The heat has been turned up on TLC now that several major sponsors have pulled their advertising from 19 Kids and Counting. The network will have to make a decision about the show’s permanent future after star Josh Duggar admitted to molesting young girls as a teen.
Choice Hotels and Payless ShoeSource both tweeted earlier today that they will remove their ads from the show. A General Mills spokesperson also told the Hollywood Reporter that it will do the same.
Walgreens also told customers on Facebook that they will “continue to monitor the situation,” but later told THR that they have already decided to follow the other three companies.
So far, TLC has only pulled repeats of the show from its schedule, but have yet to make a concrete decision on the show’s future. The network had to make a similar decision last fall with Here Comes Honey Boo Boo, which also was engulfed in a molestation scandal.
19 Kids and Counting is about Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar, who have 19 children. Josh is their oldest and he confirmed that the rumors that he molested young girls - including his some of his sisters - while in his teens were true.
screenshot from AloneYetNotAlone YouTube Video