Courtesy of Derick Dillard/Instagram; Courtesy of Jill Dillard/Instagram; Courtesy of Joy-Anna Duggar/Instagram
Derick Dillard ‘Likes’ Slew of Comments About Jill’s ‘Traumatic Childhood’ Amid Joy-Anna Duggar Drama
Derick Dillard is letting his feelings be known after Joy-Anna Duggar seemingly shaded his wife, Jill Duggar. The Counting On alum “liked” a slew of comments, including ones that mentioned the reality star‘s “traumatic childhood.”
It all started when Joy, 23, gave a thumbs up to an Instagram post shared on the DuggarBates Confessions account. “I realize Jill Duggar needs to distance herself from her family for mental health reasons, but I don’t understand why they need to make their issues with their family public,” the post read.
“Speaking out against them publicly will burn more bridges between them. They say they want to repair their relationship one day, but their actions don’t reflect that,” the message continued. “If I have an issue with my family, I deal with it privately. And I certainly don’t bank on it by going to media outlets and YouTube to air out the dirty laundry. It’s not very Christian if you ask me. I get the sense that Jill and Derick need money, and this is an easy route to get that money.”
In the comments, one person asked, “Jim Bob [Duggar] is that you?” referring to Jill’s father. “I don’t think ANY of us can judge how Jill is handling her family drama when it’s clear she had a traumatic childhood.” Another added, “She was mentally and emotionally abused her whole life and brainwashed using God. That’s my thoughts … good for Jill. Air that s–t out, girl … you deserve to be heard!” A third, meanwhile, chimed in, “The parents made millions by putting Jill’s life and the other kids‘ lives out for everyone to see … Jill had a right to talk about all the things she went through as a child and even as an adult.” A fourth said, “People who’ve been abused and faced trauma should never be silenced. Sometimes you have to burn bridges to protect yourself from abusers.” Derick, 31, “liked” all of these comments.
In 2015, Jill, 29, and Jessa Duggar identified themselves as two of the five underage girls Josh Duggar molested as a teen. Speaking with Megyn Kelly on Fox News, Jill said, “I was shocked. And I’m sad because this is my older brother who I love a lot. I was angry at first. I was like, ‘How could that happen?'”
“We were shocked, we were devastated,” Michelle Duggar told Kelly in a separate interview after Josh confessed to his wrongdoing. “As parents, we felt we’re failures. We tried to raise our kids to do what’s right — to know what’s right. And yet one of our children made really bad choices.”
Recently, Jill and Derick — who share kids Israel, 5, and Samuel, 3, — have distanced themselves from the family. “I never expected this to happen or for it to get to this point,” Jill told People in October 2020. “I’m realizing I can’t put a timeline on healing. I love my family and they love me. I really just have to follow God’s lead and take it one day at a time.”
As of February 2021, however, their relationship hasn’t gotten any better. Jill told Us Weekly there’s still “a little bit of drama there.”
If you or anyone you know has been sexually abused, call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673). A trained staff member will provide confidential, judgment-free support as well as local resources to assist in healing, recovering and more.
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