"19 Kids and Counting" stars Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar will break their silence regarding the molestation scandal surrounding their son, Josh Duggar, in an upcoming interview with Fox News Channel's Megyn Kelly. The interview will be aired at 9 PM ET this Wednesday.
"Kelly will speak with the parents about their son's molestation allegations and the controversy surrounding their family right now," Fox News Channel said in a news release Saturday. "Additional portions of the interview, which will take place at the Duggar home in Arkansas, will air during a one-hour 'Kelly File' special on Friday, June 5."
"The Kelly File" averages 2.5 million viewers. Fox News Channel, owned by 21st Century Fox, is available in more than 90 million homes.
The interview, which will air on Wednesday, comes just two weeks after In Touch Magazine released a police report alleging that Josh molested five underage girls when he was 14 year old.
After the news broke, Josh, now 27 and a married father-of-four, resigned from his position with the Family Research Council, a Christian Conservative lobbying organization founded by Pastor James Dobson in 1981. Meanwhile, both Hulu and TLC have pulled episodes of "19 Kids" for an indefinite period of time, and companies such as Walgreens, Payless Shoe Source, Choice Hotels, Pure Leaf Iced Tea and General Mills said they plan on removing their ads from the show.
In a lengthy Facebook post on May 21, Michelle and Jim Bob called the scandal "one of the most difficult times of our lives" but emphasized that through it all, their family has "drawn closer to God." Josh also released a statement in which he admitted to acting "inexcusably" and said he would " do anything to go back to those teen years and take different actions."
Many have expressed anger and disappointment over the scandal, and have taken to social media to express their frustration using the hashtags #CancelTheDuggars, #DitchTheDuggars and #BoycottTLC.
Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum, who was formerly endorsed by the Duggar family, also expressed his shock, telling ABC News' Chief Anchor George Stephanopoulos last week that he was "sickened" by the allegations.
Others, such as former Arkansas governor and current GOP presidential candidate Mike Huckabee, have defended the Duggar family and criticized the "bloodthirsty media" for following the story.
Jim Bob's niece, Amy, who often appeared in episodes of "19 Kids and Counting" alongside her extended family, also indirectly addressed the molestation scandal on social media, posting a simple message: "Never stop praying."
"No matter what happens in life our prayers are heard. Pray for your enemies. Pray for people who judge you and mistreat you. Pray for God's will in every aspect of your life," she wrote in a recent Instagram post.
