The Craziest Duggar Family Moments You Didn't See On TV

The Duggars are pretty skilled when it comes to keeping their most wild moments off-camera, preferring to keep Counting On episodes limited to fun events like weddings and births. But when TLC's production crew heads home for the day, Michelle and Jim Bob Duggar — along with their 19 kids and in-laws — tend to let loose. From Derick Dillard's run-in with a cat while sledding (it's a long story) to Michelle's mental breakdown in her laundry room, you never know what's going to happen when the Duggars let their guards down.

Of course, social media hasn't done the large clan any favors where it concerns their dramatic lives off-camera. Just ask cousin Amy Duggar King who supposedly got into a major dispute with her famous fam after she shared an intimate photo of Joy-Anna (Duggar) Forsyth post-delivery. But wait — that's not all. Let's dive into all of the Duggars' shocking moments that TLC's cameras didn't capture.

It's no secret Duggar family weddings are big, often drawing crowds of over 1,000 people. And given the large size of these events, it's not that surprising things go awry from time to time. A perfect example of this? Look no further than Josiah and Lauren Duggar's wedding in June 2018. Although TLC cameras painted the nuptials as near perfect, a guest told Radar Online the ceremony was a mess from start to finish. "The whole event was chaotic," the supposed insider shared. "Everything was messed up." Yikes.

The guest went on to blame the wedding's organizer for the trouble, arguing: "The organizer messed everything up for the volunteers and the venue. The wedding was still being set up the afternoon of." 

Radar also reported that the whole affair "was planned for free by a friend of the famous family." Hmm... could that have been code for Michelle and Jim Bob Duggar enlisting one of their other 19 kids to plan the occasion? Either way, we hope Lauren and Josiah enjoyed their special day in spite of the alleged drama. 

Before multiple scandals rocked Josh Duggar's world, he and his brother John Duggar became local heroes in February 2010 after they saved a 6-year-old girl's life. Josh was working at his used car dealership in Arkansas when three cars collided at an intersection across from the business. The little girl was one of the crash victims, and her grandmother rushed her over to the dealership for help.

Luckily, Josh and John both previously worked as a volunteer firefighters, so John started CPR on the child, who was reportedly "unresponsive," while Josh phoned 911. "Having a daughter of my own, I felt such a connection there," Josh told People of the harrowing event. "I was glad to have had some trauma training."

Jim Bob Duggar also chimed in about his sons' heroic efforts, telling the mag, "I am so proud of my two oldest sons ... You pour your life into your children, and it was so encouraging that they had such a quick response and were ready to help. They made a difference."

Arguably one of the most shocking off-camera moments in the Duggar family concerns Josh Duggar's cheating scandal. Many fans were shocked when in August 2015 Josh admitted to being unfaithful to his wife, Anna Duggar, via the adultery website Ashley Madison. Complicating matters further was the fact that Josh was working at the the Family Research Council, an organization dedicated to advancing "faith, family, and freedom in public policy," when the news broke. You can't make this stuff up.

"I have been the biggest hypocrite ever," Josh said in a statement after he was caught. "While espousing faith and family values, I have secretly over the last several years been viewing pornography on the internet and this became a secret addiction and I became unfaithful to my wife ... I humbly ask for your forgiveness. Please pray for my precious wife Anna and our family during this time." 

The revelation of Josh's secret life painted a dark portrait of the man who famously serenaded his new bride with a song with about loyalty at their September 2008 wedding. "I'll be there, until the end with you. I'll do my best to be faithful and true," one line of the song read. Sigh.

Arguably the most earth-shattering moment in Duggar history was when Josh admitted to inappropriately touching his sisters when he was a teenager. Fans learned about the disturbing situation in May 2015 via police documents that revealed Josh was investigated in 2006 for allegedly molesting his underage sisters when he was just 14-years-old. Shortly after the scandal went public, Josh admitted his "wrongdoing" on May 21, 2015. 

