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Anna Duggar Divorce Rumor: John Duggar’s Miserable Public Appearance Hints At Lingering Problems In The Marriage

By Nathan Francis
Published on: 15:26 PST, May 13, 2016

The divorce rumors surrounding Anna Duggar and her embattled husband are stirring up once again after a not-very-happy appearance in public on Mother’s Day.

Josh Duggar was spotted with his wife and family at a restaurant in Pensacola, Florida. While Anna Duggar reportedly looked happy and at ease at the restaurant — as did Duggar family matriarch Michelle — Josh Duggar was another story. A witness said he looked miserable and distracted while the rest of the family was having a good time.

“Only Josh seemed not to be having a good time,” a source told In Touch magazine. “Anna had her back to us but occasionally she would move around and she was smiling. She looked very much at ease.”

“But while everyone was clearly at ease, Josh kept that phone up to his ear,” the source added. “He definitely did not seem to be having fun.”

The appearance hinted at trouble between Anna Duggar and her husband and revived rumors that they may be getting divorced after Josh Duggar’s rehab stint. Josh left his family for several weeks last year after a pair of scandals, the first when nearly decade-old allegations emerged that Josh had molested a number of young girls — including his own sisters — when he was a teenager.

Anna said she knew about the past indiscretions and forgave Josh, but the second scandal hit the family quite a bit harder. Josh was revealed as a client of the site Ashley Madison, which promoted infidelity, and he admitted to cheating on his wife. He then left for an intensive sex rehab center.

After Josh Duggar’s return from rehab, there were rampant rumors that Anna Duggar was leaning toward divorce, but she said on a recent episode of Jill and Jessa: Counting On that she was committed to working on the marriage.

“There’s going to be a lot of work,” said Anna. “And there is a long process ahead, but we’ll just take it one day at a time and keep trusting God and doing the right thing. I think there’s lots of hope for the future and a lot of excitement. But in some ways, there are a lot of steps before it’s where it needs to be.”

Last weekend’s gloomy Josh Duggar sighting was actually the second time he’s been spotted out in public since leaving rehab, with both hinting at problems for the family. Josh showed up with his family at Old MacDonald’s Farm, a mini-golf course in Sevierville, Tennessee, at the end of April.

A witness asked for a photograph, In Touch magazine reported, and ended up with a picture of Josh smiling beside his dad, Jim Bob Duggar.

“They seemed a bit nervous,” an eyewitness says, “but they agreed.”

But the appearance also caused a bit of tension, the source claimed. As people began to recognize the Duggar family, there was apparently some uneasiness and it led to some awkward moments.

“Three families with young girls were unhappy Josh was so close to them and left the golf course when they saw him and Jim Bob,” the eyewitness said.

“The parents were not comfortable. The staff tried to be as polite as possible to the angry parents, but it seemed there was little they could do to stop Josh from being a customer.”

While Anna Duggar has remained publicly committed to her marriage, the appearances have revived the divorce rumors that plagued the couple for the past several weeks. There are reports that family members and friends are still pushing Anna to leave her husband, so despite her public support of Josh there may be other forces at work.

[Image via Instagram/Anna Duggar]

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