Duggar family's new challenges after 'Kelly File' exclusive
Reaction to TLC's decision to cancel '19 Kids And Counting'
This is a rush transcript from "The Kelly File," July 24, 2015. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.
MEGYN KELLY, HOST, "THE KELLY FILE": Tonight, new developments with one of America's best known TV families as the Duggars from "19 Kids and Counting" deal with the cancellation of their show. New anger from the Left and now a possible lawsuit that could change everything.
Welcome to ‘The Kelly File’ special, "The Duggars' Next Chapter." I'm Megyn Kelly. It was just two months ago that controversy hits one of the most popular reality shows of all time. TLC's "19 Kids and Counting" track the fortunes of the Duggars. Christian family living in Arkansas with conservative values and a house full of children. While the show attracted a huge and loyal crowd of followers, it also attracted anger from liberal groups who did not like the Duggars' values when it came to faith, family and traditional marriage. Then the bombshell.
Someone leaked sealed court documents on Josh Duggar from when he was a teenager showing Josh had been accused of inappropriately touching several young girls including his sisters, two of whom Jill and Jessa we ultimately spoke to. The family pointed out that Josh had admitted what he had done, spoken to police and that an investigation had been completed.
He had received counseling as had the girls and no criminal charges were ever filed. But the damage had been done. The family was under attack and the show was very much in question. So the Duggars decided to give their first national TV interview to ‘The Kelly File.. The parents along with Jill and Jessa talking about what happened, the fallout and the toll it took on the family especially those two sisters who were outed by the national media as sexual assault victims.
That was a month ago. In just the last couple of weeks we got reports the lawsuit against the family was starting to move forward. TLC announced the Duggar sisters would take part on a special in sexual assault. Josh and his wife had a new baby, mom and dad just celebrated 31-years of marriage, and the network that carried "19 Kids and Counting" announced the show was axed and would not be coming back. We asked them about that possibility when we were in Arkansas.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KELLY: What happens to the Duggars from here?
JIM BOB DUGGAR, "19 KIDS AND COUNTING": You know, we are a very busy family. And, you know, normally we are busy and there are some film cameras following us around. I don't know if that will happen or not. I don't know if the rest of our family should be punished for the act of one of our children that something happened 12 years ago or not. But you know, we are fine whether they film this or not. We are going to go on and live life, we're going to go on and serve God and make a difference in the world.
MICHELLE DUGGAR, "19 KIDS AND COUNTING": Enjoy our children, enjoy our grandchildren and continue on with life. Either way we are at peace.
KELLY: Do you care about the TLC show? Do you want to see it continue?
JESSA DUGGAR SEEWALD, "19 KIDS AND COUNTING": You know, we've always just had the mindset that this show is just a window of opportunity that God allowed our family to be on television and to share with other people our lives.
KELLY: What about that opportunity may now disappear not just for Josh and your parents but for you, as well?
SEEWALD: Life goes on really. We are not a TV family. We are a family that just happened to be on TV. We have been through a lot together. I think our viewers have seen that even just the journeys our family has taken. It has not always been easy on television. They've seen that and yet, we still allowed the filming to take place and just allowed people to see our struggle, see things that we have gone through from my little sister Josie being born premature and then funerals and stuff. And so, I think this is another struggle that we are going through right now, another hard time, but I think it's bringing our family even closer together.
JILL DUGGAR DILLARD, "19 KIDS AND COUNTING": Definitely.
SEEWALD: And we will make it through this, too.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KELLY: Joining me now, Howie Kurtz, host of "Media Buzz" right here on FOX News Channel. Howie, good to see you.
HOWIE KURTZ, HOST, "MEDIA BUZZ": Same here.
KELLY: And so I know many people believe that this cancellation was inevitable. What do you think?
KURTZ: It was absolutely inevitable, Megyn. A suspension was never going to cut it. The Duggar brand had become radioactive despite the parent's best efforts to rehabilitate themselves in that lengthy sit-down with you. And that causes advertisers to head for the hills and once that happens your show is toast.
KELLY: Was there ever any shot for the show to survive given the fact that most of the show, those featured in it, are innocent victims. I mean, it not only got canceled for, you know, the parents and Josh Duggar but Jill and Jess got their show canceled. All the other children got their show canceled. They were beloved and, you know, four of them were sexual assault victims.
KURTZ: Absolutely. And they were innocent victims. Although I would say, the parents saying, you were asked this like by putting them on TV knowing they had this deep dark secret in the past maybe not so innocent victims. And the fact is, Josh Duggar remains at the center of this. He didn't go before any cameras to explain or apologize for his behavior. And just the fact that he announced on Twitter, you know, that he and his wife had their fourth child and got torched by negative comments shows why continuing at least in this form was untenable.
