Where Are The Members Of The Duggar Family Now?

The following article includes references to child sexual abuse, religious abuse, eating disorders, homophobia, and transphobia.

When Discovery Health introduced viewers to Jim Bob Duggar, Michelle Duggar, and their congregation of kids in the 2004 special "14 Children and Pregnant Again!" it packaged the family as a modern-day marvel: How did Michelle keep so many children fed? And how were they so well-behaved?

As the family's size ballooned, their specials evolved into the more slickly produced TLC reality series "19 Kids and Counting." There was also an increased interest in the Duggars' lives away from the camera, including their involvement with Bill Gothard's Christian organization, the Institute in Basic Life Principles (IBLP). Its legalistic teachings seemed to dictate all aspects of the Duggars' lives, from what they wore (modest clothing) to their education (Michelle homeschooled the children using IBLP materials).

The Duggars' religious beliefs have regularly come under scrutiny. After In Touch broke its 2015 story about Josh Duggar sexually molesting his younger sisters as a teenager, Gawker published an exposé about the IBLP teachings that might foster a home environment where sexual abuse is allowed to go unchecked. Josh would later be charged with possessing and receiving child sexual abuse material, ending the Duggars' reality careers in 2021. Two years later, the Prime Video docuseries "Shiny Happy People: Duggar Family Secrets" promised to lift the lid on the seemingly toxic beliefs of the IBLP and the Duggars — but only a few family members participated in the project. So, what are the Duggars doing now that their daily lives are no longer being filmed?

If you or someone you know may be the victim of child abuse, please contact the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child (1-800-422-4453) or contact their live chat services.

If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).

In April 2021, Anna Duggar shared a video on Twitter that showed her, husband Josh Duggar, and their children celebrating some happy news. Pink confetti showered a smiling Josh and Anna after they raised an umbrella over their heads, their way of revealing that they were expecting a daughter. Days later, USA Today reported that Josh had been arrested.

When Josh and Anna welcomed their baby girl that November, members of the DuggarsSnark subreddit were stunned by their name choice: Madyson. This is because Josh had been forced to confess to cheating on Anna in 2015 after hackers outed him as a member of Ashley Madison, a website that advertised itself as a discreet way to arrange extramarital affairs. "I have been the biggest hypocrite ever," Josh admitted at the time, per CNN.

A month after Madyson's arrival, Josh was found guilty of possession and receipt of child sexual abuse material, and he was later slapped with a 12-year prison sentence. Some of Josh's siblings released statements condemning their brother's crimes. "We are thankful to God for exposing Josh's actions," read Jinger Duggar's statement in part on Instagram. Joy-Anna Duggar joined her sister in expressing sympathy for the victims involved and wrote on the Instagram account that she shares with her husband, "We agree with the judicial system's verdict." Jill Duggar and her husband also felt that justice was served. "This trial has felt more like a funeral than anything else," they wrote on their website.

If you or someone you know may be the victim of child abuse, please contact the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child (1-800-422-4453) or contact their live chat services.

If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).

The producers of "Shiny Happy People: Duggar Family Secrets" scored big when they got Jill Duggar to open up about the IBLP and her family. "IBLP and the teachings draw in people like my dad, who want this control," she claimed. 

Jill was one of Josh Duggar's molestation victims, and in 2015, she, her parents, and another victim, Jessa Duggar, downplayed the seriousness of Josh's actions during a sit-down with Fox News host Megyn Kelly. "It's not something that I'm proud of," Jill later said of her participation. Her husband, Derick Dillard, also appeared in the docuseries and blasted Jill's parents for making her feel as though she had to do the interview to help the family save their imperiled reality TV career. It didn't prevent "19 Kids and Counting" from getting canceled, but the Duggars soon returned to TLC in a Josh-free show bearing a shiny new title, "Counting On." 

After filming a few seasons of "Counting On," Jill and Derick decided to quit. In "Shiny Happy People," Jill explained that one huge issue was that she and Derick had received no form of payment for their work — even though they'd filmed footage of the birth of their first child themselves. "We were taken advantage of," she claimed. According to Jill, Jim Bob Duggar was the only family member getting paid and wasn't willing to compensate the couple for their past work unless they agreed to keep filming.

