On Thursday, TLC announced that it has canceled 19 Kids and Counting due to the revelation that one of its stars, Josh Duggar, allegedly molested several young girls—including four of his sisters.* The network pulled the show of the air shortly after InTouch published police reports detailing Duggar’s misdeeds, and Duggar tacitly conceded that the reports were accurate. But the network did not officially cancel the show until today. 19 Kids ran for ten seasons and was, on average, TLC’s most-watched program.
Perhaps to make amends for bringing fame to an alleged child molester, TLC is partnering with Darkness to Light, which works to prevent child sexual abuse, and RAINN, an anti-rape organization. The network plans to raise awareness of child sexual abuse to help “protect our audience and protect children.” In August, TLC will air a documentary featuring Jill and Jessa Duggar—two of Josh’s victims—as well as other survivors of molestation.
For his part, Josh has maintained a low profile since acknowledging his past crimes, resigning his position at the viciously anti-gay Family Research Council and even avoiding family photos. Although the Duggar parents openly mourned the Supreme Court’s decision bringing marriage equality to every state, Josh declined to comment publicly.
*Correction, July 16: Duggar molested four of his sisters. Only two, however, have publicly identified themselves as victims.