KELLY: Now TLC, I mean, they are in an interesting position, right? Because they're saying, oh, they are canceled but we are going to do a documentary on abuse with the Duggars. So, I mean, what is that about?
KURTZ: Very smart move by TLC because it looked like a public service. It enables the family to do penance. It probably does a big number on the ratings because this does so much interest on the family.
KELLY: Ahah!
KURTZ: Ahah! Ding-ding-ding-ding! And it could provide the basis, depending on the reaction, for a spinoff show for Jill and Jessa, the victimized sisters who were so poised during this whole ordeal.
KELLY: You know what's interesting to me though, so because we aired our interview with the Duggar family in two parts. The first part was just the parents, the second part was just the daughters. And I understand the anger that some people have at the parents. But I don't understand the anger people have at the daughters. I know that they have similar views on traditional marriage as their parents do, but, you know, in this context to be angry with them over the sexual molestation allegation, it makes no sense. Right? So, still there was backlash. After we aired that interview you should have seen the comments we got, the hateful comments about the daughters. And so is there any sort of an appetite do you think, you know, among those who make these decisions to continue the daughters'
television career?
KURTZ: I am puzzled by the backlash because again, these two young women didn't ask for this. They are the victims, they were exploited again by the tabloids that got this police report. I mean, as you noted at the time. But here is the thing about a reality show like this and the same thing goes for, you know, whether there is "Duck Dynasty" or "Honey Booboo." The (INAUDIBLE) don't get. These are shows that appeal to conservative heartland but the risk you take when you display your whole family is this. They are not just actors. They are real people. And when they develop problems, when they say something inflammatory, when they get into trouble as happened here, first you have the liberals coming after them hard but also it becomes more difficult because it contaminates the television product because these are real people and they're selling themselves or at least some quote reality show starlight version.
KELLY: Is there a double standard? Because that's what their supporters say because the Duggars, they had dealt with their issues years ago. Right? They had gone to law enforcement and I realize the controversy. But they had dealt with it. And then it was outed to the public and then it became another story. It became a story again.
However, there are a lot of reality TV shows out there who have serious problems. I mean, you just take a look at the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, or the Real Housewives of -- just look at the franchise, you know, between alcoholism and abuse, you know, I mean, actual spousal abuse and so on. And those shows, they don't get -- they don't get canceled.
KURTZ: They thrive on controversy. I mean, I think there is a different kind of standard for shows featuring, let's say Evangelical Christians, a very conservative people because the media establishment, the Hollywood establishment is liberal. But the bottom-line here is, it's a business. And once this brand got tainted even though it wasn't the fault of most of those in this large family, it was a very difficult proposition for TLC to continue with.
KELLY: Uh-mm. And so they are out. Except for that probably big ratings victory they will have when they air their documentary and the possibility of specials thereafter and maybe a spinoff.
KURTZ: Yes, indeed. Howie, good to see you.
KELLY: My pleasure.
We spoke with the Duggars a few weeks back, they told us the incident with Josh involved both of his sisters and two other sisters for a total and then one person outside the family. When the "19 Kids" controversy started getting new attention over the last couple of months we also saw a reports surface that an outside person, that fifth person, is now allegedly preparing a civil suit. In moments, we will speak to our lawyers about how that might go. First though, let's hear the Duggars tell us what happened with Josh in their own words.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KELLY: Dated back to 2002, how did you first learn that there was a problem with Josh?
JIM BOB DUGGAR: Well, 12 years ago we went through one of the most darkest times that our family has even gone through and our son Josh came to us on his own and he was crying and he had just turned 14. And he said that he had actually improperly touched some of our daughters. And it was
--
MICHELLE DUGGAR: We were shocked. I mean, we were devastated. I don't think any parent is prepared for a trauma like that. And I think we had one ray of hope in that Josh had a tender conscience and he was the one that came and shared on his own even though the others really didn't know anything of his wrongdoing.
KELLY: This is a young boy who has come to you with shocking information. What did he say? I mean, how did you respond to him? What was that like, that exchange?
MICHELLE DUGGAR: So much grief in our hearts. I think as parents we felt we're failures. You know, here we tried to raise our kids to do what's right, to know what's right and yet one of our children made some really bad choices. And I think as a parent we were just devastated.
KELLY: Did he explain why? I mean, was that a question that you asked?
