TLC Cancels ‘Counting On’ After Josh Duggar Arrest

Counting On (Credit: TLC)

TLC has canceled Duggar family reality series Counting On following Josh Duggar’s April arrest.

The network released a statement to People on Tuesday announcing its decision.

“TLC will not be producing additional seasons of Counting On,” the statement read. “TLC feels it is important to give the Duggar family the opportunity to address their situation privately.”

The series premiered in 2015 and was a spinoff of 19 Kids and Counting, which followed Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar and their 19 children. The series was initially titled 17 Kids and Counting, with the name changing as the family expanded. It ran from 2008 to 2015.

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Josh Duggar is seen in a booking photo taken on Thursday, April 29, 2021. (Credit: United States Marshals Service)
Josh Duggar is seen in a booking photo taken on Thursday, April 29, 2021. (Credit: United States Marshals Service)

As previously reported, Josh Duggar pleaded not guilty to federal child po**ography charges after he was arrested on April 29, for allegedly receiving and possessing materials depicting the abuse of children.

If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in prison and fines up to $250,000 on each count.

Josh, 33, is the oldest child of devout Christians Jim Bob and Michelle. He has made headlines in 2015, when news broke that he allegedly abused five underage girls, including two of his sisters, when he was a teenager. The scandal came to light after a tabloid unearthed a 2006 police report on the case. In response TLC canceled 19 Kids and Counting.

A short time later, the network launched spinoff series Counting On centering on Jim Bob and Michelle’s daughters Jessa Seewald, Jinger Vuolo, Joy-Anna Forsyth.

Following the news Tuesday of the show’s cancellation, Jinger and husband Jeremy Vuolo posted a joint statement on Instagram.

“We are grateful for TLC giving us the opportunity to be on their network over the years and their kindness towards the Vuolo family. It’s been a remarkable journey that has opened doors to traveling and experiencing the world in a way that we wouldn’t have imagined possible,” the statement said .

“We wholeheartedly agree with TLC’s decision not to renew Counting On and are excited for the next chapter in our lives. We’d like to thank our fans, friends and the amazing film crew who have shown us love and support. We look forward to continuing our creative journey in Los Angeles and seeing what the future holds ,” the couple concluded.

Josh Duggar is currently awaiting trial. The father of six, who has a baby on the way, was released on bail from a Washington County, Arkansas detention center on May 6.

According to published reports, the former reality star was fitted with a GPS ankle monitor and is not allowed to access the internet. He is living with a third-party custodian and is only allowed to visit his children while his pregnant wife, Anna Duggar, is present.