John-David Duggar on Brother Josh's Cheating Scandal: 'I Don't Want to Be Like You Anymore'
John-David Duggar, the younger brother of reality television star Josh Duggar, recently announced that he no longer looks up to his older brother as a role model following a cheating scandal that plagued the family earlier this year.
John-David, 25, recently announced that the scandal involving his brother's participation in the extramarital dating website Ashley Maidson earlier this year has changed his relationship with his older sibling.
Earlier this year, Josh, 27, admitted himelf into a faith-based treatment center after it was revealed he held multiple accounts on the Ashley Madison website, which is a social network that facilitates extramarital affairs.
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On the new TLC three-part special "Jill & Jessa: Counting On," John-David tells the camera that he has taken on the role of the older brother in the family now that Josh has sought help at a Christian treatment center in Illinois.
"I've got a whole bunch of younger siblings looking up to me and I've got to be an example to them," John-David tells the camera, as reported by Us Weekly. He added, "Because whatever I am, that's what they want to be."
John-David goes on to say that although he used to look up to his older brother as his role model, he no longer does.
"I always wanted to be like him. But, one of the toughest things I ever had to tell my older brother was, 'I don't want to be like you anymore.'"
The other Duggar sibilings have also spoken out against their older brother's transgressions on the new TLC special. Sisters Jessa and Jill Duggar shared that they are disappointed in their brother's actions and how it has affected his wife, Anna, and their four children.
An emotional Jill said during the special that she and Jessa felt surprised by Josh's secret, as they had spoken out in defense of their brother.
"Knowing now what Joshua was hiding [...] it wasn't right for him to let us speak our words without having the full knowledge of what he was hiding," she said, as reported by People magazine.
"We were devastated. Over the years Josh had worked really hard to repair our trust in him," Jessa added.
Following news of the extramarital scandal, Josh Duggar released a statement on the family website describing himself as "the biggest hypocrite ever."
"I have been the biggest hypocrite ever. While espousing faith and family values, I have secretly over the last several years been viewing pornography on the internet and this became a secret addiction and I became unfaithful to my wife," Duggar said in the statement, posted in August.
"I am so ashamed of the double life that I have been living and am grieved for the hurt, pain and disgrace my sin has caused my wife and family, and most of all Jesus and all those who profess faith in Him," Duggar continued. "I brought hurt and a reproach to my family, close friends and the fans of our show with my actions that happened when I was 14-15 years old, and now I have re-broken their trust."
The new "Jill & Jessa: Counting On" special will air its next episode on Dec. 20 on the TLC network.
