Shiny Happy People: Duggar Family Secrets

What’s it about?

A revealing docuseries delves into the hidden truths behind reality TV's beloved mega-family the Duggars, their 19 children, and the shady organisation behind them. As details of the family and their scandals unfold, darker secrets begin to surface.

The facts

• Directed by Julia Willoughby Nason and Olivia Crist (Fyre Fraud, The Illegal)
• English language
• 4 episodes, around 45 minutes each

Why did it get this rating?

This show was self-rated by Amazon Prime. You can find out more about self-rating by streaming providers here.

Sexual violence

There are detailed discussions about sexual violence throughout the series. Interviewees share their horrifying experiences. While these events are not shown, these discussions could be upsetting and confronting for anyone who has experienced or knows someone who has.

For example, a women described that she was “raped three times” on her wedding night. One of the siblings in the show has been charged for molesting their sisters, and a minister had abused their power to sexually assault young women and girls they employed. A porn star was paid to have sex, which she later described felt like rape.

Child sexual abuse material

A character is arrested for having child pornography on their computer. An interviewee describes the horrifying details of the abuse material they found on their device. There is also another scene where another character is arrested and charged for having child pornography and for sexually abusing children.

Cruelty

We learn that victims were manipulated to not share anything about being abused or assaulted. There is a scene where the girls of the Duggar family break down after downplaying their assault on television.

The Duggars’ organisation is shown to encourage sexism; where each woman is second to their husband and must stay at home to fulfil the role of a housewife.

Child abuse

We see children being physically disciplined with spanking. We see a demonstration with a little boy on stage being spanked by his father in front of a large audience. It is a humiliating scene for the child. Another character talked about how their mum would beat him for an hour to “break his will”. This could be upsetting for viewers who may have experienced this harm.

Helplines

• Free call or text 1737 any time for support from a trained counsellor
• Lifeline

Further information

• Why are ratings and content warnings important for me and my whānau?
• Talking with young people about what they’re watching