NEWSJosh Duggar Shuns the Spotlight: Ex-Reality Star 'Never Wants to Do Interviews' After Recent Prison Drama
Josh Duggar reportedly declined all interview requests after a viral prison incident led to a commissary crackdown and renewed attention at FCI Seagoville.
May 26 2025, Published 6:19 p.m. ET
Josh Duggar, once a reality TV star on 19 Kids and Counting, is shying away from the public eye due to a viral prison incident.
Quoting an insider, a report said the 37-year-old "never wants to do interviews," adding that the former reality star has "seen the pictures someone took of him in the rec yard" when "someone filmed him from 300 or 400 feet outside the prison."
Josh Duggar allegedly saw viral images of himself taken from outside the prison yard.
This revelation comes shortly after The U.S. Sun reported that a prank by an inmate at FCI Seagoville led to a significant cut in Duggar’s prison commissary funds.
"One of the inmates played a prank on a guard. Now everyone is on a $25 commissary limit. They usually have a $360 limit a month," a source shared with the publication on May 20.
The prank involved urine and a mixture of chemicals, leaving a staff member with severe burns.
"A staff member was pranked, some sort of chemical concoction spilled on a staff member. We decided to restrict commissary until we figured out what happened or if it came from commissary. We found out who did it but wanted to wait out the cycle so it fairly affected everyone," a source at Texas' FCI Seagoville explained.
The disciplinary action due to the incident at Josh Duggar's prison reduced inmates’ commissary limits.
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A second source added, "They shop every other week. Half the institution got the restriction during the investigation. It's only fair to have the other half miss out."
Duggar’s limited commissary funds coincide with reports that inmates have been using personal funds for food due to alleged smaller portions at the facility. This situation reportedly stems from issues such as an insect infestation and expired milk. However, an insider told In Touch that FCI Seagoville isn't facing the same food problems as other prisons.
Insiders claimed FCI Seagoville maintains a strong reputation for its food.
"We don't have complaints of food, the roach and the other stuff has been from other detention centers and sanitation issues in Brooklyn. I've never seen issues of roaches or any kind in the food. We have a very good reputation for the food we serve. We have some issues with flies and ants, but we have fans, and it does not affect the food. We have some of the best food in the prison system," the insider claimed.
Authorities arrested Duggar in April 2021.
"Duggar allegedly possessed this material, some of which depicts the sexual abuse of children under the age of 12, in May 2019," a press release from the United States Attorney's Office for the Western District of Arkansas explained at the time.
Josh Duggar was convicted in 2022 for receiving and possessing child pornography.
Although Duggar pleaded not guilty, he was sentenced to 151 months in prison in May 2022 after being convicted of one count of receiving and one count of possessing child pornography images. Judge Timothy L. Brooks ruled that Duggar did not knowingly distribute child pornography and dropped one of the two charges.
"We're grateful the judge dismissed Count 2 and rejected the Government's request for a 240-month sentence. We look forward to continuing the fight on appeal," Duggar's attorney, Travis Story, stated at the time.
