Amy Duggar Says Cousin Jill Duggar Smiles ‘Brighter These Days’ After Distancing From Family

Is something good coming out of Jill Dillard (née Duggar) and husband Derick Dillard’s family feud with her parents? Cousin Amy King (née Duggar) revealed Jill is smiling “brighter” than ever lately in a new Instagram post shared on Tuesday, July 7. Though she didn’t explicitly mention Jill and Derick’s estrangement, the timing lines up with the “brokenness” in their relationship with parents Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar.

“You smile just a bit brighter these days!” Amy, 33, told Jill, 29, in the caption of the selfie they snapped together. “So proud of you, hippie chick!” In the comments, fans agreed that Jill is “looking happier” as she “forges her own path.” Others couldn’t help but remark that the mother of two’s confidence also seems to have “soared” as she finds her own way outside of the guidance of her parents.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CCWbXM4prta/

The family feud between the Dillards and the Duggars was originally only a thing of fan speculation, but Derick, 31, seemingly confirmed it back in October 2019. After a fan wrote that they hoped the rumors of a “falling out” between the two patriarchs weren’t true, the law student shot back, “Why do you hope it’s not true?” In December 2019, he got even more explicit as he revealed behind-the-scenes details about the families’ relationships with each other and with Counting On on TLC.

“All of the shows have been under [Jim Bob’s] contract, and he is the only one with a contract,” Derick told fans at the time. He explained they were “made to believe” they didn’t have a choice about filming, even stating they feared they “would be sued if [they] refused” to be on camera. “It’s not going to look good for TLC when it’s exposed that they pressured an abuse victim to continue filming when we tried to quit, just so they could continue with Jill & Jessa: Counting On after [19 Kids & Counting],” he said.

In May, an insider close to the family exclusively told In Touch Jill was “trying to stay out of” the drama between her husband and her father and remain neutral, but she’s also enjoyed the benefits of making her own choices as one half of a married couple. In December, the mother of two chopped off several inches of her hair, something the Duggars have looked down on in the past. She’s also started wearing pants and even denim shorts.

Her rebellious choices don’t just show in her personal style. After previously stating that she and Derick were planning to have “as many kids as God will give [them],” they’ve since hinted they’re using birth control. In August 2019, Derick broke down a common “misconception” fans have about the Dillards’ rules versus the Duggars’ rules. “My parents waited 11 years to start having kids, and there’s nothing wrong with that,” he said. “Each Christian family should follow God’s leading for their own family, regarding when and how many kids to have.”

Jill and Derick are finding their own way — and it seems like they’ve got cousin Amy’s full support.