Two months after the child molestation scandal involving Josh Duggar, TLC formally takes "19 Kids and Counting" off the air. CNN reports that the cancelation of the series is permanent, which means that the show, although widely held, won't ever return to the network for its 11th season.
"TLC and the Duggar family have decided to not move forward with '19 Kids and Counting.' The show will no longer appear on the air," the channel said to The Associated Press.
"We spent the past month and a half in thoughtful consideration about what is the best way forward here," group president of TLC, Animal Planet and Velocity networks Marjorie Kaplan said.
In an official statement released by TLC on their website, the network said that "the recent attention around the Duggars has sparked a critical and important conversation about child protection."
In response to the cancelation, the "19 Kids and Counting" stars released a statement via Michele's blog saying, "With God's grace and help, Josh, our daughters and our entire family overcame a terrible situation, found healing and a way forward. We are so pleased with the wonderful adults they have all become."
"It is our prayer that the painful situation our family went through many years ago can point people toward faith in God and help others who also have lived through similar dark situations to find help, hope and healing, as well," the family added.
In the statement, parents Jim Bob and Michelle recalled how "19 Kids and Counting" came to be. That time, there were only 14 Duggar kids. The pair thanked TLC for sharing their lives on TV, the film crew that stuck by them and the fans that supported them from the start.
According to TLC's statement, the Duggars will again appear on TLC via a one-hour, commercial-free documentary that will delve into the issue. The statement says Jill and Jessa Duggar, Josh's sisters and victims, will be there as well as all others that were affected.
"We look forward to working with TLC on this upcoming special documentary and hope that it is an encouragement to many," the Duggar parents said in their statement. "We know Who holds the future and are confident that He will work all things together for good."
TLC will collaborate with RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network) and Darkness to Light for this special, which will air "later this summer." In lieu of the case, TLC has partnered with the said organizations that focus on child protection to get the word out about how serious child abuse really is.
"Together, we believe we can help families that have been affected by this terrible crime and make sure that parents and others have the knowledge and tools they need to help keep kids safe," RAINN said in a statement as picked up by CNN.
Two months ago, reports linking 27-year-old Josh Duggar to child sexual abuse charges surfaced. NBC reports he had five victims, four of which are his sisters. He admitted this via Facebook and since then "19 Kids and Counting" episodes were extracted. It is only this time the show was officially canceled.