Jill Duggar Dillard's Memoir Gets Immediate Pushback (Including From One Of Her Brothers)
Jill Dugger Dillard gained notoriety for starring in the TLC show "19 Kids and Counting" alongside her parents, Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar, and her 18 siblings. She also appeared on its spinoff, "Counting On," until 2017. However, the Duggars have been plagued with controversy for their extreme religious views and the shocking revelation that Josh Duggar molested his sisters, Jill and Jessa Duggar. In recent years, Jill, who is married to Derick Dillard, has made it clear that she no longer follows her parent's strict beliefs or rules.
In late May 2023, she announced her tell-all book "Counting the Cost," written with Derick and author Craig Borlase. On Instagram, Jill wrote that the memoir "details our painful journey as part of the reality-show-filming Duggar family." However, the feedback for this news has been met with controversy. Instagram users put Jill on blast, saying she was doing the wrong thing by publicly talking about her family. According to In Touch Weekly, Jill's brother, Jedd Duggar, liked these comments, much to the chagrin of Jill's fans.
One of these fans shot back at Jed by referencing the molestation scandal and said, "It's really shameful how your siblings turned on Jill instead of your father." Jed replied, "Excuse you, but you don't know our family at all. Please don't make assumptions about things that 100% [is] none of your business. The true shame is on you."
This isn't the first time Jill has spoken out about her family
The news of Jill Dillard Duggar's tell-all came before the release of the Prime documentary series "Shiny Happy People: Duggar Family Secrets." The series explores the Duggars' cult-like faith, the Institute in Basic Life Principles (IBLP), a Christian-based organization. Moreover, "Shiny Happy People: Duggar Family Secrets" delves into the religious group's sex scandals, including Josh Duggar's. Jill and her husband, Derick Dillard, appear in the series. In one clip, Jill reflects on how Jim Bob Duggar dealt with the molestation news coming to light. She noted that he was more concerned about the negative press than his daughters.
This led Jill and Jessa Duggar to do damage control through an interview with Megyn Kelly, where they defended Josh and how their parents handled the incident. Recalling this moment, Jill noted that it was her choice to do the interview but said, "I don't even like to talk about it because it's not something that I'm proud of. If I hadn't felt obligated to one, do it for the sake of the show, and two, do it for the sake of my parents, I wouldn't have done it" (via the Daily Mail).
That said, Jill is not the only Duggar speaking out against the family. Her sister Jinger published "Becoming Free Indeed: My Story of Disentangling Faith from Fear" in early 2023. Jill's memoir, "Counting the Cost," will be released in January 2024.