Claire Spivey Sets The Record Straight About Her Courtship With Justin Duggar
When Claire Spivey and Justin Duggar confirmed their engagement in November, fans were understandably confused. It was just one day after Duggar's 18th birthday and, more to the point, the couple only announced they were together in September. Outwardly, it seemed like the smitten teens had only been dating — or, in Duggar parlance, courting — for two months, making the whole thing seem hasty. "There is nothing comparable to finding the one you are meant to spend your life with," they gushed to Us Weekly at the time.
As Counting On fans can attest, the rules for courting within the super conservative family are incredibly stringent. In Touch reported earlier this month that Spivey and Duggar aren't holding back on wedding planning. Her mother responded to a fan on Instagram inquiring as to when the big day is going to be with "next year!" Spivey's mom subsequently confirmed the couple has indeed set a date. Are they perhaps rushing down the aisle for the same raunchy reason Derick Dillard, husband of Jill Duggar, recently revealed to fans?
The teenage couple was together long before they went public
In reality, Claire Spivey and Justin Duggar have actually been courting for much longer than fans realized. Although they only went public two months before confirming their engagement, Spivey actually noted in her Instagram post sharing the news that they'd been courting for 14 months. Likewise, when one fan asked, "I'm not curious, I'm suspicious. He's just 18, and they've only been 'dating' for a few months. How would one come up with enough $$ to afford that ring in such a short period of time?" The 19-year-old Texan was quick to set the record straight, responding, "It was not necessarily a short period of time. From the beginning of our courtship, to engagement, [it] was 14 months."
She explained further, "When you wisely manage your finances over the years (not just during a courtship) you can afford purchases debt free by the legal 'adult' age of 18. And since you're not curious but suspicious as if he's earned his money unlawfully, he hasn't." This revelation means the teenage couple was dating for more than eight months before going public which, under the Duggar rules, doesn't necessarily make sense. Parents Jim Bob and Michelle require dates to be chaperoned, including during phone calls and online communications. However, Spivey clarified, "We announced to the family for official documentation in May!!" She added, "So it was 14 months, we just kept 8 of them quiet."