JIM BOB DUGGAR: He said he was just curious about girls and he had gone in and just basically touched them over their clothes while they were sleeping. They didn't know he had done it.
KELLY: Uh-mm.
JIM BOB DUGGAR: And so, we went and the first thing was to protect
the girls until we went it --
KELLY: The girls all sleep together.
MICHELLE DUGGAR: Uh-mm.
JIM BOB DUGGAR: Yes. The girls had two bedrooms at the time.
KELLY: How many girls are we talking about?
JIM BOB DUGGAR: We had five girls at the time.
KELLY: Okay.
JIM BOB DUGGAR: And so he went in and said he had done this. And so we, first off, of course, really talked to him and then we went and talked to all of the girls.
MICHELLE DUGGAR: It was so important for us as parents to talk to our girls and make sure that nothing else had happened. One by one as we talked with them none of them were aware of Josh's wrong doings.
KELLY: So they learned about it from you?
MICHELLE DUGGAR: Yes.
JIM BOB DUGGAR: Yes. Yes.
KELLY: At that point he had said that he had done this to how many of the girls?
JIM BOB DUGGAR: That was the two.
KELLY: Okay. And so, but neither had recollection of it.
JIM BOB DUGGAR: They did not know.
KELLY: And what was their reaction when they learned it from you?
JIM BOB DUGGAR: They didn't -- they really didn't know. Actually, we asked them at first if anything happened. And then it was after some other things happened that we actually shared with them and we actually took a lot of steps. And first, we tried to deal with this in house as parents.
We were in shock and we were trying to figure out, what was the next step.
And, but really looking back we did the best we could under the circumstances.
KELLY: What am I going to do? He said he touched two of the daughters and you don't know what to do. Right? So --
JIM BOB DUGGAR: We didn't know because at that point now nobody knew about it. And besides Michelle, I and Josh. And so, we thought what do we do with this information? And the girls we talked to them and they didn't know that anything happened. Because they were asleep. And so we talked to him. We put all kinds of punishments on him. We watched him like all the time. I took him to work with me. And he just -- I mean, we just poured our life into him.
KELLY: Like when you went to bed at night during that timeframe, were you scared? Were you worried? You know, he is 14, he's having this problem, what is going to happen when we go to sleep?
JIM BOB DUGGAR: Right. Nothing ever happened like that again in the girls' bedrooms after that.
KELLY: Okay.
JIM BOB DUGGAR: We had safe guards that protected them from that.
But there was another incident where -- two different incidents where girls were like laying on the couch and he had touched like over the couch and actually touched their breasts while they were asleep and so, yes, over their clothes. And so it was a very difficult situation. But as we talked to other parents and difference once since then a lot of families have said that they have had similar things that happen to their families. And so, I mean, this is for us, of course, this is public shame that our son did this back 12, 13 years ago.
KELLY: And when you heard that the behavior had resumed, describe what that was like for you.
JIM BOB DUGGAR: We thought, you know, at first that Josh, you know, was on the road to mend. You know at first, but he was still a kid, you know, and he was still a juvenile. He wasn't an adult. And so, there was a couple more times that he came and told us what he had done. And we were just devastated. All of these, again, this was not rape or anything like that. This was like touching somebody over their clothes.
KELLY: Uh-mm.
JIM BOB DUGGAR: There were a couple of incidents where he touched under their clothes. But it was like a few seconds and then he came to us and was crying and told us what happened. And it was after that third time he came to us is where we really felt like, you know, what? We have done everything we can as parents to handle this in-house. We need to get help.
And that's actually, we went to outside folks and we asked some very close friends if they could come over. And so my best friends came over. We talked about it and so at that point we pulled Josh out of the home.
And we knew of a man who mentored young men. And he really helped young men who made unwise choices in their lives to get straightened out.
And he was running a little training center in Little Rock, Arkansas. And under the roof of that training center, Little Rock Police Department on one side and you had a prison minister on the other. And he said, Josh come down there and actually do some construction work thing. And he would council him and work with him and hopefully get him straightened out.
KELLY: Some people said, why did they wait? Why didn't they go to the authorities or go for the counseling at the very first time he came to you?
JIM BOB DUGGAR: You know, I talked to somebody that worked at one of those juvenile youth sex center facilities and he described how they actually take care of the situations down there and the success rate is not very good. And so we felt like going from a perspective of really reaching his heart first would be important. And so, that's the reason we sent him down to Little Rock to work with this man.
