Duggar Family Faces Criticism for Sharing ‘Clueless’ Photo of Pregnant Joy-Anna
Maybe mother doesn’t always know best. On Monday, October 28, Michelle and Jim Bob Duggar wished their daughter Joy-Anna Duggar a happy birthday on Instagram, posting several photos of her from over the years. However, when fans saw that they had included one of the young mom pregnant with her second child, who she later lost in a tragic miscarriage, they were upset on Joy’s behalf. Calling the Counting On stars “clueless,” Instagram commenters slammed the parents over the post.
“Happy birthday, Joy!! 💕” the Duggar family’s Instagram account wrote for her 22nd birthday. “One of [our] favorite things about you is that you always have a song in your heart to sing! In good times and in hard times, we have always heard your heart overflow with encouraging truth from God’s Word through song. It is beautiful, and so are you!! Now we get to sing to you tonight!! 🤗 🎶 🎉 Happy birthday, Joy… You are SO LOVED!!”
Fans spotted the star’s baby bump in one of the pictures, though, and took to the comments to suggest that the family could’ve chosen a better photo. “You seriously used a picture of your daughter when she was pregnant with her stillbirth??” one fan asked. “[That is] completely clueless and insensitive.” The Duggars’ followers were similarly upset when her BFF Carlin Bates posted another photo from Joy’s pregnancy. “Perhaps you could’ve left out the picture of Joy’s last pregnancy??? I’m sure it’s not easy for her to see. Just saying,” one wrote.
But the photo choice also raised another issue. Because the picture was from early in the TLC star’s pregnancy, some fans suspected that she might expecting again following her heartbreaking loss. “Is that a current picture of you?” one wanted to know. “If so … is there an announcement?” Another chimed in, “So, uh, does anyone else see the baby bump? Or is it [just] me?” A third agreed, “Sure looks like baby bump to me, too.” Other commenters who follow the family took the liberty of breaking the news that the photo was old. “That’s the one she lost,” one kindly explained.
Luckily, Joy didn’t seem to mind the potential misstep — and, as a Duggar, she’s probably used to the near-constant pregnancy speculation by now. Though she didn’t comment on her parents’ post, she had nothing but love for the photo Carlin shared, despite the fact that her baby bump was prominently featured. “THANK YOU, CARLIN!!!!” she wrote in response. “I love you more than I can express!!💜😘”
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