"Twelve years ago, as a young teenager I acted inexcusably for which I am extremely sorry and deeply regret. I hurt others, including my family and close friends. I confessed this to my parents who took several steps to help me address the situation," Josh said in a statement about the events that took place in 2002 and 2003, according to the Duggar Family's Facebook page. "We spoke with the authorities where I confessed my wrongdoing and my parents arranged for me and those affected by my actions to receive counseling ... I would do anything to go back to those teen years and take different actions."

During an interview with Megyn Kelly in June 2015, two of Josh's victims — Jessa and Jill Duggar (above) — spoke out about the scandal going public. "I see it as a revictimization that's 1,000 times worse," Jill said through tears.

As a result of Josh's actions, TLC cancelled 19 Kids & Counting in July 2015 after nine seasons. 

The Duggars like to play nice for TLC's cameras, rarely addressing feuds or grievances between one another for public consumption. This all changed, however, in August 2015 when Jessa (Duggar) Seewald's father-in-law, Michael Seewald (above right), slammed Josh Duggar for cheating in a blog post titled, "Grief, Shame, and Taking the Lord's Name in Vain." 

"It distresses me to say that Josh Duggar's greatest sin is a byproduct of the sum total of his secretly sinful lifestyle," Michael wrote in a portion of the lengthy post, according to Us Weekly. "That is, that by his hypocrisy, he blasphemed the name of God. He claimed to be a Christian, but by his deeds he has suggested otherwise. With the name of God on his lips he lived a covert and extensive lifestyle of evil." Dang. Tell us how you really feel, Mr. Seewald.

Although Michael's post has since been deleted (we have a feeling Jim Bob Duggar wasn't thrilled with it), his harsh words were forever captured by numerous outlets that picked up the juicy story. Oops. 

When Derick Dillard first stepped onto the scene sometime in 2014, many viewers pegged him as a nice and stable suitor for Jill Duggar. But that goodwill quickly evaporated following some questionable incidents, like when Derick allegedly sledded over a cat in March 2015.

In an Instagram clip of the incident, Derick can be heard telling the cat to "move" out of his way. When the cat doesn't oblige, Derick hops onto the sled and gets pushed in the animal's direction. The camera moves away for the alleged moment of impact, but swings back in time to show the cat jumping away, a sight that enraged countless fans and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA).

 "Might doesn't make right, but that's the message you have sent to scores of impressionable young children and loyal fans," Sarah Withrow King, PETA's Director of Christian Outreach, said in a statement. "I hope you'll publicly apologize for your actions, and remind your followers that Jesus' command to 'do unto others' includes all of God's creatures." 

As of this writing, Derick hasn't responded to PETA's public plea.

Months after Derick Dillard was abruptly fired from Counting On in November 2017 for derogatory statements he made about fellow TLC star Jazz Jennings, he took to Twitter to attack the network for various grievances. Apparently, Derick was miffed that TLC didn't shell out for his son's post-delivery medical bills, a beef he addressed in March 2018. "We could pay for it fine; I had a great job. The point is, I thought that at least since they were making money off the birth special episode, they could help soften the burden a little," he ranted in a since-deleted tweet, according to In Touch Weekly.

But wait — the drama didn't stop there. The dad also claimed that he and his wife Jill (Duggar) Dillard were TLC's "volunteers" (the network hasn't addressed this allegation) and that they weren't paid for their time on the show. Say what now? 

As if those digs weren't enough, Derick also responded to TLC's tweet promoting reality series Nate and Jeremiah By Design with a hurtful jab. "What a travesty of family," Derrick tweeted (via People) about the gay couple who star on the show. "It's sad how blatant the liberal agenda is, such that it both highlights and celebrates a lifestyle so degrading to children on public television as if it should be normal," he continued.  

Sounds like someone shouldn't be counting on any new TLC gigs coming his way anytime soon, huh? 

You don't have to be a fan of the Duggars to know that the family has controversial views about the LGBTQ community. But what many people don't know is that the clan's hurtful stances might have led to the firing of a 17 Kids & Counting crew member.