If you or someone you know may be the victim of child abuse, please contact the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child (1-800-422-4453) or contact their live chat services.

If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).

If you or someone you know is dealing with spiritual abuse, you can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1−800−799−7233. You can also find more information, resources, and support at their website.

To coincide with the premiere of "Shiny Happy People: Duggar Family Secrets," Jill Duggar made an announcement about something many Duggar detractors have wanted for a long time: She was going to release a tell-all book in early 2024. In an Instagram post, Jill revealed its title, "Counting the Cost," and shared a description that made it evident that she and her husband, Derick Dillard, didn't hold back while airing their grievances within its pages. "The challenges we have faced, including lack of respect for boundaries, greed, manipulation, and betrayal, are not that much different than what many people in our audience have faced. However, 15+ years of reality television, undergirded by secrecy and lies, is tantamount to pouring gasoline on the fire of our struggle," it read in part.

Jinger Duggar had previously published a memoir about her childhood, her experiences with the IBLP, and her decision to stop following the patriarchal religious organization's teachings. While promoting the 2023 book "Becoming Free Indeed," Jinger told People that much of what she'd been taught made her fearful, anxious, and uncertain. "There are a lot of cult-like tendencies," she said. In addition to chronicling the difficult process of discarding the beliefs that her parents pushed on her for so many years, Jinger took aim at Josh. "His sin gives Christ a bad name," she wrote. Jinger also shared her struggle with an eating disorder, revealing how her mother, Michelle Duggar, helped her overcome it.

If you or someone you know is dealing with spiritual abuse, you can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1−800−799−7233. You can also find more information, resources, and support at their website.

If you need help with an eating disorder, or know someone who does, help is available. Visit the National Eating Disorders Association website or contact NEDA's Live Helpline at 1-800-931-2237. You can also receive 24/7 Crisis Support via text (send NEDA to 741-741).

In 2013, Michelle Duggar was so against the idea of Jinger Duggar hightailing it out of Tontitown, Arkansas, and moving to an asphalt jungle that she spoke to Radar about Jinger's supposed noninterest in becoming an urbanite. On an episode of "19 Kids and Counting," Jinger had expressed an interest in living in a bustling metropolis like New York City. However, Michelle claimed, "Jinger meant she wanted to live 15 minutes from a Walmart." Jinger never moved to NYC, but she and her husband, Jeremy Vuolo, eventually settled down in Los Angeles. "I love living in Los Angeles," Jinger told E! News in February 2023. "It's been amazing."

Vuolo, a former professional soccer player, moved to Cali to attend seminary school and later landed a job leading a Bible study class for college students at Grace Community Church. The couple also tried their hand at being podcasters for a short while, and Jinger's booked some public speaking events. One such event includes the 2024 Answers in Genesis conference, "Reclaim: Answers for Women — Overcoming the War on Women for the Glory of God," which appears to be centered around harmful anti-trans rhetoric. "As Christian women, we need to give practical, biblically sound answers to a culture that is quickly erasing what it means to be a woman," the website alleges. "We need to raise the next generation to hold fast to the foundational truths of gender that begin in Genesis." 

Though it's unclear where Jinger herself stands on LGBTQ+ rights, it seems some of her parents' teachings maybe did stick.

The Duggars' biggest life moments used to be captured by TLC's cameras, and it seems that some members of the family have had a difficult time living life without lenses monitoring their every move. But nowadays, sisters Jessa Duggar and Joy-Anna Duggar are using YouTube to monetize special memories, including their children's births. Oh, and let's not forget those famous gender reveal parties; during one such event, Joy-Anna and her husband, Austin Forsyth, proved that pregnancies are still very much prized within their clan by using a helicopter to shower their family members with pink confetti.

Jessa has racked up over half a million views by giving her YouTube viewers a tour of her new house, and Joy-Anna occasionally interacts with her fans via Q&A videos. In one of them, posted in March 2023, she discussed her feelings about "Counting On" ending. "I do not miss the TV show. I think it was best for our family for it to end, but I do miss the film crew that we had," Joy-Anna said.

