Josh Duggar Lawsuit Document Surfaces: Reality Star Claims He Was A ‘Juvenile,’ Fans React

Josh Duggar has filed a motion to intervene to join his Counting On sisters’ lawsuit against those who exposed his molestation case back in 2015. Now that his legal motion has been made public, fans are reacting to the eldest Duggar sibling’s claims of “emotional injury” while still being a “juvenile” at the time of the case.

Last month, Jill, Jessa, Jinger, and Joy-Anna filed a lawsuit against the City of Springdale and In Touch magazine for releasing documents of Josh Duggar’s child sexual abuse charges. The four sisters, who were victims of their brother’s criminal acts, are claiming a breach of privacy due to the fact that they were then minors. According to them, Arkansas law dictates that the victims’ identities should be withheld from the public if they are under 18.

Interestingly, Josh has joined his sisters’ case last Friday, TMZ reported. Josh Duggar filed a motion to intervene against Arkansas and other defendants.

Josh Duggar: ‘I suffered severe emotional distress’

In his motion, Josh stated that he, too, “suffered severe emotional distress, embarrassment, humiliation and economic harm both to his personal and professional reputations.” According to his motion, he lost many opportunities after the case was released and published due to the criminal stigma he has been associated with.

On the set #selfie with @TLC @EricaRHill & @duggarfam #19Kids @JessaSeewald @BenSeewald @SiDuggar! pic.twitter.com/7Oyhk27H19

— Josh Duggar (@joshduggar) May 20, 2015

Moreover, Josh seems to claim that he is deserving of the same sympathy the public has shown his Counting On sisters. The motion stated that the Plaintiffs (Jill, Jessa, Jinger, and Joy-Anna Duggar) “elicited sympathy worldwide, and rightfully so” but not the Movant (Josh Duggar).

“Not so with Movant, however, for which the confidential, highly sensitive, intensely personal and humiliating nature of the information contained in the released reports has subjected him to exposure only in an intensely negative light for actions he engaged in as an indiscrete youth and that will continue to haunt him and cause him financial and emotional injury for the rest of his life.”

Josh Duggar: ‘I was a juvenile’

The motion also stated that the Arkansas officials and In Touch released and published Josh’s child molestation documents in 2006, “when he was a juvenile.”

However, Duggar watchers noted that Josh was already past 18 years old in 2006. He was actually just three months shy of turning 19 at the time of filing, clearly not a minor anymore.

https://www.facebook.com/Pickles4Truth/posts/1249044281861045

Jim Bob and Michelle’s eldest child is now facing a firestorm of negative comments from fans, who are calling him out for not owning up to his actions.

“What a joke!! He ruined his own reputation with his Ashley Madison fiasco!! What reputation has he lost!!!??” one of the comments reads.

Meanwhile, others are saying that Jill, Jessa, Jinger, and Joy-Anna are suing the wrong people for the 2015 fiasco.

“The sisters should be suing Josh. He breached their privacy.”

Josh Duggar Is Seeking ‘Monetary Damages’

As stated in the motion to intervene, Josh is seeking monetary payment as retribution for his distress.

“Movant’s injuries can be redressed, as much as they reasonably can be, through recovery or restitution of monetary damages and equitable relief, the award of punitive damages and attorney’s fees as will be requested.”

Announcing the arrival of Meredith Grace Duggar! 7lbs 14 ozs, 20-1/2in — Anna and Meredith are resting & doing well! pic.twitter.com/HfnuoZcSN7

— Josh Duggar (@joshduggar) July 19, 2015

Josh’s latest action is truly a surprising turn of events. While all of this happened well over two years ago, the Duggar drama is clearly not yet over. While the Duggar girls have moved on with their 19 Kids and Counting spin-off, Josh has deliberately stayed away from the public eye even after getting out of his rehab stint.

However, Josh and his wife Anna have recently returned to social media. Last week, the Duggar Family Facebook page posted a picture of the couple while celebrating their son’s birthday. Josh and Anna are expecting another child–their fifth–this year.

Does this mark Josh Duggar’s return to television? Do you think the Duggar family will film this new development for Counting On? Share your thoughts with us and comment below!

[Featured Image by Danny Johnston/AP Images]