KELLY: Did legal ever pop into your mind like --
JIM BOB DUGGAR: You know, what, as parents you are not mandatory reporters. The law allows for parents to do what they think is best for their child. And so we got him out of the home and we sent him down to this place and that was really probably the best decision we made through this whole process because he was at that place. This is the first time Josh had been there out of the home.
KELLY: He is 15 at this point.
JIM BOB DUGGAR: And he just turned 15. And it's at that point that he came in and of itself, and God really worked in his life. He broke and he went and asked God to forgive him. He went back and asked those that he had offended to forgive him. We felt the last jurisdiction of who'd even -
- with was the law.
KELLY: And we are going to get to that in one second. The subsequent incidents after the first one involved daughters who were awake at least a couple of them.
JIM BOB DUGGAR: There was a couple. Yes. And they didn't really understand though what happened.
MICHELLE DUGGAR: It was more of his heart, his intent.
JIM BOB DUGGAR: Right.
MICHELLE DUGGAR: He knew that it was wrong but they weren't even aware. It was like, you know, it wasn't to them they didn't probably even understand that it was improper touch.
KELLY: I know that the ultimate one before you really got help involved a very young daughter. And I will avoid the age because I don't want to identify anyone specifically but a single digit. I mean, what was that like for you to hear? You know, you must have thought for some time this is a pubescent boy, I don't know what he's going through but he's testing. But when it moved to a young daughter --
JIM BOB DUGGAR: Right. At that point that is when we pulled him out of the house and we said, he can't be here. And so we pulled him out. And then he went through that working with that man.
KELLY: Yes. He went through counseling.
JIM BOB DUGGAR: Yes.
KELLY: And then when he was done with the counseling -- it's not like a licensed therapist. It is somebody, a Christian-based --
JIM BOB DUGGAR: Christian based but I'll tell you why --
KELLY: Treatment facilities.
JIM BOB DUGGAR: It really had a huge impact on his life.
KELLY: Uh-mm.
JIM BOB DUGGAR: And really, that was the turning point in his life.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KELLY: Up next, just when he thought he was able to put the scandal behind him, Josh Duggar may have to face off in court with one of his accusers. The lawyers on the possible lawsuit are next.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KELLY: What was that like? I mean, how do you make the decision as a parent to bring your child to law enforcement and turn him over?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KELLY: What was that like? I mean, how do you make the decision as a parent to bring your child to law enforcement and turn him over?
JIM BOB DUGGAR: We felt like it was an important step for Josh to confess to the police what he had done because he had broken the law. And we felt like if we didn't do this that this would be something hanging over his head the rest of his life.
KELLY: Was it terrifying?
JIM BOB DUGGAR: It was very terrifying.
KELLY: What was that like? Were you worried, Michelle, that he wasn't going to emerge out of that law enforcement?
JIM BOB DUGGAR: We didn't know if they would arrest him at that point or what they were going to do, if this would going to open up an investigation for our whole family or what was going to happen.
MICHELLE DUGGAR: We were waiting to hear, you know, are they going to serve a warrant, come take him away? We didn't know what they were going to do.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KELLY: So there was an investigation but there was no arrest. Yet we are seeing new reports that a possible civil suit may be shaping up. So, what does that mean for Josh, his family and their future?
Lis Wiehl is a FOX News legal analyst and a former federal prosecutor.
And Mercedes Colwin is a FOX News legal analyst and criminal defense attorney. Great to see you both.
LIS WIEHL, FOX NEWS LEGAL ANALYST: Good to see you.
MERCEDES COLWIN, FOX NEWS LEGAL ANALYST: Good to be here.
KELLY: So, I want to start by saying that we have not independently confirmed this but there is a report out here from In Touch magazine that the fifth victim in this case who was an outside person or baby sitter to the children who was his fifth victim is allegedly preparing a civil suit I guess against Josh for the molestation.
WIEHL: Right.
KELLY: Is it too late?
WIEHL: I don't think so. Because there is a statute in Arkansas that says if a victim discovers this rape, assault, whatever the molestation, whatever it was, the Statute of Limitations runs from the time she discovered it. So, if this girl comes forward and I know this discovery thing is a little bit -- bear with me here, it is a repressed memory thing.
Some people shove down horrible things that happen, they don't remember until something brings it to the fore. And here would be the scandal.
When that scandal broke in May, that scandal broke, it may have brought all those memories rushing back to her and that is when the statute of limitations run.
KELLY: There is a report, I mean, according to one report she is distraught that they went on FOX News to, quote, "down play what Josh did."
So, I guess they'd argue the events, what the interview they gave.
WIEHL: Exactly.
