Jill Duggar and her husband, Derick Dillard, recently discussed their estrangement from Jill’s parents, Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar. During an episode of “The Unplanned Podcast,” the couple admitted that they couldn’t remember the last time they had seen Jim Bob. While they speculated that it might have been around the time their son Frederick was born in July 2022, they couldn’t pinpoint the exact date. Jill mentioned that it could have been at a wedding or birthday celebration, but definitely before the release of her memoir, “Counting the Cost,” in September 2023. They concluded that it had been over a year since they saw Jim Bob.
Although they haven’t had a sit-down conversation with Jim Bob and Michelle since the release of Jill’s memoir, the couple is still in contact with them. They acknowledged that their family might have criticisms about how Jill depicted her upbringing in the book, but they are treading lightly around the topic. Jill also revealed that she had visited her mom at least once last year.
In her memoir, Jill shared details about her childhood and her experiences growing up in the “cult-like” religious teachings of the Institute in Basic Life Principles (IBLP). While she hasn’t received her parents’ feedback on the book, she suspects that they have their opinions about it. Jill mentioned that her parents most likely listened to the audiobook version but added that she didn’t want to bring up the book during family gatherings as it might be a sensitive topic.
Jill and Derick tried therapy before but found it ineffective in resolving their differences with Jim Bob and Michelle. While Jill continues to work on figuring things out with her family, she addressed the trauma she endured from the controversial religion in the Prime Video docuseries “Shiny Happy People: Duggar Family Secrets.” In the series, former members criticized the IBLP teachings and raised concerns about the well-being of the children raised in the religious environment.
The Duggar family faced significant challenges following the revelations about Jill’s brother, Josh Duggar. Josh was sentenced to 12 years in prison in May 2022 for child pornography charges. The scandal resulted in the immediate cancellation of the family’s reality show, “19 Kids and Counting.” Jim Bob and Michelle responded to the docuseries but deemed it sensationalized and criticized the direction of entertainment.
Jill’s sister Jinger Duggar has also shared her experiences growing up in the same religious environment, highlighting the fears she had and the strict dress code she believed she had to follow. Jill and Derick’s situation with Jim Bob and Michelle remains unresolved as they continue to navigate their relationship while giving each other space to heal.
[Restate key facts: Jill Duggar and Derick Dillard discussed their estrangement from her parents, Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar, during an episode of “The Unplanned Podcast.” They couldn’t recall the last time they saw Jim Bob but speculated that it was over a year ago. Their estrangement stems from Jill’s tell-all memoir, which detailed her upbringing in the “cult-like” religious teachings of the IBLP. Despite the estrangement, they are still in contact with Jim Bob and Michelle but haven’t had a sit-down conversation since the book’s release. Jill and Derick are working to figure out their relationship with her family while respecting their boundaries.]