In an effort to provide the Duggars with appropriate time to address a family member's charges on pornography, TLC has decided to discontinue the "Counting On" show on the channel.
Following Josh Duggar's indictment in April, the TV network revealed that the show involving his family will now be halted, Faithwire reported.
"TLC will not be producing additional seasons of 'Counting On'. TLC feels it is important to give the Duggar family the opportunity to address their situation privately," the channel said in a statement.
The show, which features the older siblings of the Duggar family excluding Josh, was released on Dec. 13, 2015 and had 11 seasons.
On April 29, Josh was arrested on charges of receiving and possessing child pornography but was released on bail a week later. If convicted for both charges, he could be sentenced to 40 years in prison and fined with $500,000.
He was found to have kept more than 200 pictures on his computer, showing sexual abuse of children under the age of 12. According to Gerald Faulkner, special agent of the Homeland Security Investigations, the images were downloaded on May 2019 which he described as "in the top five of the worst of the worst" that he had ever "examine[d]."
Josh was initially set for trial on July 6. However, Justin Gelfand, head of his defense team, filed a motion for its delay until February 2022, saying that they needed more time to review the evidence. The Western District of Arkansas Court did postpone the trial but only until Nov. 30.
While awaiting trial, Josh is required to stay home under the custody of his parents' friends, Lacount and Maria Reber. He will be monitored through a GPS tracking device. Though allowed to see his kids as long as his wife is present, he is forbidden to interact with other minor children, as well as his nieces and nephews.
He has six children, including Mackynzie Renée, Michael James, Marcus Anthony, Meredith Grace, Mason Garrett and Maryella Hope. His wife, Anna, is also pregnant with their seventh child.
In 2015, the eldest of the Duggar siblings confessed to pornography addiction and cheating on his wife after he was revealed to have active accounts on Ashley Madison, an "affair and discreet married dating" site.
In an Instagram post, "Counting On" star and Josh's own sibling, Jinger Vuolo expressed her gratitude to the TV network, their fans and crew.
"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," she wrote.
"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," Vuolo further stated.
