The Untold Truth Of Joy-Anna Duggar
If you haven't already heard of Joy-Anna Duggar, you've almost definitely heard of her family. Joy-Anna is the fifth daughter born to Jim Bob Duggar and Michelle Duggar, and the ninth of 19 children. Joy-Anna, like her brothers, sisters and parents, grew famous after being part of the TLC reality television shows 19 Kids and Counting and Jill & Jessa: Counting On. The shows document the unique lifestyle of her huge family, and it's been hard for anyone to look away.
Today, Joy-Anna is married to Austin Forsyth, so her legal name is actually Joy-Anna Forsyth (although a lot of people still think of her as a Duggar!). Joy-Anna obviously isn't shy about sharing the basics of her family life with the media, and there's a lot we all know about her — like the fact that she gave birth to her first child in February 2018. Still, there are things Joy-Anna hasn't been quite as vocal about. Below are a few little known interesting facts about Joy-Anna every Duggar fan needs to know.
Joy-Anna has a secret talent
Joy-Anna and her family are obviously very active in their church, so it shouldn't be surprising to hear that she takes part in services every once in a while. What you may not have known is that Joy-Anna is actually a great singer who sings for the church sometimes. In one video on YouTube, you can watch Joy-Anna and her siblings, Jinger and Jason, sing a few songs on stage during a church service. The video isn't very long — it's less than two minutes — but it's immediately clear that Joy-Anna has talent.
There's also proof out there that she doesn't only sing during church services. Another video on YouTube shows Joy-Anna singing the Christmas song "Blue Christmas" with her brother Jason and singer/fellow reality TV star Lawson Bates. It serves as a nice reminder that Joy-Anna can sing more than just religious songs in a church, and from the comments section, it's clear that fans love it.
Here's how she chose her son's name
In February 2018, Joy-Anna's life changed forever when she gave birth to her first child with her husband Austin — a son named Gideon. Joy-Anna revealed that she chose the name Gideon because of her strong religious faith. In an interview with Us Weekly, Joy-Anna said, "Austin and I wanted a strong name for our son and when he was born we decided on Gideon because it was a biblical name."
They didn't just pick "Gideon" because it was a name from the Bible. Joy-Anna explained that, in the Bible, Gideon was "a man of power and one that was willing to serve the Lord even when the odds were against him." She also seems to be hoping that the reference will help her son be just as religious as she is. She also told Us Weekly that when it comes to the her baby's future, she's most looking forward to the day Gideon will be old enough to understand the gospel.
Joy-Anna will probably follow in her parents' footsteps kids-wise
It's hard not to wonder if Joy-Anna will start her own huge family just like her parents. As it turns out, she probably will — or at least that's her current plan. In an interview with People before Gideon was born, Joy-Anna and Austin revealed that they both really love kids and can't wait to start a family of their own. They also made it clear that they aren't going to put a limit on how big that family will be. When asked how many kids she wants, Joy-Anna said, "We want as many as the Lord thinks we can handle and we are putting it into his hands."
It makes sense for Joy-Anna to feel that way, considering the family she grew up in. And since she and Austin have already started with their son, it seems like their little family of three will probably only grow from there!
Her wedding registry was full of pretty basic stuff
Joy-Anna and her now-husband Austin got married back in May 2017. Even though Joy-Anna is a well-known reality television star, her registry was actually filled with super low-key items. For a reality TV celebrity, her registry shows she may just be as humble as she seems on TV.
The Knot reported on a registry that appears to be for the couple, which listed many of the same basic items that so many other couples register for: a vacuum, a coffee grinder, bedding, towels, and other kitchen essentials. They also asked for tools like high-tech sanders and saws, and even Lowe's gift cards — so, clearly, they were planning some home improvement projects.
They kept romance in mind, registering for things like restaurant gift cards to places like Cracker Barrel and Panera for date nights. The registry also included matching hiking boots and a pair of tents, so assuming this is actually their registry, they were clearly looking for some outdoor adventures.
Joy-Anna and Austin bonded over more than just their faith
As it turns out, Joy-Anna and Austin have a mutual love of the outdoors, which isn't something everyone knows about the couple. Although they met through the church when Austin's family moved to Arkansas when they were kids, the two bonded over more than just their faith. In an interview with People, Joy-Anna talked about how they had experienced so much together as a couple, including road trips, hikes, and hunting.
The two made outdoor adventures a part of their wedding as well. On one episode of Counting On (via In Touch Weekly) we learned that, for their combined bachelor and bachelorette party, they decided to go camping. The two went away for the weekend with their friends to go tubing and kayaking before all sleeping in hammocks. In the show, they talk about how being outside is a huge part of their lives, and something they really love getting to share together.
Joy-Anna didn't like Austin when they first met
It probably seems like Joy-Anna and Austin are a match made in heaven: they met in church and are both extremely religious, they love to be outside and get a little adventurous, and they seem to share many of the same values when it comes to family. But they didn't always get along as well as they seem to now. In fact, Joy-Anna has admitted that she didn't really like Austin when she first met him.
In an episode of Counting On (via Hollywood Life) that aired before Joy-Anna and Austin got married, she revealed that the two met when they were kids — she was 5 years old and he was 8 years old. She said that she didn't really like Austin very much because he was young and immature, adding that she was as well. She said, "Yeah, I didn't think much about him." Obviously, that changed, and Joy-Anna ended up saying that she grew to love his "adventurous spirit" and how hard he works.
She got this dating advice from her sisters
When it comes to dating, the Duggars do things a lot differently than many of us do. To start, they call it "courting" rather than dating. They also have a lot of very strict rules. When courting, there is no almost no physical contact allowed, and that includes kissing. Navigating the rules along with the anxiety that usually comes when being around someone you like can be tough, so it's not shocking that Joy-Anna needed some help.
In an interview with People, she said that she took a lot of courting advice from her sisters who had been through it before. She said, "I was able to ask them just a lot of questions and wisdom about what they did and didn't do and then just making it special. Showing him how much I appreciate him, it's been amazing." Considering that she and Austin are now married with a family of their own, it seems like her sisters were pretty helpful!
Fans have criticized Joy-Anna for having a messy home
Being in the public eye, Joy-Anna and her family are no strangers to criticism. Still, it can't be fun to deal with all the time! One thing that Joy-Anna has gotten a lot of flack for is being a little messy. Before giving birth to her son, Joy-Anna took a video tour of her home with Austin and posted it on her personal Instagram page. In the video, which has since been deleted, Joy-Anna walks from room to room showing her followers her house.
However, her followers were quick to point out that they found Joy-Anna's house to be a little too cluttered for their liking. According to The Hollywood Gossip, fans said that the nursery looked like a "storage room" and criticized her for not cleaning more before showing the place off, even though she did note that they were doing work on the house.
Joy-Anna wears pants
One of the most intriguing things about the Duggar family is that they have a lot of strict rules they are expected to follow. A big one is that the women in the family are expected to dress modestly and femininely. Duggar matriarch Michelle even detailed in a blog post for TLC that "I really should be defining who I am as a woman by choosing to wear dresses and skirts," which is a roundabout way of saying no pants. Though, sometimes the Duggar women get away with their pants-wearing by layering skirts or dresses overtop.
It appears that Joy-Anna and her siblings sometimes break this rule, though, and one notable time was during an episode of Counting On (via Inquisitr). In one video clip of Joy-Anna and Austin on their honeymoon, you can see Joy-Anna wearing a pair of ski pants — with no skirt or dress to be seen. Fans were shocked, because Joy-Anna normally abides by the modest dressing rules pretty strictly.