In another March 2023 video, Joy-Anna filmed a family hang-out sesh with guest appearances by Jinger Duggar and Jeremy Vuolo. Jeremy asked Joy-Anna if he could use some of her riveting footage of everyone sitting around for his own vlog, and Joy-Anna shot back, "You could just be more diligent and film for your own vlog. Put the work in." So, it seems there's some stuff on their YouTube channels that you never would have seen on their reality series.

Jim Bob Duggar's mother, Mary Duggar, often appeared alongside her family members on their reality shows. In a 2017 episode of "Counting On," she supervised a few of her grandsons as they moved her log home closer to the Duggars' house. "Grandma Duggar" said that she was looking forward to living within walking distance of the rest of the family.

She also shared a close bond with her daughter, Deanna Duggar, who was the first family member to learn of Mary's tragic death in June 2019. "[Mary] slipped and fell into the pool and drowned," the Washington County, Arkansas, coroner told People. "Her daughter Deanna discovered her body and alerted authorities, who pronounced her dead at the scene."

After the sad news broke, many of the Duggar siblings took to social media to pay tribute to their beloved grandmother. "On her last morning spent here on earth I drove Grandma to church where she worshiped her Savior. Later that afternoon, she went to meet Him face to face! I'd say that's probably how she would've chosen to finish out the day if she got to pick," Jana Duggar wrote in part on Instagram. The Duggars also filmed a "Counting On" episode titled "Grandma Duggar Remembered," which included footage of Mary's funeral and the family's preparations for it. Deanna's daughter, Amy Duggar, didn't appear in the episode, despite filming with the rest of the family in the past. "It's ok to grieve in private," she tweeted the day after the episode aired.

In an interview with Allie Beth Stuckey, Jinger Duggar revealed that she and her sisters weren't allowed to live away from home until they got married, so attending a brick-and-mortar college was out of the question. Getting a job that required leaving Jim Bob Duggar's domain was even verboten.  

Jana Duggar apparently still adheres to these rules. In a 2019 Instagram post, she answered a fan's question about her living situation by writing, "I've had the choice to move to another room, but love being in the girls' room with my sisters!" She was almost 30 years old at the time. In an episode of "Counting On" that aired that same year, Jana revealed that she's been in courtships that have failed. She also said that there are advantages to remaining unwed (besides avoiding additional years of child-rearing after helping her parents raise over a dozen babies). "I've really enjoyed the different opportunities that I've had [like] travel; even still being able to travel with my family that maybe my married siblings can't do," she stated (via Us Weekly).

Those who closely follow the Duggars' lives have various theories about why Jana has remained single. One member of the DuggarsSnark subreddit posited that Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar allegedly discouraged her from getting married for years because they needed her help at home. Unfortunately for her parents, her marriage prospects appeared to dwindle during that time, so there was seemingly no hope of a Jana wedding special saving their reality careers. 

Even after Josh Duggar's molestation and cheating scandals tarnished his family's reputation in 2015, there was no shortage of young women willing to hitch their wagons to the Duggar gravy train. Those who were rewarded with weddings that were filmed for "Counting On" included Kendra Caldwell, who married Joseph Duggar in 2017. The following year, Lauren Swanson tied the knot with Josiah Duggar, and Abbie Burnett said "I do" to John David Duggar.

Because TLC shared Justin Duggar and Claire Spivey's courtship announcement on its website in September 2020, it seemed that the network planned on eventually filming their nuptials. At the time, Justin was just 17 years old. "God brought Claire into my life and I wasn't really expecting it, but he brought her along right when I needed her," he said. The couple wed in February 2021, and TLC canceled "Counting On" four months later in response to Josh's arrest. So, if the network filmed any footage of the couple's wedding, it never aired.

Jedidiah "Jed" Duggar and Katey Nakatsu got married in early April 2021, just weeks before Josh's arrest. "We have enjoyed quietly developing our relationship over the past year and every moment together has been amazing!" Jed wrote in part on Instagram. His twin, Jeremiah Duggar, announced his engagement to Hannah Wissmann in January 2022, and the couple tied the knot two months later. This has left Jason, James, and Jackson as the only unmarried adult Duggar sons, as of this writing.

