Jessa Duggar Confirms She Was Molested by Brother Josh: ‘I Was One of the Victims’

Jessa Duggar Confirms She Was Molested by Brother Josh: ‘I Was One of the Victims’

One of “19 Kids and Counting” star Josh Duggar’s alleged victims has spoken out for the first time, defending him against sex offender labels that have been lodged in recent weeks.

Jessa Duggar, now 22, was a child when her older brother allegedly acted inappropriately with her. The younger Duggar is one of five alleged victims, a group that also includes her sister Jill Duggar.

Jessa calls her brother’s actions “very wrong” in a portion of a new interview with Fox News’ Megyn Kelly, though stops short of labeling him a child molester, pedophile or rapist, in an excerpt from US Weekly.

Also Read: Josh Duggar Gets Cozy With the GOP Elite (Photos)

“I do want to speak up in his defense against people who are calling him a child molester or a pedophile or a rapist, some people are saying,” the alleged victim tells Kelly during their interview. “I’m like, ‘That is so overboard and a lie really.’ I mean people get mad at me for saying that, but I can say this because I was one of the victims.”

In a previously released teaser, Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar, the parents of the “19 Kids and Counting” family, spoke of being “devastated” when Josh came to them with the revelation of his actions.

Also Read: Duggar Parents Tell Fox News' Megyn Kelly: 'We Were Devastated' (Video)

“I think as parents we felt, ‘We’re failures.’ You know, here we tried to raise our kids to do what’s right, to know what’s right, and yet one of our children made really bad choices,” Duggar tells Kelly in the clip. “And I think, as a parent, we were devastated.”

The entire interview will air on “The Kelly File” on Wednesday at 9 p.m. ET on Fox News.

Related stories from TheWrap:

Duggar Parents Defend Handling of Son's Molestation Scandal

Duggar Parents Tell Fox News' Megyn Kelly: 'We Were Devastated' (Video)

Fox News' Megyn Kelly Teases Duggar Interview, Talks Big 'Gets' and Bigger Ratings

Megyn Kelly Says Duggar Interview Won't Be 'Cross-Examination' (Video)