Revealed: How Josh Duggar Molestation Scandal Hit Ben Seewald’s Big Day

News of Josh Duggar inappropriately touching his sisters claimed the family’s show 19 Kids & Counting in its wake. Now, exactly two years later, it has been revealed that his brother-in-law Ben Seewald too was directly affected by Josh’s scandals.

Josh Duggar’s actions as a teenager were made public by In Touch Weekly in May 2015. Immediately after, TLC announced it had cancelled reruns amidst talk that advertisers were pulling out ads from the show. Josh publicly apologized and stepped down from his position at the Family Research Council. A month after the scandal made news, TLC cancelled its most popular show 19 Kids & Counting. The Duggar family had reportedly filmed several developments for future episodes before the cancellation.

It was also reported that Duggars lost speaking engagements while scheduled appearances at events were being cancelled. As reports of the family’s loss of massive income did the rounds due to the scandal, fans rued the prospect of not being able to see the cancelled episodes. Some of the developments that were reportedly filmed include Josiah Duggar’s failed courtship, Jessa Seewald’s pregnancy scare, Jill and Derrick Dillard’s missionary activities in Nepal, Daily Mail reported. It has now come to light that Ben Seewald’s big day was also filmed for the show but did not make it to the small screen due to the cancellation.

Ben Seewald graduated from the National Park Community College in May 2015 with an associate degree in Political Science, People reports. The graduation was held just days before allegations of Josh Duggar fondling his sisters became a public scandal. Ben’s wife Jessa, one of her brother’s five victims, had shared the couple’s proud moment on Instagram. The Sentinel Record in a recent report revealed that the 2015 graduation ceremony was filmed for a 19 Kids & Counting episode.

The 2015 ceremony was filmed for a planned episode of “19 Kids and Counting” as Ben Seewald, who married Jessa Duggar, graduated with an associate degree in political science. He is the oldest of seven children of Michael and Guinn Seewald, of Hot Springs. The episode did not air before the show was canceled, but the couple is now featured on the follow-up show with other members of the Duggar family. They welcomed their second child in February.

Ben Seewald and Jessa Duggar’s courtship was aired in April 2014, and six months later the couple’s engagement was featured in the same season of 19 Kids & Counting. Before their engagement was featured, the couple was married. Ben was a freshman at college when he asked Jim Bob for courtship with Jessa. At the time of his graduation and when the molestation scandal came to light, Jessa was pregnant. The couple’s first child Spurgeon was born a year after their marriage. Fans also missed most of Jessa Seewald’s pregnancy due to the show’s cancellation, though she shared images on social media from that time. Her baby shower and birth of Spurgeon was featured in the first episodes of Counting On.

Jessa and her sister Jill Dillard, another of Josh’s victim, said they had forgiven him publicly soon after the incidents happened more than a decade ago, but expressed shock on Counting On when they said they came to know about the Ashley Madison scandal. Derrick and Ben termed the consequences of Josh Duggar’s scandals “difficult” and “emotional” on the family.

“I feel like, it wasn’t right for him to let us speak our words without having the full knowledge of what he was hiding,” Jill said according to the Duggar Family Blog. “We just have to understand that nobody is strong enough. That’s why it is so important to set boundaries…and be accountable and just really focus on your relationship with the Lord, and don’t be a hypocrite. You have to be real.”

The Duggar girls have sued In Touch Weekly and the city of Springdale for identifying names of underage sexual abuse victims of Josh Duggar.

[Featured Image by Duggar Family Official/Facebook]