An Iowa woman, Theresa Hunt, is charged with extortion for allegedly trying to get the network to cancel the show or pay her a large amount of money. Hunt allegedly wrote a letter to Discovery Communications Inc. claiming Amy Duggar was having an affair with an older man. Branson Entertainer, James Garrett, says the show "Inside Edition" identified him as that man.
Because Garrett was outside of the country when news agencies first started covering the story, he says he had no idea about the scandal. Once he landed in the United States, he says he got a call from Amy Duggar saying "you aren't going to believe this" and he says he didn't.
For 35 years Garrett has been on stage. He says he never thought he would make headlines for an extortion investigation. He is currently performing tributes to Johnny Cash and John Denver in Branson. “When the FBI called me and said 'we want to talk to you about Theresa Hunt,' I almost fell out of my chair,” Garrett said. “It still hit me like a brick. I couldn't believe it. She worked for me for two years.”
Entertainment and gossip shows from across the country want to know just what kind of relationship Garrett had with "19 Kids and Counting" cast member Amy Duggar. “I met Amy first with her mother a gospel singer,” Garrett said. “There are three generations of Duggars in my show every three weeks or so. Amy is more like a niece to me.” Hunt, Garrett's photographer for two years, is charged with writing letters demanding the show be cancelled or she is given $10,000 to prevent the release of what she called "compromising photos."
“We laughed because we knew there was no way,” Garrett said. “I've never even been alone with Amy." Garrett shared a picture with KSPR News of the two on stage where he performs in Branson. “The FBI has sworn me to secrecy on the pictures because the only people who have seen them are them and they sent them to me to verify some things about the pictures,” Garrett said. “The best word I can come up with is ‘benign.’ My example is, think of a family picture you have at home.”
Garrett says he is doing interviews because he feels responsible because Hunt worked for him. He says he wants to clear up what he calls false claims for the Duggar family.
According to an FBI affidavit, an undercover agent called Hunt saying he represented Discovery and was following up on her letter. She is accused of telling the officer she had "damaging pictures." In an email allegedly sent from Hunt, she said she had no reason to hurt the cast member "except she's on a reality show and pretends to be a right-wing Christian and she's sleeping with a 56-year-old man.”
