Courtesy of James Duggar/Instagram; Shutterstock
Justin Duggar’s Mother-in-Law Defends Family After James Slammed for Father’s Day Tribute
Claire Spivey‘s mom, Hilary Spivey, came to the defense of the Duggar family after Claire’s brother-in-law, James Duggar, was slammed for posting a touching Father’s Day tribute for dad Jim Bob Duggar.
“Happy Father’s Day to the man who has always been my biggest supporter. Pops, Thank you for your endless sacrifices,” the former reality TV star, 21, who is Justin Duggar’s older brother, shared in a lengthy tribute on June 18. “I am grateful to call you my dad, and I’m proud to be your child. Regardless of what anyone may say, you’re the best dad in the world!”
However, fans in the comment section clearly didn’t share the same sentiment and were quick to slam his message.
“I think you mean Happy Father’s Day Jill. Your parents did not raise you,” a user wrote under the photo. Hilary was quick to come to the Duggar family’s defense, responding, “Oh my goodness, I had no idea you were there!! Never saw you on the show.”
“Oh I’m sorry. I’ve never seen you either?” the commenter wrote back. “So you clearly know everything?”
Justin’s mother-in-law simply replied, “We’ve known them for 23 years.”
Meanwhile, another user slammed James’ character directly, writing, “Any woman who married you needs to know that you, too, will hide what your sons do to your daughters, very sad.”
Hilary had James’ back and clapped back at the remark in the comment section. “James is a winner. Super kind heart. He will be an awesome husband someday!” she wrote.
The user is directly referencing Jim Bob and how he is accused of covering his eldest son Josh Duggar’s crimes for years. In Touch broke the news in 2015 that Josh had inappropriately touched five underage girls when he was a teenager in 2006. While he was never charged with a crime, shortly after the news broke of his molestation scandal, it was revealed that among his victims were his sisters Jinger Duggar, Jill Dillard (née Duggar), Jessa Seewald (née Duggar), and Joy-Anna Forsyth (née Duggar).
James’ Instagram caption also seemingly shades Jill, 32, following her participation in the Shiny Happy People: Duggar Family Secrets documentary. The limited series, which debuted on June 1, took a deeper look into the Institute in Basic Life Principles (IBLP), the strict religion the famous family follows. Jill, alongside her husband, Derick Dillard, and their cousin, Amy King, were the only Duggar family members to participate.
Throughout the docuseries, Jill dropped major bombshells about Jim Bob’s “control” over the large brood and how she and her husband felt “taken advantage of” by him, as he received the money she should have earned for filming. He was supposed to distribute payment among the kids, but he did not pay them fairly or sometimes at all, according to Jill.
“For seven and a half years of my adult life, I was never paid,” Jill said.
Derick added, “[TLC] said they paid the family. ‘Paid the family’ means we don’t get anything at that point. They said, ‘Well, we paid your dad, so take it up with him.’”
Following the documentary’s release, Jim Bob and his wife, Michelle Duggar, released a statement rebuking its content.
“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. Like other families, ours too has experienced the joys and heartbreaks of life, just in a very public format,” the couple wrote on their website. “This ‘documentary’ paints so much and so many in a derogatory and sensationalized way because sadly that’s the direction of entertainment these days.”
The Counting On alums noted that they believed conflict was best mended in a “private setting.”
“We love every member of our family and will continue to do all we can to have a good relationship with each one. Through both the triumphs and the trials we have clung to our faith all the more and discovered that through the love and grace of Jesus, we find strength, comfort, and purpose,” Jim Bob and Michelle concluded.
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