How Many Kids Does Josh Duggar Have? Inside His Controversial Family Life
Introduction
Reality TV personality Josh Duggar first entered the spotlight on 19 Kids and Counting featuring the ultra-conservative evangelical Duggar family. While enjoying fame as the eldest son of Michelle and Jim Bob Duggar’s sprawling family, dark controversies later engulfed Josh. Despite devastating scandals, sex crime convictions, and divorce talks with long-suffering wife Anna, the controversial TV figure has continued expanding their family. So exactly how many kids does Josh Duggar have?
Josh Duggar Has 7 Children
As of 2023, Josh Duggar has seven children with still-loyal wife Anna:
- Mackynzie (b. 2009)
- Michael (b. 2011)
- Marcus (b. 2013)
- Meredith (b. 2015)
- Mason (b. 2017)
- Maryella (b. 2019)
- Madyson (b. 2021)
Tragically, their 8th child – a daughter – was stillborn in 2022 following Josh’s conviction and imprisonment. Despite unforgivable betrayals, Anna remains married to Josh and they share custody of their 7 living kids.
Marriage and Family Amidst Scandals
Josh married Anna in 2008 after a quickie courtship when Josh was 20 and Anna, a family friend, was just 19 years old. They immediately started expanding their strictly conservative, Independent Baptist household.
But dark clouds formed early. As Anna gave birth to daughters Mackynzie and Meredith, shocking past scandals surfaced where Josh had molested his own sisters pre-adulthood and cheated on Anna soon after marriage.
More trauma followed amidst further infidelity and arrests for child pornography possession, finally earning Josh over 10 years in federal prison. Their loyal marriage has somehow endured decades of trauma tied to Josh’s inner demons.
Trying Times and an Uncertain Future
During Josh’s 2021 trial that resulted in felony imprisonment, Anna leaned on her faith and seven kids to maintain strength. In 2022, she gave birth to their stillborn daughter shortly before Josh began his sentence.
With Josh now incarcerated until 2032 and their reality TV ties permanently severed, huge questions loom about their marriage’s fate. If she finally leaves him, Anna would face single motherhood to seven children still believing their father is an innocent, wrongly convicted man.
Despite now being the family’s sole financial provider, Anna has not shown an interest in divorcing Josh even after everything. And the Duggars seem unwilling to influence keeping her trapped in a lifetime of dysfunction out of claimed commitment to “godly marriage.”
So for now, Anna Duggar maintains guardianship of the couple’s seven kids without their incarcerated father present – an unimaginably painful road ahead.
Conclusion
Behind the wholesome family brand seen on 19 Kids and Counting lies immense dysfunction in Josh’s own household. While Anna remains controversially devoted to their covenant marriage, Josh continues fathering children despite leaving trauma and upheaval through serial scandals. With Josh imprisoned until 2032, Anna now faces single parenting their seven kids thanks to stubborn ties to a man who has repeatedly shattered their family’s lives for years on end.