KELLY: Whatever Mercedes, what the Duggars told me was that they told the baby sitter that she was one of the victims who I guess was allegedly asleep. And that they told her about the molestation back when it happened.
COLWIN: Exactly. It's been 12 years. So, I mean, there is lots of questions here. Who did you speak to? Did you get counseling? Did you go to the doctors? Whatever you did is a more interaction that you had with individuals talking about this issue, talking about the incident? Why didn't you come before --
KELLY: But if they can prove that they told her, is that bother you?
WIEHL: No, I don't think so because still you can shove that down.
Those repressed memories, there are many cases --
KELLY: Shove down, that being told about it?
WIEHL: Absolutely.
(CROSSTALK)
She did not talk to people. She did not get medical help. She did not get counseling. To me that is a sign again of shoving it down and repressing it. The scandal, the interview brought it to the fore. Now she can bring this lawsuit.
COLWIN: I'm sorry, she was told. She was spoken to. We know that the authorities were contacted in 2003 and there was some investigation done. She was repeatedly --
KELLY: Here's the other question. Let me get to another lawsuit, potential in this case -- but here is another question before you move on this. Let's say she actually does sue or can sue, the criminal statute has run, we all agree with that, but this is possible civil suit. What would the damages be? Because according to everyone involved, you know, the worst molestation was like a quick feel. I'm not trying to down play, I'm just trying to characterize like you're saying it was. Do you put a dollar value on it?
WIEHL: Absolutely. A jury puts a dollar value on that. It could be in the millions. I mean, I don't know exactly because -- I don't what she is going to claim. I don't know what she is going to say. How it affected her life. All of those factual questions should go in front of a jury.
COLWIN: It if affected her life, Megyn, we would already have heard about it, if it was so devastating, such a tragedy, such a tragic event for her we would have heard about it already --
(CROSSTALK)
KELLY: -- because the parents have dough.
COLWIN: Absolutely.
KELLY: The father has a successful real state career. So, the father has some dough but I don't think Josh Duggar has any money. So, she'd had to bring in the parents. If she go after them --
COLWIN: It's going to be very difficult to bring in the parents because they have to look at some of their things, negligent and statutes -- extremely tough to actually sue the parents.
KELLY: They knew or should have known.
COLWIN: How could they have known, in a molestation like this, this has taken place --
(CROSSTALK)
KELLY: Okay ultimately. Here is my last question. They are very ticked off at the fact that their daughters were outed, that their private records as sexual molestation victims were outed in this process. They were -- Freedom of Information Act.
WIEHL: Right,
KELLY: Revealed to this magazine. They think it was improper. Lawmakers had a -- improper, could they sue the magazine?
WIEHL: Yes. Maybe. But it was a FOIA request, a FOIA act and it was unsealed at the time, it's unsealed.
KELLY: The family court judge said it was inappropriate. It was improper.
COLWIN: Plus, they could also go back to lawyers that were involved because there was a confidentiality agreement between the parties. How does this sort of resurface?
KELLY: Right.
COLWIN: It went through a confidentiality agreement between the --
KELLY: Go to the lawyers.
COLWIN: Right.
KELLY: I agree.
COLWIN: Exactly, go to the lawyers.
KELLY: Confidentiality agreement with who?
COLWIN: No, what they're saying, with the police record, that should have been suppressed. And that's one of the reasons --
KELLY: Well, but here is the thing. If they can prove that there was a violation of Arkansas law that these records were protected, as juvenile records both for the benefit of the juvenile who was accused and the benefit of the juvenile victims. And even if they were subject to disclosure that they were redacted so improperly and they were blacked out so improperly it was clear who was who. All you had to do was read it to know exactly who was molested. And I say to you as fellow women and lawyers, isn't that wrong? Why do I know exactly who in that family was molested?
COLWIN: These are 14 and 15-year-olds. Exactly. It should have stopped there. That is why they redacted, that's why they're held confidential. That's why the court get involved, this is not the type of
records we want out in the --
WIEHL: But when you talk about actually suing, there is immunity. You know, the court will claim immunity because a judgment against them is a judgment against the people of Arkansas. Great to see you both.
COLWIN: Great to be here.
KELLY: Well, as we mentioned the parents had suggested that they are looking into legal action of their own after Jill and Jessa went to the authorities thinking they could trust them with their story but then learned they could not. And wait until you hear Jill and Jessa on that point, next.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JIM BOB DUGGAR: This was all stuff that was sealed and this stuff under the law, there is no way that this could have to be brought out.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JAMES ROBERT DUGGAR, HUSBAND OF MICHELLE DUGGAR: We had no fear because we hadn't - we -- everything was taken care of and that was suit, that a - that was actually a sealed juvenile record.
