Joy-Anna Duggar reveals what she resents most about her controversial family – as she opens up about the enduring toll of growing up in the spotlight: ‘It’s frustrating’

Joy-Anna Duggar has revealed what she resents most about her controversial family – as she clapped back at people who compare her to her parents and assume she agrees with their strict religious teachings.

The 26-year-old 19 Kids and Counting star admitted she’s “tired” of having to be in the spotlight and hearing everyone’s opinions on her life.

Joy-Anna has opened up about dealing with the aftermath of her family’s controversy, which saw her parents Jim Bob, 58, and Michelle, 57, both devout followers of the Institute in Basic Life Principles, come under fire because they raised their children with ‘cult-like beliefs.’

Now, Joy-Anna has shared what it was like growing up under the glare of reality TV in a new YouTube video, as she begged people to treat her like her “own person.”

The 26-year-old 19 Kids and Counting star admitted she was ‘tired’ of living in the spotlight and hearing everyone’s opinions on her life

Now, Joy-Anna has shared what it was like growing up in the spotlight in a new YouTube video and begged people to treat her like her ‘own person’

In the clip, the 26-year-old mother of three answered questions submitted by her subscribers.

She then opened up about the hardest part of growing up in front of the cameras — and dealing with the ongoing shame that surrounds her family to this day.

“Probably the hardest thing is having everyone have an opinion about your life,” she said.

The former reality star then recalled a hate message she received from a troll.

“It’s hard because people have their opinions, and there are times when it doesn’t bother me, but there are other times when I feel knocked down, and those things often come back and they do bother me. the mother of three added.

Joy-Anna noted that for this reason she often feels like she has to be careful about the comments she reads and when she reads them.

She added, “It’s frustrating when people say things when they don’t really know us, because in my heart I really want them to know me.

“I would like people to get to know me for me and not for my whole family, if that makes sense.

In the clip, the 26-year-old mother of three answered questions submitted by her subscribers

Joy-Anna noted that for this reason she often feels like she has to be careful about the comments she reads and when she reads them

In 2015, Jill (second from right) and Jessa (middle) made headlines when they revealed their brother had abused them. Two years later, Jinger (second from left) and Joy (left) were identified as the other victims

The explosive Amazon Prime docuseries about the family, titled Shiny Happy People: Duggar Family Secrets, showed the family’s dirty laundry

“Like, I’m an individual, I’m not lumped together as a whole family, but I like to get to know all my siblings individually and not lump everyone together.”

Later in the video, she revealed that she is closest to her sister Jinger – adding that while she enjoys visiting her siblings, she would never move to Los Angeles.

The family made headlines when a bombshell report hit the internet in 2015 claiming that Josh, now 35, had admitted to abusing four of his siblings years ago, and that his own parents, Jim Bob and Michelle, suspected were aware and had not reported the abuse. — it completely destroyed the wholesome on-screen image the family had worked so hard to build over the course of their multiple TLC reality shows.

According to Jill, who spoke out in Amazon Prime’s explosive docuseries about the family, titled Shiny Happy People: Duggar Family Secrets, when news of Josh’s alleged abuse was made public in 2015, her father’s main focus was on protecting the family’s squeaky clean reputation. – instead of the victims.

She recalled that there was “urgency” in “trying to figure out” how the show could continue in the wake of the scandal.

A 2015 report claimed that Josh admitted to abusing his siblings years ago, and that his parents Jim Bob and Michelle knew and did not report it.

According to Jill, when news of Josh’s alleged abuse became public in 2015, her father’s focus was on protecting the family’s squeaky clean reputation – not the victims.

In the past, Jinger has also spoken out against her family and their ultra-strict beliefs

At the time, she and her younger sister Jessa sat down with Megyn Kelly to discuss the harrowing allegations during a lengthy interview, in which they confirmed that their brother had touched them inappropriately but defended him from people who had labeled him a “child molester” . , pedophile or rapist.’

In the explosive Amazon Prime docuseries about the family, titled Shiny Happy People: Duggar Family Secrets, Jill claimed that her father tricked her into signing a contract that forced her to continue filming against her will, and that she was given no choice but to videotape. the birth of her son, despite telling the production crew that she was uncomfortable with it.

In the past, Jinger has also spoken out against her family and their ultra-strict beliefs.

She exposed the lasting trauma of her incredibly strict upbringing, revealing that she was left ‘crippled with fear’ and ‘terrified of the outside world’ as a result of the rigid ‘cult-like’ rules she had to follow as a cult. child in an interview with People.