Courtesy of Amy King/Instagram; Shutterstock
Amy Duggar Is Estranged From Family, Is Close With Those Who Are ‘Out of IBLP’ and ‘Healing’
Amy King (née Duggar) says she’s estranged from her famous family following her appearance on the Prime Video documentary Shiny Happy People: Duggar Family Secrets.
“We talk to the ones that are out of IBLP and the ones that are healing,” Amy, 36, said during the Shiny Happy People: Duggar Family Secrets aftershow, which was shared via YouTube on Wednesday, June 21. “As far as everyone else, no.”
She continued, “That’s fine, that’s okay. You know, maybe they don’t see it yet, and they don’t see the truth or maybe they don’t wanna see the truth,” adding that none of the Duggars have reached out to her since the series premiered.
While the 19 Kids & Counting alum admits that “it sucks” to not be in contact with her family, she added that it all boils down to, “If you’re not going to protect your children, then I have to protect mine.”
“It sucks that we don’t get a chance to be with our family members because we still love them. We might not agree with them and we’re gonna stand for the truth,” she said. “But it’s hard because we still have all those memories and all that stuff with them.”
This is not the first time Amy has opened up about her strained relationship with her uncle Jim Bob Duggar and aunt Michelle Duggar, however. She, along with her husband Dillon King, cousin Jill Dillard (née Duggar) and Jill’s husband, Derick Dillard, revealed where they currently stand with the family during their appearances on the docuseries.
“My dad does control a lot of things in the family,” Jill, 32, said in episode four of the series. “Family relationships were already kinda rocky … Everything within the family dynamic has shifted, and not for the better.”
Derick, 34, added, “We’re very much on the outside with the family,” while Amy and Dillon claimed, “They don’t talk to us and so for us, we don’t know what’s going on.”
Shortly after the expository series dropped on June 1, the Arkansas-based couple released a statement calling the series “derogatory and sensationalized.”
“We love every member of our family and will continue to do all we can to have a good relationship with each one,” the couple added via their family blog. “We have always believed that the best chance to repair damaged relationships, or to reconcile differences, is through love in a private setting.”
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