The Duggar family, known for their reality show "19 Kids and Counting," faced a significant crisis when allegations of abuse against Josh Duggar surfaced. In these tumultuous times, one individual played a crucial role in advising and managing the family's public relations: Chad Gallagher.
Who is Chad Gallagher?
Chad Gallagher is the head of Legacy Consulting, a firm based in Arkansas that specializes in political campaigns, messaging, and crisis management. He also advises Huck PAC, a political vehicle for Mike Huckabee. Gallagher has a background in public relations, political consulting, and business development. He graduated from Ouachita Baptist University and, in 1998, became the youngest mayor in the nation when elected mayor of DeQueen, Arkansas. Despite his high-profile career, Gallagher maintains a low public profile, keeping his personal life private.
One of Gallagher's notable roles was managing public relations for the Duggar family in the wake of abuse allegations against Josh Duggar. As the family navigated the fallout from the scandal, Gallagher's expertise was crucial in shaping their public response.
The Megyn Kelly Interview
One of the most controversial aspects of Gallagher's involvement was his orchestration of an interview with Megyn Kelly on Fox News. The Fox interview was taped almost two weeks after the Duggar scandal erupted. During this interview, Jill Duggar and her sister Jessa spoke with Megyn Kelly about the abuse committed by their brother Josh Duggar. During the interview, the sisters downplayed the severity of the abuse and defended their brother's actions.
Jill and her husband, Derick Dillard, have since provided insight into the circumstances surrounding the interview. In a sneak peek of a documentary, Jill revealed that Gallagher, due to his association with Mike Huckabee, was instrumental in setting up the Megyn Kelly interview to ensure the continuation of the family's show on TLC. However, both Jill and Derick expressed regret and disillusionment with their participation in the interview.
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Jill recalls in the series, "There was an urgency to figure out how the show was going to be handled in the wake of 2015 events". The report noted that Jim Bob and the officer, Joseph Hutchens, had a personal friendship. Hutchens, who was sentenced to 56 years in prison in 2012 after pleading no contest to 10 counts of distributing, possessing or viewing matter depicting sexually explicit conduct involving a child, told In Touch in 2015 that he didn't get the full story in 2003.
The interview was "something that I'm not proud of," Jill concludes. Speaking to the Los Angeles Times, Jill said, "In hindsight, I wouldn’t have done the Megyn Kelly stuff.
Jill and Jessa-confirming they were two of Josh's victims-told Kelly they had been asleep and didn't even know it had happened at the time. "I would not call it voluntary," adds Derick. "Basically being called on to carry out a suicide mission: You're gonna destroy yourself, but we need you to take the fall so you can carry the show forward because the show cannot fail."
The parents described the molestation as "improper touching," sometimes over the girls' clothes, sometimes under the clothes. "This was not rape or anything like that," Jim Bob said. Referring to the family's handling of the situation, Jim Bob said, "Looking back, we did the best we could under the circumstances."
While breaking their silence, Jim Bob and Michelle must have been thinking about at least two specific audiences: their fans, and the executives at TLC who finance their hit reality show "19 Kids and Counting." The family's reputation and the future of the show may depend on the public's reaction to the interview.
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Damage Control and Public Perception
The Duggars have a P.R. expert helping the Duggars tell their story: Chad Gallagher, the head of the Arkansas firm Legacy Consulting. Gallagher declined to comment on his work for the Duggars when contacted by CNNMoney.
There are certainly political overtones to the Duggar controversy. Last year, Michelle Duggar recorded a robocall urging residents of Fayetteville, Arkansas, to protest an ordinance aimed at preventing discrimination against gays. And the embattled family has a well-documented relationship with one of the state's best-known political figures, former Arkansas governor and GOP presidential hopeful Mike Huckabee.
So it may not be surprising that the Duggars chose to break their silence through Fox News, the favorite cable channel of conservatives. Kelly addressed the issue on Wednesday: "Do you think the backlash has been greater because people object to who you are and what you stand for? Do you think your Christian beliefs are at issue here?" The parents told Kelly that they feel like their family is under an "unprecedented attack" partly due to their Christian beliefs.
Aftermath and Reflections
Josh Duggar, the eldest son of 19 Kids and Counting stars Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar, is serving a 12-year prison sentence for receiving child pornography.
In May 2015, In Touch published an almost decade-old Springdale, Ark., police report that revealed Josh Duggar had been accused of molesting five underage girls between 2002 and 2003. Jill Duggar Wishes Brother Josh Duggar's Molestation Offenses Had Never Come to Light.
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Jim says in Shiny Happy People he told Jim Bob that Josh had to turn himself in. The 2006 police report noted that Jim Bob and the officer, Joseph Hutchens, had a personal friendship.
Josh was found guilty of receiving and possessing child porn, after which the possession charge was vacated. He's been sentenced to more than 12 years in prison.
In conclusion, Chad Gallagher's role in managing the Duggar family's public relations during the Josh Duggar scandal was significant. His orchestration of the Megyn Kelly interview, while intended to mitigate the damage and ensure the continuation of the family's reality show, ultimately became a source of regret for some members of the family. The scandal and its aftermath continue to be a complex and controversial chapter in the Duggar family's history.
The Sick Case of Josh Duggar
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