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Duggar Family Mulls Over the Future of 19 Kids and Counting in Megyn Kelly Interview: Why They Did Reality TV

Megyn Kelly interviews Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar
Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar debated the future of their popular reality TV series, 19 Kids and Counting, during their interview with Fox News' Megyn Kelly on June 3 -- find out why they did reality TV in the first place.

Family first. Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar debated the future of their popular reality TV series, 19 Kids and Counting, during their interview with Fox News’ Megyn Kelly on Wednesday, June 3.

While TLC has pulled all episodes of 19 Kids for the time being, the network has yet to cancel the show — which chronicles the lives of the massive conservative Arkansas-native family — in the wake of eldest son Josh Duggar’s molestation scandal.

Related: PHOTOS: The Duggar family album

“At this point, our family is just trying to regroup from these attacks,” the family patriarch told Kelly. “I don’t know if the rest of our family should be punished for the act of one of our children — something that happened 12 years ago.”

Regardless of the outcome, the parents of 19 are prioritizing their family and faith. “We are fine whether they film us or not,” Jim Bob continued. “We’re going to live life and we’re going to go on and serve God, and make a difference in the world.”

Related: PHOTOS: Stars' shocking secrets

Michelle echoed his sentiments, saying: “We’re going to enjoy our children and enjoy our grandchildren and continue on with life. Either way we’re at peace.”

megyn kelly interviewing duggars
Megyn Kelly interviews Jim Bob Duggar and Michelle Duggar of the TLC program “19 Kids and Counting” at their home in Tontitown, Arkansas

The parents also shared why they chose to do a reality TV series given Josh’s past. “You know, back early on, it was after all this was taken care of in 2002-2003,” Jim Bob said. “We had nothing to hide. We had taken care of all that years before, and when they asked us to do the reality TV show, all of this had been taken care of five years before and we had a clean bill of health from the state.”

Related: PHOTOS: Jill and Derick's wedding album

In fact, the family had no hesitation about having cameras film their everyday lives. “We had no fear because everything was taken care of, and… that was actually a sealed juvenile record,” he continued. “And they had told us that all this stuff was done as a juvenile, this was all stuff that was sealed, and this is stuff that under law there is no way that this could ever be brought out.”

It was shockingly revealed directly by the family on Wednesday that four of Josh’s five victims were his sisters, including standout siblings Jill and Jessa Duggar. “I would do anything to go back to those teen years and take different actions,” Josh repented on the family’s Facebook page when the scandal initially broke. “In my life today, I am so very thankful for God’s grace, mercy and redemption.”

Related: PHOTOS: Jessa and Ben's romance

Michelle echoed his regrets on Wednesday’s special. “He’s very sorry,” she tearfully noted of her son.

Now 22, Jessa addressed the incident and even defended her beleaguered big brother on The Kelly File. “I do want to speak up in his defense against people who are calling him a child molester or a pedophile or a rapist,” the pregnant reality star shared on camera. “I’m like ‘That is so overboard and a lie really.'” She did, however, note that his actions were “very wrong.”

Kelly will sit down with Jill and Jessa in a special interview airing on Friday, June 5, on Fox News.

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