Here's Why Fans Think Jed Duggar Is Courting

Jed Duggar is one busy guy. Fresh off running for local office in Arkansas and narrowly losing to his rival, the Counting On star may be dating somebody, too. Duggar took his political defeat in stride, writing on Facebook, "While I am disappointed that we came up short, I am grateful for the opportunity to listen and learn from so many amazing people that make Northwest Arkansas one of the best places to live in the USA."

The reality star turned politician only recently joined Instagram, where he posted plenty about his campaign. His extended family, on the other hand, remained largely silent with one Reddit user suggesting it's because the likes of Jessa want "to avoid politics on her Instagram so she doesn't end up losing sponsorships." However, Duggar's older sister may have utilized her active social media presence to reveal an aspect of his persona life he wasn't yet ready to discuss. 

Does Jed Duggar have a secret 'darling' of his own?

Fans are convinced Duggar secretly has a girlfriend after his sister posted a since-deleted video on her Instagram Live showing the family at the Fall Family Festival, which parents Jim Bob and Michelle were hosting. During one section, Duggar can be seen painting a pumpkin when Jessa teasingly asks him, "Are you going to paint one for your darling?" He responds simply, "How did you know?" The clip is still available on Jessa's YouTube channel at the time of writing (via Cheat Sheet).

Fans quickly began speculating that Duggar may be on his way down the aisle, since the super-conservative family only dates for one specific purpose (i.e. to get married at the end of it). The previous season of Counting On ended with a big courtship announcement, so it's entirely possible the next one could kick off with one, too. Now that Duggar has his own Instagram page, though, it's becoming increasingly likely we'll be introduced to his new "darling" there first.