Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar ‘don’t want’ younger kids to see explosive documentary
It seems like things are starting to fall apart for Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar.
The couple is calling for the youngest of their 19 children not to get a chance to see the docuseries Shiny Happy People: Duggar Family Secrets – an exposé about the Duggars and their religious beliefs – an insider told In contact.
While the Duggar parents unequivocally “don’t want” the youngest members of their brood to see the explosive documentary, the anonymous source admitted that it “might be impossible” to keep their underage children off it forever.
“There’s no escaping it,” the insider said. “You can bury your head in the sand, but nobody talks about that.”
Jim Bob, 57, and Michelle Duggar, 56, raised their children to follow the Christian fundamentalist teachings of the Institute of Basic Life Principles
The couple are still raising four children under the age of 18: Johannah, 17, Jennifer, 15, Jordyn-Grace, 14, and Josie, 13 (pictured earlier)
The docuseries delves into the Duggars and their adherence to the fundamentalist Christian organization Institute of Basic Life Principles
“Some refuse to watch it, while others secretly watch it,” the source added.
Jim Bob, 57, and Michelle, 56, are still raising four children under the age of 18: Johannah, 17, Jennifer, 15, Jordyn-Grace, 14, and Josie, 13.
The four girls released an album in 2018 titled Happy Hearts which also features their 13-year-old niece Mackynzie Renée – the firstborn of disgraced eldest child Josh and his wife Anna.
It is currently the only item for sale DuggarStore.com.
The songs include a series of religious hymns and a rendition of The Star-Spangled Banner.
Speaking about the Duggars’ condition more broadly, the source told InTouch that “their family dynamic is literally collapsing.”
Just before the June 2 release of Shiny Happy People on Prime Video, Jim Bob and Michelle released a statement on The Duggar Family’s website.
It condemned the series, arguing that it “paints so much and so much in a derogatory and sensational way, because unfortunately that’s the direction of entertainment these days”.
The Duggar family rose to fame after participating in their own TLC show titled 19 Kids and Counting
Jill Duggar Dillard, 32, and her husband Derick Dillard, 34, are among the members of the Duggar family who spoke with the filmmakers of Shiny Happy People
“We have always believed that the best chance to mend damaged relationships or to reconcile differences is through love in a private setting,” continued the statement from the patriarch and matriarch of the reality TV family.
“We love every member of our family and will continue to do everything we can to maintain a good relationship with everyone.”
Of their 19 children, the fourth child Jill, 32, was the only one who agreed to be interviewed by the Shiny Happy People filmmakers.
She appeared in the documentary with her husband, Derick Dillard, 34.
The siblings’ cousin, Amy Duggar King, 36, along with her mother Deanna, 61, Jim Bob’s older sister, were also in attendance.
On the eve of Shiny Happy People’s release, Jim Bob and Michelle posted a statement on their website disapproving of the docuseries.
One of the revelations Jill shared is that she, along with her siblings, never saw a dime of the profits from the original 19 Kids and Counting show.
Jill also confessed that she did not want the birth of her first child with Derick to be televised.
However, TLC insisted it be documented for a spin-off series she starred in alongside her sister Jessa, titled Counting On.
The network eventually agreed to give members of the family cameras with which they themselves recorded the length of Jill’s 70-hour labor.