MEGYN KELLY, THE KELLY FILE HOST: Yes.
J.B. DUGGAR: And so - and they had told us that all this stuff was - was done as a juvenile. This was all stuff that was sealed. And this is stuff that under law there is no way that this could ever be brought out.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KELLY: Well, as the Duggars face the possibility of a civil lawsuit the family has suggested they, too, are looking into taking legal action arguing this juvenile records and their daughters' statements two investigators never should have been made public. As I mentioned, a judge agreed with them. But a city attorney has said the release was lawful.
When I spoke to Jill and Jessa, the sisters explained to me why they felt they were let down by authorities, and how the public release of their very private ordeal made them feel victimized all over, again.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JESSA LAUREN DUGGAR SEEWALD, DUGGAR FAMILY MEMBER: We told them the complete story and - and we -- and my parents said, "You know, this is not something that you - the people are going to blab around. You know, this is something you can tell them, you can trust them. Tell them your story just like you talk to mom and dad, you know. It's a safe place to talk." And so.
KELLY: And yet.
SEEWALD: Unfortunately not.
(CROSSTALK)
KELLY: Even now they know (ph). Any hesitation when you decided to put your family on TV that this would come out?
SEEWALD: No. Well, I think whenever we started the TV show, you know, the reality show was, what, five years or something after all of this. We had dealt with it. As a family we had moved on.
JILL MICHELLE DUGGAR DILLARD, DUGGAR FAMILY MEMBER: When they.
(CROSSTALK)
KELLY: So, you weren't laboring under a fear that.
SEEWALD: No.
KELLY: We're targets now?
SEEWALD: Definitely not.
KELLY: We're - we're on TV. We're outspoken?
DUGGAR SEEWALD: And I - and I think all the people in our lives like our close friends and that the people -- the officials that had helped us walked alongside our family during this time and walk us through some of our hardest days, they knew about this. It wasn't like it was a complete secret.
KELLY: Yes.
SEEWALD: And it was just our family like, people knew. They have walked us through this journey, and we felt like, it was a done deal.
(CROSSTALK)
DILLARD: All people like different, you know, it's like.
KELLY: Of course, all during that time, knew what was going on.
(CROSSTALK)
SEEWALD: Yes, but I - we and so there was any need to share private information with people who weren't a part of the problem or the solution.
KELLY: Yes.
SEEWALD: You know, we had dealt with that. When the investigation with our family was closed, after all of those months, they said, "Your parents have done an amazing job." They were praising my parents and they said, "This we found your -- your home is a safe place for children."
KELLY: What about, you know, some of the families critics would argue why you put your neck out there because not only did you go on TV but you advocated strong Christian values and now critics are saying, you've essentially waived your right to do that, not you, the victims necessarily but the families shouldn't have been doing that since they knew what had happened. Is that fair?
DILLARD: I think - well, I think that, you know, some people I've heard them saying, you know, "You're a hypocrites." Well, if you go back and look at everything that people have seen on our lives - in television, you know, we have never claimed to be a perfect family. My parents have always actually stated, you know, we are not a perfect family. We are just a family.
SEEWALD: With challenges and stuff which is like anybody else.
DILLARD: with lots of kids that have 20 times more, you know, people in our family, so.
KELLY: How about Josh? How about Josh though? He's been out there, you know, with the Family Research Council talking about family values and suggesting that certain life styles are not appropriate in particular, the gay and lesbian.
SEEWALD: Right. I mean, it's right to say, here's what believe, here's my life. Even if you've made stupid mistakes or failure - that you've have failures in your past, it doesn't mean you can't be changed, and I think that's where - I think the real issue is people are making this sound like, it happened yesterday, you know.
(CROSSTALK)
DILLARD: And then it's ongoing and that's the.
(CROSSTALK)
SEEWALD: . and that's.
(CROSSTALK)
KELLY: That it was very, very severe.
SEEWALD: It happened 12 years ago.
DILLARD: Yes.
SEEWALD: You know, when he was a child himself.
KELLY: Yes.
SEEWALD: And so, I think seeing the changes in his life like.
DILLARD: Yes.
SEEWALD: We witnessed it. We know,
DILLARD: Like he's - we're the people that live with him. You know.
SEEWALD: Yes.
DILLARD: It's like -- and Jessa made a good point, too, as we were talking she said, "You know, I think the hard part is here is that our viewers feel like they're in our home every Tuesday night."
