Courtesy of Jill Duggar/Instagram; Shutterstock
Jill Duggar Slammed by Fans for ‘Selling Out Parents’ Amid ‘Counting the Cost’ Tell-All Book Release
Ouch. Jill Duggar was slammed after a fan accused the TLC personality of “selling out her parents” amid the release of her and husband, Derick Dillard’s new book, Counting the Cost.
“It’s been a full week! We did a thing … the audiobook is finally recorded,” Jill, 32, wrote via Instagram on Saturday, July 29, as snapped a selfie from inside a recording studio. “I’m so grateful to everyone who helped make this happen … from childcare in and out of the studio and all the other help, prayers and support! Thanks so much!”
While fans rushed to the comment section to share their support for the reality TV couple’s latest endeavor, not everyone shared the same sentiment.
“Selling out your parents probably feels so fulfilling!” one troll wrote. “My parents weren’t perfect either. How do I get a book deal to throw them under the bus?
While Jill didn’t respond directly, fans were quick to have her back on her decision to share her story. “They had no problem selling her out, did they? Let it go,” one of her followers clapped back. Meanwhile, another added, “Her parents kept any earnings that she would have made from the show in TLC … this would be a fraction of what she would have been paid.”
The memoir – which was cowritten by Craig Borlase – is set to include the “unedited truth about the Duggars, the traditional Christian family that captivated the nation on TLC’s hit show 19 Kids and Counting,” according to the book’s description on Simon and Schuster’s website. Originally set to release in late 2023 or early 2024, Jill revealed via Instagram that thanks to the support and enthusiasm from fans, Counting the Cost will hit bookstores on September 12.
Counting the Cost’s description promises that Jill and Derick, 34, will share “the secrets, manipulation and intimidation behind the show that remained hidden from their fans.”
The memoir follows Jill and Derick’s appearance in the Prime docuseries Shiny Happy People: Duggar Family Secrets, which was released on the streaming giant on June 2, where Jill made several allegations against her family as well as their following of the Institute in Basic Life principles.
IBLP is a strict religion that the former 19 Kids & Counting stars practiced and that mom Michelle Duggar and husband, Jim Bob Duggar, have preached in their home. The institution — which was founded by Bill Gothard in 1961 — sparked controversy because of its patriarchal-dominated standards and mistreatment of women.
“My dad does control a lot of things in the family,” she explained in one scene. “Family relationships were already kinda rocky … Everything within the family dynamic has shifted, and not for the better.”
In response to Shiny Happy People, Jim Bob, 58, and Michelle, 56, released a statement challenging the docuseries.
“The recent ‘documentary’ that talks about our family is sad because in it we see the media and those with ill intentions hurting people we love,” the couple wrote on their website on June 1. “Like other families, ours too has experienced the joys and heartbreaks of life, just in a very public format. This ‘documentary’ paints so much and so many in a derogatory and sensationalized way because sadly that’s the direction of entertainment these days.”
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