An emotional Sheryl Underwood blasts the Duggar family on The Talk. As a victim of child molestation, Underwood has some very strong opinions about the 19 Kids and Counting scandal, slamming parents Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar over the way they covered up son Josh’s molestation of his sisters.
“I’m probably the only person at this table that went through that,” she told her co-hosts on The Talk, her eyes welling with tears. “And I went through that at 3, 4, 5 years old. You know something is wrong. And if nobody listens to you, and nobody’s going to stop it, whether I’m asleep or not — I didn’t sleep, I learned to stay up as long as I could. I may sleep at school, because nobody’s gonna protect me. So I have to protect myself.”
The Queen of Comedy went on to address this week’s Fox News interview with Jim Bob and Michelle and how it demonstrated that by trying to protect their son, they betrayed their victimized daughters.
“They helped the world to see what happens to people where they’re in some type of family structure where the people you’re supposed to trust and protect you seem to be the co-conspirator in your violation, [and] seem to rationalize sexual assault and molestation,” she said.
With tears in her eyes, she continued. “The thing about this that hurts so much is you feel that you have no help,” she said. “I thank God for my older brothers, who took an action on my behalf.”
Overcome with emotion, Underwood’s sentiment was transferred to her co-hosts; even guest Carnie Wilson could be seen wiping tears from her eyes.
But Underwood was not alone in her feelings. She received a standing ovation from the studio audience. “These parents are wrong,” she said. “There’s no way you can say this as parents… families gotta protect families, and don’t rationalize violation.”
