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Josh Duggar Molestation Scandal May Affect Joy-Anna Duggar’s Courtship: Austin Forsyth’s Family Unaware Of Josh’s Past

By Treva Bowdoin
Published on: 11:36 PST, Nov 18, 2016

Josh Duggar’s name was splashed all over the news last year after the former 19 Kids and Counting star admitted to sexually molesting four of his younger sisters. However, a few of Joy-Anna Duggar’s possible in-laws have revealed that they don’t know anything about Josh Duggar’s sexual molestation scandal.

Joy-Anna Duggar, 19, recently announced that she’s courting longtime family friend Austin Forsyth, 22, and there’s a high likelihood that their courtship will result in a marriage. Austin’s grandfather said that he’s hopeful that the couple will tie the knot, but Radar Online suggests that he may change his mind after learning about the past misdeeds of Austin’s future brother-in-law, Josh Duggar.

“The family of Joy-Anna Duggar’s new man Austin Forsyth has welcomed her with open arms, but could her brother’s sex scandals end their courtship before it even starts?” the website writes.

Radar Online asked Austin Forsyth’s grandfather to share his thoughts about Josh Duggar’s confession that he had sexually molested his sisters as a teenager, but the potential Duggar in-law claimed that he was completely clueless about the scandal.

“I don’t know anything about any of that,” he said.

Austin Forsyth’s great-great-grandmother, Dorette, said that she was “proud” of her great-great grandson for winning the heart of a Duggar daughter. However, she also admitted that she was unaware of the Duggar family’s dark past.

“I don’t know anything!” she responded when asked about Josh.

There’s a possibility that Josh Duggar’s sexual molestation scandal already played a part in the demise of one Duggar family member’s courtship. Last August, Marjorie Jackson and Josiah Duggar revealed that they had called it quits after four months of chaperoned dates and side-hugs. As People reports, their decision to end their courtship came two months after In Touch Weekly published police reports documenting the molestation that took place in the Duggars’ home.

The police reports showed that Josh’s parents attempted to protect him by dealing with his behavior on their own instead of contacting the proper authorities. Because Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar failed to remove Josh from their family’s home, he was allowed to continue victimizing his sisters.

It’s unclear whether Austin Forsyth’s grandfather and great-great-grandmother will try to pressure Austin into dumping Joy-Anna after gaining knowledge of Josh Duggar’s misdeeds, but what is clear is that Austin’s parents, Terry and Roxanne, are close friends of the Duggars.

Terry and Roxanne Forsyth are the owners of the Fort Rock Family Camp, a replica of an old west town located in Combs, Arkansas. The website for the family vacation destination includes a testimonial from Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar, who wrote that they’ve known the Forsyths since 2002. This is the same year the parents discovered that Josh Duggar was molesting his younger sisters.

Austin Forsyth’s parents share the Duggars’ ultra-conservative religious views, so they may not have an issue with the way Jim Bob and Michelle dealt with Josh Duggar’s behavior. As the International Business Times reports, the Forsyths also share the Duggar family’s affinity for reality TV. In 2009, they appeared on the first season of the CMT reality series World’s Strictest Parents. Terry and Roxanne Forsyth told the CMT cameras that they believe women are men’s “helpmeets” and that they should remain in the home.

Austin Forsyth’s parents likely approve of his decision to “court” Joy-Anna because they believe that traditional dating leads to divorce. Like the Duggars, they encourage courting couples to save their first kiss for marriage. They also share the Duggars’ belief that women should dress modestly in long skirts or dresses.

Are you surprised that a few of Austin Forsyth’s family members didn’t know anything about Josh Duggar’s sexual molestation scandal before now? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.

[Featured Image by Josh Duggar/Twitter]

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