Josh, Anna Duggar Announce Fifth Pregnancy; Couple Set to Welcome Baby Boy Two Years After Scandals

Reality TV stars Josh and Anna Duggar announced that they are expecting their fifth baby- a boy. The news comes almost two years after the couple’s marriage was hit by several controversies, including a molestation scandal and confessions on cheating.

Josh and Anna Duggar made the official announcement on the Duggar family's website. Aside from opening up about their latest pregnancy, Josh and Anna also gave fans an update on their marriage, which the “19 Kids and Counting” stars rarely offered.

Discussing their recovery from the 2015 cheating scandal, Josh and Anna Duggar shared how they have been working to save their marriage for the past two years. They have also been focused on their children for them to rebuild their lives as a family, as reported by Today.

“Doing so is never easy after a breach of trust,” the couple wrote. “We’ve learned that a life of faith and rebuilding a life together is simply done one day at a time.” Following this statement, Josh and Anna Duggar then announced their fifth pregnancy, sharing that they are expecting a new baby boy this year.

“Beauty comes from ashes and we cannot wait to see and kiss the face of this sweet new boy!” the Duggar couple added. These “ashes” could mean the controversies that surrounded Josh and Anna Duggar, including the news that Josh molested five underage girls, two of whom were his sisters, Jill and Jessa Duggar.

Josh issued an official statement, apologizing for his actions during his teenage years. However, this did not stop TLC from canceling the Duggar family’s hit reality show “19 Kids and Counting” where Josh and Anna Duggar were regularly featured. The show's cancellation was made while Anna was in her fourth pregnancy with baby Meredith. Josh and Anna Duggar are also parents to Mackynzie, 7, Michael, 5, and Marcus, 3.

Months later, Josh made a public confession, opening up about his pornography addiction and his unfaithfulness to Anna by cheating on her with a subscription to the Ashley Madison website. Subsequently, the father-of-four admitted himself into a Christian faith-based rehabilitation facility where he reportedly stayed for nearly seven months. Such circumstances led to multiple speculations on Josh and Anna Duggar's marriage.

Since Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar’s eldest son returned from rehab, he has kept a low profile by taking down his social media accounts and refusing to make public statements. Although his wife made an appearance on the Duggar family’s spinoff reality show on TLC, “Counting On,” Josh did not. Both Josh and Anna Duggar, though, were present at the wedding of Josh’s sister, Jinger Duggar, who tied the knot with former soccer pro, Jeremy Vuolo, in November 2016.