Amy Duggar remembers confronting Josh Duggar during the 2015 scandal

Amy Duggar has been a vocal critic of Cousin Josh Duggar in the midst of his various scandals – even to his face.

Known as the foil for Jim Bob And Michelle Dugar‘s 19 children Amy, 36, reflected on her “rebellious” label in an interview with Vanity purse published on Wednesday 28 June. She recalled finding out in 2015 “like the rest of the world” that Josh, now 35, had previously molested several girls as a teenager – some of whom were his sisters – rather than hearing directly from her extended family .

“I was angry,” she recalls. “I felt like I wasn’t worth telling… that they didn’t want to protect me. They didn’t want anyone to know [and] they wanted to keep it within their little bubble.

Amy pointed to the strict conservative beliefs of the Duggar family and the Institute in Basic Life Principles as part of the reason the scandal was kept a secret for so long. “Secrets breed in the IBLP. Things are hidden,” she said.

When news broke about the allegations against Josh, he issued a public apology, but was never charged with any criminal charges. His parents instead sent him to a faith-based therapy camp, where Amy confronted him about his actions.

“He was staying in a caravan and I went in there and I said, ‘How can you do this?’ … And I was very brutal about that,” she told the magazine, claiming that her cousin said he “knew better” than ever to try to get physical with her.

Amy went on to claim that Josh was “absolutely” empowered by IBLP teachings to force himself on girls he felt wouldn’t speak out against him. “The IBLP praises the first child, [and] it doesn’t get much better than if it’s a son,” she said. “They have the family name and the family value.”

She continued: “If you are valued from the moment you are born and people hide your secrets and cover things up, and you never get in trouble for the things you do, then I believe you just become numb to how the world really is, and what the law really is. It’s so sad how far it’s gone, where he thought he could get away with anything.”

Amy called out Josh’s parents for trying to cover up his behavior. “To think that someone has a higher value than someone else is just so disgusting,” she said.

Since then, the Duggar family has been in the spotlight 19 kids and counting premiered on TLC in 2008. Their reality series was eventually canceled in 2015 when Josh’s scandal made headlines. However, the network continued to collaborate with the Duggars on a titled spin-off Count on.

After 11 seasons Count on was axed in 2021 and TLC officially cut ties with the family. The decision came shortly after Josh was arrested for possessing and receiving child pornography. He was sentenced to more than 12 years in prison in May 2022 and is currently incarcerated at FCI Seagoville in Texas.

Amy and her cousin Jill Duggar recently opened up about their time on reality TV in Prime Videos Shiny Happy People: Duggar Family Secrets. Jim Bob and Michelle slammed the four-part docuseries, which debuted June 2, in a lengthy statement.

“We have always believed that the best chance to mend damaged relationships, or to reconcile differences, is through love in a private setting,” they wrote via their family website. “We love every member of our family and will continue to do everything we can to have a good relationship with everyone.”

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If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, please contact the National Reporting Center for Sexual Violence at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).