Jill Duggar and Derick Dillard have released a statement about Josh Duggar’s guilty verdict.
It’s been a heavy week and a half for the Duggar family, as brutal testimony and images were shown throughout the trial.
Derick attended every day of Josh’s trial, while Jill only attended the closing arguments from the prosecution and defense. She was listed as a potential witness, though she wasn’t called.
Jill Duggar and Derick Dillard release statement
Jill Duggar and Derick Dillard released their statement about Josh Duggar’s guilty verdict on their blog.
They wrote, in part, “Today was difficult for our family. Our hearts go out to the victims of child abuse or any kind of exploitation. We are thankful for the hard work of law enforcement, including investigators, forensic analysts, prosecutors, and all others involved who save kids and hold accountable those responsible for their abuse.”
When Josh was a teenager, he inappropriately touched a few of his sisters, including Jill. She talked about it in 2015 when his past was made public, and she and her sisters were revealed to be his victims. Jill & Jessa: Counting On was born out of that tragedy, and the girls talked about what happened to them.
The Dillards closed out the statement by saying, “Josh’s family has a long road ahead. We stand with them, we are praying for them, and we will seek to support them however we can during this dark time.”
Jill Duggar has always been sensitive to Anna Duggar
During the beginning of Jill & Jessa: Counting On, Jill Duggar made it clear she was very close to Anna Duggar. She talked about being there for her and wanting to call her when the Ashley Madison leak happened immediately. Finding out that Josh Duggar was unfaithful to his wife struck a chord in Jill, and she was emotional as she did her confessionals.
When Derick Dillard attended the trial, he talked to and sat with Anna Duggar. His interactions with her seemed to be pleasant, and when other family members showed up, he continued to show his support for her.
Moving forward, it’s unclear how active Jill and Derick will be with Anna and her children. They want to support her and their nieces and nephews as they walk through the next phase of their life, which could easily include decades without Josh Duggar.