Duggar Girls Who Have Broken The Family Rules With Piercings
Anyone who followed the Duggars' TLC reality shows "19 Kids and Counting" and spinoff "Counting On" likely recognizes just how differently they lived their lives. Despite being on television for many years, the family chose not to watch any of it themselves. Their cousin, Amy Duggar King, even shared the strange reason her family prohibited a kid-friendly cartoon. She posted on TikTok that she brought over "VeggieTales," a Christian-based cartoon, but her uncle, Jim Bob Duggar, wouldn't allow it because he did "not want [his] kids thinking vegetables talk."
On top of that, there were strict modesty standards for the women in the family, in particular. They were only allowed to wear long skirts or dresses, but no pants or shorts. The children were also expected to save their first kiss for marriage and only partake in hand-holding once their courtship evolved into an engagement. While these rules were openly discussed throughout their time on TLC, there were other controversial topics that weren't covered, leading many fans to wonder, for example, if any of the Duggar family members drink alcohol.
While some people assume that the famous family would take the most conservative stance on every issue, there appears to be some flexibility when it comes to piercings, at least for the women.
Jordyn Duggar got her mom's approval
Jordyn Duggar is the second youngest child in the Duggar family and her mom, Michelle Duggar, actually took her to get her ears pierced at a very young age. According to the Duggar family's 2014 blog post, Jordyn wanted to celebrate her sixth birthday by getting some sparkly accessories.
The reason this was such a milestone was because many of the Duggar children are so close in age that they actually overlap. As their blog post explained, there was a short period of time when the youngest Duggar child, Josie Duggar, turned five and was the same age as her sister, Jordyn, and their cousin, Mackynzie Duggar.
Therefore, turning six was a right of passage for the 18th-born Duggar and Jordyn was taken to a nearby boutique store to get little studs in her ears. While some people in the ultra-religious cult-like world of the Duggars may look down on piercings because they view any sort of markings on your body as unbiblical, it seems to be a gray area that's up for personal interpretation.
Jill Duggar was seen as a rebel for her nose piercing
Interestingly, when Jill Duggar Dillard decided to go beyond her ear piercing and get a nose ring, it became a major problem. Since Jill was already married and living outside of the Duggar family home, she clearly felt the freedom to start expressing herself in the way she'd always wanted to. It started with wearing pants, which some of the other adult Duggar women do now too, but choosing to pierce her nose was a much more controversial decision.
Jill knew this would be considered rebellious and according to Us Weekly, she touched on it in the "Shiny Happy People: Duggar Family Secrets" documentary, saying, "Eventually you start making your own decisions, like the nose ring that I got, and it's piece by piece." She continued, "Little by little ... [you] do what you need to survive." As for what Jill Duggar's relationship with her parents is like today, sadly, it appears to be quite tense and strained.
When you live so much of your life seeking the validation of those around you, it can be hard doing something that you know won't get their approval. However, not being able to truly express herself out of fear or judgment was something Jill had to overcome. Her lifestyle may still be a work in progress but it seems like the nose ring was a step toward true self-acceptance and freedom.
Jana Duggar still lives under her parents' authority
The Duggars were raised under the teachings of Bill Gothard, the founder of the Institute in Basic Life Principles. While the organization claims to provide "Christ-centered discipleship for individuals and families," much of its teachings have been deemed problematic due to their manipulation of scripture and emphasis on control.
One of the best examples is the fact that the oldest Duggar daughter, Jana Duggar, is still living at home under her parents' roof. While it may seem like she is choosing to stay there, Gothard's teachings actually require it because she hasn't got married yet. Jinger explained, in her interview with Allie Beth Stuckey, that as a single woman, you must remain at home until that "umbrella of authority" shifts to your husband.
This ideology also caused many fans to wonder if the single Duggar siblings were even allowed to travel alone. While Jana may have pierced ears, it likely wasn't something done without the approval of her parents because of the way their hierarchal structure is set up. This means that the decisions Jana makes, from clothing to jewelry, are restricted to things her parents find pleasing to both God and Gothard's teachings.
Jinger Duggar pushed the rules in a subtle way
Jinger Duggar Vuolo is no stranger to her parents' unique set of beliefs because she too grew up under those principles. However, she has changed quite a bit since marrying her husband, Jeremy Vuolo, and moving to Los Angeles, California. What you may not know about Jinger Duggar is that she always wanted to live in a big city but it seemed unrealistic given her upbringing.
When Jinger discussed her revelatory book, "Becoming Free Indeed," with People she delved into the fear she had throughout her childhood because of Bill Gothard's teachings. She wanted to be obedient to her parents and live a life honoring God above all else. However, in an interview with Good Morning America, Jinger emphasized her need to pull away from that oppressive ideology. Many fans believed that Jinger's second ear piercings were a sign of this separation.
According to The U.S. Sun, commenters were shocked that Jinger got a second given her fundamentalist background. One follower even wrote, "In the church I grew up in, ALL jewelry was a no-no other than a plain small wedding band. Pierced ears would be a ticket to hell no questions asked!" Luckily, Jinger does not seem to believe they're sinful or wrong. Moreover, she clarified to Entertainment Tonight that she's had to "agree to disagree" with her family members before, so this could easily be one of those instances as well.
Jessa is pushing the boundaries far beyond jewelry
While Jessa Duggar Seewald was considered one of the more strongwilled Duggar daughters during her time on reality television, she surprisingly only seems to have a single lobe piercing in her ears. Since Jessa has been wearing larger earrings for years, her parents were probably okay with this jewelry choice. Ironically, Jessa has kept a relatively low profile compared to her sisters. With Jinger Duggar Vuolo and Jill Duggar Dillard both releasing memoirs about their childhood and strict upbringing, many fans wondered why Jessa is seemingly remaining silent.
According to InTouch Weekly, Jessa has been noticeably absent from several recent Duggar family events, while her husband, Ben Seewald, has been giving sermons that may be directed at his in-laws' hypocrisy. Without a Crystal Ball pointed out how Seewald warned against those who accept public praise but don't act out their faith when no one is looking, adding, "People do not know they are deceived by false religion which is WHY they need to look at WHAT they are being taught."
Jessa's husband appeared to be directly calling out the blind obedience that her family has to Gothard and his highly restrictive teachings. Therefore, even if Jessa isn't speaking out publicly, subtle choices are evidently being made behind closed doors that show she and her sisters are finally making their own decisions separate from Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar's influence.