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Josh and Anna Duggar expecting fifth child: We are 'rebuilding a life together'

Two years after their marriage was rocked by a sex abuse and a cheating scandal, Josh and Anna Duggar have announced they're expecting their fifth child.
/ Source: Today.com

Nearly two years after Josh and Anna Duggar’s marriage was rocked by multiple scandals, the couple has announced that they are expecting their fifth child, a boy.

The Duggars made the announcement on Friday via the family’s website.

In addition to announcing the pregnancy, Josh and Anna gave fans a rare status update on their marriage, discussing how they’ve recovered from Josh’s 2015 cheating scandal.

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Anna and Josh Duggar in Feb. 2015, before the scandals came to light.Kris Connor / Getty Images

"For nearly the last two years, we have quietly worked to save our marriage, focus on our children, and rebuild our lives together as a family. Doing so is never easy after a breach of trust,” the couple wrote. “We’ve learned that a life of faith and rebuilding a life together is simply done one day at a time.

“As we continue our journey as a family and rebuild our lives, we are delighted to share with you that we are expecting a new baby boy later this year,” the couple continued. “Beauty comes from ashes and we cannot wait to see and kiss the face of this sweet new boy!”

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The “ashes” the couple may be referring to are the scandals involving Josh that made international headlines in 2015. In May of that year, amid allegations that he molested underage girls, he said in a statement, “Twelve years ago, as a young teenager, I acted inexcusably for which I am extremely sorry and deeply regret. I hurt others, including my family and close friends,"

The scandal, which caused the Duggars’ hit reality show “19 Kids and Counting” to get cancelled, hit while Anna was pregnant with their fourth child, Meredith. (Josh and Anna are also parents to 7-year-old Mackynzie, 5-year-old Michael and 3-year-old Marcus.)

A few months later, Josh admitted to being unfaithful to Anna and to having a pornography addiction, and later checked himself into a rehab facility, where he reportedly stayed for about seven months before returning to his family.

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Josh Duggar visits "Extra" at their New York studios at H&M in Times Square on March 11, 2014 in New York City.D Dipasupil / Getty Images for Extra

Since his return from rehab, Josh has kept an extremely low profile, abandoning his social media accounts and making no public statements. Although Anna has appeared on the Duggar family’s current reality show, “Counting On,” Josh has not.