KELLY: Yes.
DILLARD: They feel like they know our family, but when we're out and about and people are coming up to us and saying, "You know, hey, Josie or hey Jackson," you know, and we're going, "Hi." You know, we're really friendly and everything but.
(CROSSTALK)
SEEWALD: We don't know, you know..
DILLARD: We don't the first time.
KELLY: Right.
SEEWALD: We know but we don't have that personal.
DILLARD: And so, yes, and so like, you know, people are expecting to know every detail of our lives when this happened long ago, when taken care of.
SEEWALD: Before the TV show came about, so.
DILLARD: We're not going to say, "You know, hi nice to meet you.
Here's everything that's ever gone on."
KELLY: Of course.
DILLARD: You know, so.
KELLY: Right, right. So, and when you found out this is going to be on the cover of - of "In Touch Weekly," what was your reaction?
SEEWALD: I'll tell you, we were pretty serious. We were not happy.
DILLARD: I called - and I was in tears. I couldn't believe what was going on. (CRYING). Whenever I heard the police reports had been released, then I said, "What -- like - how -- they didn't have a right to do this."
This is isn't. We're victims. They can't do this to us.
KELLY: And yet they did.
DILLARD: They did.
SEEWALD: The system that was set up to protect kids, both those who make stupid mistakes or have problems like this in their life and the ones that are affected by those choices. It's - it's just - it's greatly failed, and for us it's like, go to the store and there's your picture on a magazine or whatever and you're like.
DILLARD: Well, and like there's - they're like, you know, whatever choices - whatever things they might say, you know, legally we can do this and we can do that. It's like - it's obviously not like - they're not protecting us here.
SEEWALD: Well, and the Freedom of Information act is not -- you can't FOIA a juvenile case.
KELLY: Yes.
SEEWALD: Everybody knows that.
KELLY: Yes.
SEEWALD: And so I think there's probably some hokey-pokey going on there. And I don't know what that whole deal was. I mean, I'm guessing were.
DILLARD: Maybe an agenda, I mean, I know that the tabloids that released this even have, you know, they're used to exploiting women. They have the parent company.
SEEWALD: Yes, Neubauer (ph) that like, their major porn provider.
DILLARD: Yeah.
SEEWALD: And so I don't know if their - just maybe their mindset - they're just used to making objects out of women and maybe we just didn't seem any different.
KELLY: But Jill, you, when I -- we see the tears, what was it? I mean, what was it about the disclosure that was so painful?
DILLARD: Well, I see it as a re-victimization that's even 1,000 times worse.
KELLY: Why?
DILLARD: Because this is something that was already dealt with. We have already forgiven Josh. We have already moved on.
KELLY: Is it - is it humiliating?
DILLARD: And then you know what.
KELLY: Or what is the emotion that you're feeling?
DILLARD: Well, it's not the truth, first of all. Everything was distorted, and so we felt like our story was not being told. And - and we felt like it shouldn't have been told. We're the victims are the only ones who could speak for themselves. And so now that it's already been worked and told, however, they want to portray it then we felt like that's why Jess and I wanted to come out and just say like, "That's not what happened."
KELLY: Yes.
DILLARD: We - we've dealt with this. We've taken care of it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KELLY: Up next, new developments with the plans to put Jill and Jessa back on the TV on the same network that just canceled the family's reality show.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DILLARD: And I feel for the other families out there. I mean, statistics say two-thirds of families deal with something like that and that's only the families who are reporting it. And I feel for the other victims out there.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KELLY: Well, Duggar fans won't be able to watch the family on TLC anymore, but daughters, Jill and Jessa, will be appear on the network as we mention, they will be featured in a new documentary that focuses on child sex abuse that is designed to raise awareness and offer help to other families.
In the last part of my interview, the sisters speak about why they are concerned for other victims of sexual abuse.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEEWALD: I can say that what was done was very wrong. I mean, the terrible thing about being a victim is that you're helpless in the moment over the actions of others. Like - and then I feel like in this situation we're, again, helpless as to the people handing over this report and then the tabloids taking that and - and printing that and sensationalizing it.
And really using it for their own profit.
KELLY: We've seen so many in this country stand up on behalf of child victims. We've seen very little of that in -- with respect to your case and your privacy rights and the violation of those promises that your -- your record and your testimony would be sealed. Do you think it has something to do with who you are, who the Duggars are, what your family stands for?
SEEWALD: I definitely feel like people that - that are already don't really like our family would be the ones to really spread this around and maliciously do so, slanderously do so. Definitely, they didn't have the victims in mind.
