Josh Duggar: '19 Kids and Counting' Pulled in Wake of Allegations
— -- The TV show "19 Kids and Counting" was pulled from TLC's schedule today, ABC News can confirm.
"Effective immediately, TLC has pulled all episodes of 19 Kids and Counting currently from the air," said a statement from the network today. "We are deeply saddened and troubled by this heartbreaking situation, and our thoughts and prayers are with the family and victims at this difficult time."
This comes one day after Josh Duggar responded to reports that he inappropriately touched minors several years ago. An In Touch story broke earlier this week that featured a 2006 police report from the Springdale Police Department in Arkansas, which investigated the matter.
The report was expunged on Thursday at the request of victim "Jane Doe 1," according to Springdale Police Department public information officer Scott Lewis. He added that the request to expunge was filed on Tuesday and that it was processed in a normal amount of time -- two days.
The hit reality show had been on the air since 2008 and featured the Duggar family, their 19 kids and even their kids' young families. But after Josh Duggar addressed the In Touch story by saying he "would do anything to go back to those teen years and take different actions," the show was yanked by the network today.
This does not mean the show has been cancelled yet.
The Duggar family had been on the show for 10 seasons. The show was originally called "17 Kids and Counting," but the show patriarch and matriarch Jim Bob, 49, and Michelle, 48, had two more children over the past few seasons.
In a statement first provided to People magazine and then posted to Facebook, Josh admitted, "Twelve years ago, as a young teenager, I acted inexcusably for which I am extremely sorry and deeply regret. I hurt others, including my family and close friends. ... I sought forgiveness from those I had wronged."
Josh, now 27 and the Duggar's eldest child, was 14 at the time of the first alleged incident, which he admitted to his father several years ago.
"I confessed this to my parents who took several steps to help me address the situation. We spoke with the authorities where I confessed my wrongdoing, and my parents arranged for me and those affected by my actions to receive counseling. I understood that if I continued down this wrong road that I would end up ruining my life," he said.
After his response, Duggar also resigned from his position at the Family Research Council.
Tony Perkins, president of FRC, told the Associated Press in a statement Thursday that Duggar resigned because the reports would "make it difficult for him to be effective." The Washington-based organization then accepted his resignation.
Josh's wife Anna, 26, has also released a statement to People, saying she knew about Josh's actions before they were married, adding that he received counseling after the incidents, which "changed his life."
"I can imagine the shock many of you are going through reading this. I remember feeling that same shock," she told the magazine. "When my family and I first visited the Duggar home, Josh shared his past teenage mistakes."