When it comes to Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar's grandkids, it seems that the counting will never stop. In 2022, Joy-Anna Duggar told her family that she was expecting her third child, a son she and Austin Forsyth later named Gunner. In a YouTube video, Joy-Anna became excited when Jim Bob told her that Gunner would be his 30th grandchild.

As of this writing, Josh Duggar has the most children out of all of his siblings. He and Anna Duggar's brood of seven includes Mackynzie, Michael, Marcus, Meredith, Mason, Maryella, and Madyson. But with Josh serving over 12 years in prison, his siblings have plenty of time to overtake him. Jessa Duggar and Ben Seewald welcomed their fourth child, Fern, in 2021. Jill Duggar and Derick Dillard's third son, Frederick, was born in 2022, and Joseph and Kendra Duggar also became parents of three when they celebrated the arrival of their daughter, Brooklyn, in 2021. John David and Abbie Duggar's second child, Charlie, was born in 2022, and Jedidiah and Katey Duggar announced the birth of their second child, a daughter named Nora, in June 2023.

Josiah and Lauren Duggar became first-time parents when their daughter, Bella, arrived in 2019, and Jeremiah and Hannah Duggar's first child, a baby girl named Brynley, was born in 2022. Josiah and Joseph have both stopped sharing life updates on social media, so it's entirely possible that they also have some children that we don't know about.

In 2001, Jim Bob Duggar and Michelle Duggar told the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette that they believe the Bible encourages them to spank their children (via QuiverFull). Michelle later explained on her Parentables blog that her family's infamous ban on pants and immodest clothing is also biblically inspired. But after a few Duggar daughters got married and moved out from under Jim Bob's umbrella of authority, the sinful allure of skinny jeans and sweatpants simply became too strong. For Jinger Duggar, trading jean skirts for actual jeans felt so monumental that she warned her parents that the wardrobe change was incoming. "When I first started wearing pants, I had conversations with them," she told People. In a YouTube video, Joy-Anna Duggar discussed her decision to give pants a chance, telling her viewers that it was something she and her husband spent a lot of time praying about. After a few years of Bible study, she, too, was ready for an inseam.

Jill Duggar told her YouTube subscribers that she similarly spoke to her husband, Derick Dillard, when she decided to start rocking pants and get her nose pierced. In 2020, Jill further shocked her Instagram followers by revealing that she'd enjoyed a piña colada of the non-virgin variety. "The Bible is very clear about drinking, and it simply says that alcohol is not a sin," Jinger told People. Oh, and Jinger also revealed that she no longer views dating and birth control as being worldly evils.

After revealing that she had suffered a miscarriage in February 2023, Jessa Duggar received an outpouring of sympathy from her YouTube subscribers. But some critics took note of her revelation that she had a dilation and curettage (D&C) to remove fetal tissue from her womb, the same procedure that is performed in some abortions. Jessa, after all, is so anti-choice that she compared abortion to the Holocaust in a 2014 Instagram post. "Do you think you're the only woman who's ever needed this procedure? This is literally why we need CHOICE," one YouTube commenter wrote.

OB/GYN Alan Lindemann, M.D., explained to The List that Jessa's D&C was not an "elective" abortion but a "therapeutic" one, due to her fetus having no heartbeat when it was performed. However, some doctors have seemingly become reticent to perform D&Cs at all, fearing that they may run afoul of the abortion bans that have been instituted in many U.S. states. The New York Times and NPR spoke to people who miscarried and were denied D&Cs in Texas and Ohio, even though their fetuses didn't have heartbeats. 

But in responding to criticism, Jessa ignored the discourse about how anti-choice views like her own are causing those in her same situation to be denied necessary miscarriage care. Instead, she used language that's familiar to many of her longtime followers, commenting in part, "To purposefully destroy a baby in the womb is an affront to the God who created that life."

The Duggars avoid the hassle of booking commercial flights for over a dozen people (and having strangers gawk at them) by having a few pilots in the family who can fly their large clan to religious conferences and speaking events around the country. John David Duggar — Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar's second-oldest son — is one of the members of the family who has obtained a pilot's license, but his love of taking to the sky almost ended in tragedy in October 2021. 

