TLC Boss Addresses Josh Duggar's Molestation Scandal: We Acted 'Immediately'
TLC Executive Vice President Nancy Daniels opened up on Thursday about her network's response to Josh Duggar's molestation scandal that led to the cancellation of the Duggar family's hit docu-series 19 Kids and Counting.
Daniels spoke candidly during a panel discussion at the TCA Winter Press Tour on Thursday, when asked about TLC's reaction to the molestation scandal, and what concerns it may have raised about the network's screening process when it comes to choosing families to showcase on their reality shows.
WATCH: Josh Duggar on Child Molestation Reports: 'I Acted Inexcusably'
"We do have a strong screening process, and I think over the years, our screening process has evolved in many ways," Daniels said.
Last May, Josh, the eldest son of the Duggar family, admitted to acting "inexcusably" after news broke that he had molested four of his younger sisters more than a decade earlier when he was a teenager.
"As soon as we found out about it, we did immediately circle back with the family," Daniels said. "These are real people that had something happen in their lives a long time ago. We were working with them, to figure out what had happened and how do we handle it now?"
WATCH: TLC Cancels '19 Kids and Counting', Duggar Family Reacts
In response to the shocking news, as well as the loss of numerous advertising clients, 19 Kids and Counting was quickly pulled off the air and officially canceled in July.
"We immediately connected with RAINN and Darkness to Light, which are two very well respected nonprofits involved in this area, to figure out the appropriate response," Daniels explained.
WATCH: Josh Duggar Molestation Allegations: A Timeline of Events
According to the TLC exec, the appropriate response turned out to be their documentary Breaking the Silence, which examined the subject of sexual abuse in America. The documentary, which aired in August, briefly featured Jill and Jessa Duggar, as well as their mother, Michelle Duggar.
According to Daniels, Breaking the Silence was an effort on TLC's part to "really put the word out there and help with the situation that often isn't talked about."
While the network did cancel 19 Kids and Counting, they did not cut ties with the Duggar family entirely. In December, TLC premiered the three-part docu-series Jill & Jessa: Counting On.
WATCH: 7 Revealing Things We Learned From TLC's New Duggar Special 'Jill & Jessa: Counting On'
Counting On focused primarily on Jessa Seewald's pregnancy and how the family has been holding up since the cancellation of their show. However, the show also addressed Josh's molestation scandal in depth, and his subsequent adultery scandal.
For more on the Duggar family opening up about the turmoil of recent months on Jill & Jessa: Counting On, watch the video below.