or what true threat even looks like. Please correct me if I’m wrong but it sounds like a lot of misdirected hostility born essentially out of boredom and not feeling like they have a purpose in life. So they made one. Like an over active, under stimulated immune system will attack harmless things (grass pollen? DIE!) they attack those who pose no real, true threat to them (gay people? DIE!) because there is nobody else to assign to the “them” category that they need to feed the “us vs. them” mentality.
You’re half right actually.
I think a big thing in the ‘I’m a good soldier for the Lord” mentality is the belief that early American history working out mostly favorably for the majority (Managing to alienate and decimate Native American populations, successful slave trade from Africa, Asian camps where they separated them from the population and even the loss in identity of immigrants from Ireland and Italy so O’ Donnels became Smith and etc) was due to their belief in God.
All those poor ignorant natives who’s lands shook with Earthquakes? Well they just didn’t believe in the power of the awesome and amazing Lord. Nothing to do with tectonic plates. Those brown people who seem to be enjoying sex? Clearly they need missionaries to let them know there is only one proper and true way to have sex so sayeth the Lord.
The arrogance comes from comfort and stability and finding a way to explain why they’re so blessed and others are so ‘punished’ and how of everyone merely ‘walked with the Lord’ exactly how they do they’d all be saved. Well…most of us would be saved (no homosexuals, transgenders, liberals, brown people, mannish feminists and – the list of the condemned keeps growing as long as it threatens their status quo).
A world where all the laws aren’t meant to shelter them and punish others is like a nightmare and proof Satan is bringing about the end of the world.
Ugh. So instead of being grateful of their good fortune they somehow come away with the idea that they are superior and special and have to right to judge others accordingly. Though it kind of seems like they’re making their own hell on earth what with being “attacked” on all sides.
“Professional Christians”: Perfect description. Great comment.
If there is a devil (not likely, imo), I truly believe that he would be working through these Fundamental Christians, like the Duggars. What a rich and perfect breeding ground for intolerance, hatred and violence.
I don’t believe in the Devil as understood by Christians who believe in such an entity, but I do believe in evil. And I do think evil comes into the world through many of these so-called fundamentalist churches and their adherents. Evil comes into being through many other conduits, of course, but few are quite so hypocritical.
“professional christians” is my new favorite term. well said.
@Wrenn33
I’m sorry, I must not have made myself clear. I apologize. I mean specifically Fundamentalist Christians. Not Christians from more mainstream congregations. I apologize for any confusion.
Since I was raised Catholic, I can assure I heard none of this chatter at a catholic church. it is almost exclusive to fundamentalist churches. Many of which are independent and non-denominational, thus having little to no over sight.
Or as I call it, ‘the 700 club’
Abbicci, you’re spot on. I was adopted and raised by fundamentalists — when I was young my adopted parents were religious but not crazy, but in the late seventies and through the eighties they went down a deeper and deeper rabbit hole. Now, I can barely talk with them because essentially they’re in a cult and any topic that is grounded in reality or science is one they’re very averse to. It’s both infuriating and sad.
Your description of how these people think and regard themselves at war and as the victims is so accurate. Professional Christian is perfect!
I think this is very true. My brother is going down this route and it’s more than heartbreaking (he’s arming up and learning to salvage food for the coming anarchy due to the government failing).
It’s why the Republican Party has been co-opted by the extreme Religious Right and bears little resemblance to the Republican Party of a few decades ago. The Fundamental Christains are having tons of children in order to grow God’s Army. And they do see it as a struggle between God and the Devil. The irony is, most of them don’t realise that they are also being manipulated by others that don’t give a hoot about God but do care a lot about money.
So many things about this is heartbreaking because I think a lot of good people are being manipulated by lies and are quite fearful of the future (part of this movement is creating a culture of fear). The reason? money, not God.
Well said.
I wonder if any of those townspeople that support the Duggars would be ok with leaving their 12 year old daughter alone in his charge. Let’s see how supportive they are then.
You know what…they probably would be, and that’s what’s so scary.
Some of them would drag their children (daughters) screaming and crying into that house and bolting the door from the outside once they shove them in if it meant re-confirming their obsessed and biased view of the world.
I don’t get the sense that any of their supporters care the least about girls or women, so I’m guessing it wouldn’t be a big deal. Besides, it would be the girl’s fault if anything happened, and they could all just pray it away together. Looks to me like some of these households are set up to feed the girls to the men, like many cults.
Agree 100%.
Probably not. But they probably are against any intermingling of the sexs because they believe that it will lead to the male being tempted by the female. Regardless of the age difference or familial relationship. Because females are the temptresses of the devil and males are weak too it.