The Humphreys County Sheriff's Department in Waverly, Tennessee, told The Sun that John called 911 after crash-landing a Piper PA-30 plane with some family members onboard. "A family from Arkansas ran out of fuel and landed in a field," a spokesperson for the department said. However, People spoke to another rep who stated that John, who is also a certified flight instructor, blamed the scary incident on "double engine failure," not a failure to make sure that he had an adequate amount of fuel prior to takeoff.

John later revealed that his wife, Abbie Duggar, and their little girl, Grace, were passengers at the time of the crash. "An emergency landing or any kind of plane crash is a scary thing, but it's exactly what pilots are trained for. We are so thankful for God's protection, as we all walked away without injuries when this happened," John and Abbie said in a statement to Celebuzz.

Jana Duggar has certainly earned the nickname some fans have given her, "Cinderella Duggar," after spending so many years of her life living at home and helping her parents care for her younger siblings. "Jim Bob and Michelle have totally transitioned a lot of their parental responsibilities onto her," a source claimed to Radar in 2014. "She looks so tired and worn down sometimes. You can't help but feel bad for her. ... It's like she's been a parent ever since she was 13!" 

Jana's exhausting babysitting duties got her slapped with a misdemeanor child endangerment charge in 2021. An insider told Without a Crystal Ball that one of the children Jana was watching at the time was Josh and Anna Duggar's daughter, Maryella, who was two months away from her second birthday. A witness reportedly found the toddler wandering around alone somewhere outside the Duggars' home and contacted authorities.

Jana addressed the charge in a post on her Instagram Story, writing, "It was a case of a child slipping out of the house when you turn your back for a moment." She further revealed that a child welfare investigator who followed up on the incident determined that no harm had come to the child involved. Jana did not confirm or deny that the child was Maryella, but she did deny rumors that she'd been arrested over the incident. Instead, she was given a citation and later paid an $880 fine, per People.

Six months after Josh Duggar's 2021 arrest, Jim Bob Duggar announced his candidacy for the Arkansas State Senate. "Now more than ever, we need a bold voice that is pro-family, pro-business, pro-gun and pro-life," he wrote in part on Facebook. He finished third in the Republican primary. His son, Jedidiah Duggar, had made his own bid for political office the year prior. Jed labeled his Democratic opponent, Megan Godfrey, a "Liberal Princess" in a mailer that he sent out during the 2020 race to represent District 89 in the Arkansas House of Representatives. "People can try to diminish and erase girls by calling us names. We'll keep responding with dignity, bravery, and kindness," Godfrey tweeted in response to the attack. She ultimately defeated the younger Duggar.

Jim Bob was previously a member of the Arkansas House of Representatives from 1999 to 2002, and he launched a failed U.S. Senate campaign in 2002. In his campaign platform, he argued that rape and incest should be punishable by death.

Meanwhile, Josh once had a political career as the executive director of FRC Action, the lobbying branch of the Family Research Council. In that capacity, Josh spoke out against the legalization of same-sex marriage nationwide. In 2015, the man who is now spending over a decade in prison away from his children told CNS News, "Every single child deserves a mother and father." A few weeks later, Josh's molestation scandal would force him to resign from the FRC.

While interacting with his Instagram followers in 2019, Derick Dillard alleged that Jill Duggar isn't allowed to visit anyone at her parents' house unless Jim Bob Duggar is present. And in 2021, Jill told her YouTube subscribers that such a visit hasn't taken place in years. However, Michelle Duggar and Jill spent some time together during an April 2023 outing that included all female members of the family, per a post on Jinger Duggar's Instagram account. Michelle's married daughters all wore pants.

Anna Duggar also apparently still spends time with her in-laws. She appeared in the background of a family friend's Instagram photo that May, while Johannah Duggar was pictured in the foreground. "Divorce is never going to be a first option [for Anna]. It's going to be a last, last resort," a family insider told Fox News ahead of Josh Duggar's 2021 trial. "... She and [Josh's] family are going to stick by him no matter what."

However, Jinger explained that her family members' varying views on the organization that they used to all follow in lockstep, the IBLP, have somewhat divided the once tight-knit group. "I know that a lot of them are still in the system; a lot have kind of walked away from it," she told E! News in February 2023. While filming "Shiny Happy People," Jill said of the state of the Duggars, "Everything within the family dynamic has shifted — and not for the better."