(CROSSTALK)
DILLARD: And I feel - I feel.
SEEWALD: People that are like, oh, I feel for the girls and like no you really don't because if you did, you would - you would respect our wish for things to remain private, and that's just - I mean, that's been a violation of trust.
DILLARD: I feel for the other families out there. I mean, statistics say two-thirds of families deal with something like that and that is only the families who are reporting it. And I feel for the other victims out there and other families who maybe the parents may take a pause before they do something to report or to take care of what's going on and maybe, you know, these other victims will continue to live just not even having the situations dealt with.
KELLY: Some have referred back to the charges or the incident initially and said, well, the only reason charges weren't brought is that the statute of limitations had run by the time that police finally looked into this. Would you ever have supported a prosecution against Josh?
SEEWALD: I think by the time that all of that was done, the report was made and everything, it was very obvious to everyone, us, and our family, friends, officials that Josh was a completely changed person. He had not gone down that path for years. He was - he was humble before God, before us, before the officials that were involved.
(CROSSTALK)
DILLARD: We're here - I mean, we all went through professional counseling. But Josh did, too, and.
KELLY: Yes.
DILLARD: He had to pay for his own.
KELLY: Did you have to work that out and what -- what were you working out there?
DILLARD: You know, what do you do to counseling. You talk about what happened. You talk about the actions that have taken. You know, use -- we really wanted to make sure that everything in our heart was dealt with.
It's not.
(CROSSTALK)
KELLY: Was this cathartic for you? Did you - did you solve some things in there?
SEEWALD: It was - it was really good. And I'm really grateful that - that my parents encouraged us to go through that, to get that licensed counseling and all that. I think it was - it was really helpful for us to kind of close that chapter.
DILLARD: Closure.
SEEWALD: And move past it, you know.
KELLY: Yes.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KELLY: Well, TLC is partnering with Child Protective Organizations on this documentary, The Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network also known as RAINN and Darkness to light. For more information about those organizations, go to facebook.com/thekellyfile.
Plus, Josh Duggar and wife, Anna, just welcomed their fourth child, a baby girl. Up next, see how that touched off a whole new wave of hate.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KELLY: Well, the Duggar family just got a whole lot bigger, a little bigger. As Josh and his wife, Anna, welcomed their fourth child, a daughter, Meredith Grace, but the public reaction to the news has been mixed at best. Trace Gallagher in our West Coast Newsroom with that story.
Trace?
TRACE GALLAGHER, FOX NEWS ANCHOR, WEST COAST NEWSROOM: Megyn, in the months since admitting that he quote "acted inexcusably" for molesting five underage girls when he was a teenager, including his sisters, 27-year-old, Josh Duggar has put his political career on hold, stepped down from his position at the Family Research Council and moved back to Arkansas from Maryland.
Duggar has also largely stayed out of the public eye until this week when he went on Instagram to post the picture of his new baby daughter saying, quote, "Announcing the arrival of Meredith Grace Duggar, 7 pounds 14 ounces, 20-1/2 inches. Anna and Meredith are resting and doing well." The post garnered more than 67,000 likes and some positive comments like this, quote, "Congratulations. Enjoy your new baby and never let the witch hunt get you down." But the negative comments appeared to significantly outweigh the positive with Twitter posts like, quote, "I will be praying that you keep your hands off them."
And the writer for the Web site Gawker saying, quote, "Serial child molester and former reality show star, Josh Duggar has just welcomed a new baby girl, Meredith Grace Duggar into his lovely litigation plagued household." The scandal resulted in TLC canceling "19 Kids and Counting," but Josh Duggar continues getting wide support from his family. He was on hand along with his sisters at the celebration of his parents' 31st wedding anniversary. And he posted this Mother's Day message on the family Facebook page. Watch.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOSHUA DUGGAR, FIRST CHILD OF THE JAMES ROBERT AND MICHELLE DUGGAR: We're so grateful for you, mom and grandma now, to I know our four kids and little Israel, and we're just so grateful for just your investment in our life.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GALLAGHER: Since the show was canceled, the Duggars are encouraging people now to visit their Web site. Megyn?
KELLY: We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KELLY: Well, this case may shine a light on how we can better protect young victims, in their homes and in the media. If you are someone in need of help please find the courage to come forward. Call 1-800-4-A-CHILD. And to learn more about the Child Protective Organizations, RAINN and Darkness to Light, again, facebook.com/thekellyfile. I'm Megyn Kelly. Thanks for watching.
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