I’ve never noticed it but Jim Bob kind of looks like one of those unevolved ape-man hybrids from the evolutionary charts.
ABBICCI nailed it
And God, that is a terrifying reality. And then you realize these whack jobs vote! !!!!!
Ban all desert religions.
I think we should all be pleased that even the mainstream media is now referring to child touching as “Duggering.” It is permanently in the National lexicon now. THAT is their legacy, and that is a fitting punishment for the hypocritical self-righteous whose image is everything to them. They can all go dugger themselves.
I love this…I hope it remains in the popular lexicon just as “santorum” did.
(don’t google that term. you’ve been warned.)
Yeah, not going to Google that one, as I already know. “Duggering” is here to stay! I’m seeing it everywhere now, and it’s a perfect one-word description of the crime in question. I hereby predict that it’s permanent. And, I’ll do my part to keep it that way.
Maybe this is how the universe rights itself. I guess God works in mysterious ways, after all.
Or Duggery. That works too
Righteous would be O’Kelley suing the Duggars for slander. How I would revel in that.
While she is employed as a public servant she can’t sue them. After she retires if they keep shooting off their mouths then she can sue the everloving shit out of them.
Going by her name, I’d guess she’s from an Irish Catholic family, and we all know how they feel about Catholics. In their mind they probably felt justified in accusing her because she’s “one of Satan’s handmaids” and not one of the “saved” like them.
I can assure you that most people in Springdale are not pro Duggars. The THR article even says most people wanted to avoid the subject.
Thank goodness, I had hoped this was the case. Mostly the nuts ones that like to talk to the camera:)
Little by little the kingdom crumbles.
I don’t care what they do in Arkansas (sorry for the actually intelligent people stuck with this nonsense) but they can not and should not be given a global platform to spread their hypocrisy.
I know in their own little horrifying pocket of the world they’ll keep overpopulating to try to change the growth of people becoming more enlightened (cause what better way to respond to changing opinions than “Shut them up! Wallace you have 15 children! Mary-Sue you have 30! We’re going to take back this world soon!” ) but little by little their cult will dwindle and die.
Also, they should totally keep slandering the police and govt. in their town. Like totally.
As a government employee acting in her official capacity when she released those records LEGALLY pursuant to a FOIA request, O’Kelley may have to defer to the city attorney about whether to sue for slander. The city attorney may represent her in a civil suit against them, or the city’s insurers may hire outside counsel to represent her. O’Kelley likely has been warned by the city attorney not to make any public comments until these matters are sorted out.
Who is the douchenozzle that released the email, and to what purpose? Even if you believe the police officer was slandered, there was suit filed, and this wasn’t a publicly released statement.
Yes, never consider emails private, but what motive did the person have who released it?
It clearly states in the quoted article above that it was obtained through another FOIA request. The media outlet requested it under the Freedom of Information Act, and as it was a public record and legally allowed to be released (see also: sunshine laws), they were obligated to release the record.
The “douchenozzle” would be the United States Constitution and its various clauses which give rise to the legality of FOIA laws.
Agreed, I work for a government funded institution and we’ve been through trainings on what can be requisitioned via FOIA requests and/or the corresponding state law. If you work for the government in any way, shape, or form all emails sent from your work account are fair game. Assuming the police chief sent that email from her government email account, anyone including InTouch would have a legal right to it after filing that request.
I hope she sues for slander – am sure even more dirt will come out then.
PS. Michelle the 80s called and wants their perm/straight fringe combo and blusher back. Seriously she could look a lot better with a modern make over. And Jim bob – the comb over is just creepy.
A couple of years ago for her birthday, the older daughters took her to get a makeover and new hairstyle. They cut it and brushed it out straight, and it looked really good on her. She looked several years younger actually, but she was afraid Jim Bob would hate it, so she went right back to her old hairstyle.
I don’t even know what kind of a world I’m living in anymore. Seriously!!!!!
Why is this CRAP up for debate even????
Molesting children is WRONG!
Keeping women as subserviant beings and baby making machines is WRONG!
Not lettimg a HUMAN, male OR female get a decent education outside of the freaky “OMG the devil’s gonna getcha for EVERYTHING and EVERY thought, now mop this floor” is WRONG!
Not being able to hug your brother or sister in the FRONT is WRONG!
Not being able to KISS before marriage is wrong!
Not being allowed to wear leggings and a skirt when you are 5 YEARS OLD because you may “entice” a “man” to violate you is WRONG!
Am I insane?? Why are us Celebitches the only ones who seem to be justly outraged by this? Why is this VILE and UNGODLY family we know as “The Duggars” still a thing????? Why???????
Why?