Jill Duggar Shows Love for Sister Joy-Anna After Commenting on ‘Not Quite Supportive’ Siblings

Jill Dillard (née Duggar) publicly showed love for her younger sister Joy-Anna Forsyth (née Duggar) just days after she addressed the varying levels of support she’s received from her 18 siblings amid the release of her memoir, Counting the Cost. 

On Thursday, September 14, Joy-Anna, 25, took to Instagram to share a few mirror selfies in which youngest son Gunner, 4 months, napped on her chest in a carrier. “His best naps,” she captioned the carousel.

The next morning, Jill, 32, commented with a heart emoji, “Aw! So cute sis!”

Jill’s kind comment to her sister appears to indicate that she and Joy-Anna are on good terms after Counting the Cost hit shelves on Tuesday, September 12. In the book, Jill shares her perspective on the Duggar family’s fame brought on by their TLC reality shows, 19 Kids and Counting and Counting On, as well as their involvement in the Institute in Basic Life Principles (IBLP). Jill also gets candid about her relationship with her parents, Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar, as she details the control the Duggar patriarch had while she was growing up. Counting the Cost also dives into the aftermath of the revelation that eldest Duggar son Josh molested some of his sisters, including Jill, as well as his child pornography case. 

In an interview with Vanity Fair published on Wednesday, September 13, Jill said that she prefers not to discuss her relationships with her siblings in great depth. However, she did share that some siblings have been more supportive of her speaking out than others.

“We have some who are very supportive. Jinger [Vuolo (née Duggar)] and Jeremy [Vuolo] have been very supportive during Derick and I’s journey,” she said. “Other siblings have been privately supportive, and then some have not been quite as supportive — and that’s OK. I also see where they are at and I’m like, ‘I was there not very long ago.’ So I can extend grace.”

Like Jill, Jinger, 29, spoke out against the Duggar family’s religion in her book, Becoming Free Indeed, in January 2023. She showed support for Jill’s memoir during an appearance alongside husband Jeremy, 36, on The Tamron Hall Show on the day of the book’s release. 

“Jill’s a brave girl. And I think that her coming out and telling her story … I’m so glad that she’s found her voice and I love and support her,” she said. “I know that is the hardest thing to do.”

Deal of the Day

Only $12! — (And No One Will Know They Aren’t Designer) View Deal

Jinger continued, “Having just gone through that process, even, I don’t know if it would be a smaller scale, maybe. We are sharing our stories in even different ways, but I am just so glad that she is finding her voice and able to communicate what’s been on her heart for so many years.”

Jill’s other siblings have not publicly commented on her memoir. However, her parents broke their silence on the matter three days before its release. 

“We love all of our children very much. As with any family, few things are more painful than conflicts or problems among those you love,” Jim Bob, 58, and Michelle, 56, said in a statement to People on September 9. “We do not believe the best way to resolve conflicts, facilitate forgiveness and reconciliation, or to communicate through difficulties is through the media or in a public forum so we will not comment.”