Although the story hasn't been verified, a supposed insider told the now defunct website Defamer that in 2008 Michelle Duggar became enraged after she learned that a male producer was gay. The topic came up after Michelle asked the crew about the safety of New York City, supposedly commenting: "Well, I hear the city is overrun by ... gays ... has that been causing a lot of problems?" 

Not taking the remark too seriously, the crew "laughed and motioned at one of their co-workers who happened to be gay," according to In Touch Weekly. Michelle noticed the gesture and then she allegedly started screaming at the producer. 

Following the rumored incident, the crew member was transferred to a new production set, and future staffers were "suspiciously more and more straight-edged Christian than you'd typically see on the set of a television show."

The insider also revealed that crew members were told not to punch holes in the Duggars' version of reality. "We were constantly reminded that we were not to upset them or taint their version of the world, which is why they wanted limited conversation," the source claimed. 

Michelle Duggar is best known for her sugary sweet voice and her calm demeanor. But when TLC's production crew leaves for the day, the mom-of-19 allegedly drops that positive persona like a hot potato. Case in point: In April 2018, son-in-law Derick Dillard covertly filmed Michelle admonishing her then 10-year-old daughter, Jennifer Duggar, which included allegedly stern words and a finger wag in the little girl's face, according to In Touch Weekly. The full video is no longer available, but fans were able to make a GIF of the eerie moment before it was deleted. "She changed character way too quick... I'm actually disgusted!!!" one Redditor said about the image. "Michelle's personality switch is truly haunting," someone else agreed.

Although it's completely normal for a parent to get frustrated with a child, this incident stands out for the way Michelle immediately snapped back to her cheery self once she realized Derick was recording for Instagram Live. This off-camera moment just goes to show nothing is ever as it seems.

Michelle Duggar does a fantastic job of making it appear like she has all of her ducks in a row at all times. But before she adopted her super mom persona, she suffered a late-night, mental breakdown over household chores. 

"It was 1:00 AM in the morning as I stood folding laundry with tears streaming down my cheeks," Michelle recalled in an April 2016 blog post. "Feelings of being overwhelmed flooded my mind. I cried aloud, 'LORD I NEED YOUR HELP, I can't do it all! I feel so inadequate! Diapers, dishes, laundry, meals, cleanup, school lessons, baths, hugs, kisses, correction...' My list seemed to go on and on." Woah. We can't help but feel for Michelle in this situation — it sounds like she went through a really difficult time.

The good news? Michelle was able to bounce back after she supposedly received a message from the big guy upstairs. "Then it was as if a still small voice said, 'Michelle, it's easy to praise ME when things are going good, but are you willing to praise ME now,'" Michelle added. "I said, 'OK Lord, I will praise you even now!' ... In my heart there was a release as if a burden had been lifted. I finished the laundry at 2 AM and went to bed." Um... problem solved?

In February 2018, Amy Duggar King, aka Michell and Jim Bob Duggar's niece, made a big boo boo when she shared then quickly deleted a post-delivery photo of her cousin Joy-Anna (Duggar) Forsyth to Instagram (via Inquisitr). Although it's generally normal for a family member to share a snap of another family member with their newborn infant, it's important to remember here that the Duggars are very private when it comes to their deliveries. 

Making matters even more problematic? The picture showed Joy-Anna in a hospital, which tipped fans off that the reality star didn't have a home birth. Considering the Duggars prefer home births and try to achieve them at all costs, there's a good chance Joy-Anna didn't feel comfortable with Amy's post. Shortly after Amy shared the pic, she deleted it and switched her Instagram account from public to private. The move made many fans question the strength of Amy's relationship with the Duggars, a suspicion that was seemingly validated in June 2018 by an insider who spoke to Radar Online.

"Amy is not allowed to talk about the Duggars anymore," the insider claimed. "Amy went through her Instagram and had to delete all the pictures she had with her cousins."

Given that the Duggars like to pretend everything is hunky dory within their family, we'd argue this supposed falling out is pretty shocking.