- Jill Duggar Dillard opens up about strained relationship with her father Jim Bob Duggar
- Interview with People reveals lack of one-on-one contact between Jill and Jim Bob
- Dillard discusses the toll of reality TV on her marriage
Former TLC reality star Jill Duggar Dillard opens up about the toll of growing up on TLC’s “19 Kids And Counting” and how it affected her relationships with her father, Jim Bob Duggar, and her husband, Derick Dillard.
In a candid interview with People, Dillard describes her current relationship with her dad as “difficult” and reveals that they no longer have one-on-one contact. “We don’t see eye-to-eye on a lot of things,” Dillard explains.
The mother of three, who married Derick in 2014, made the choice to distance herself from her father because he would try to manipulate her whenever they had one-on-one conversations. Dillard states that although she loves her father, she had to establish “healthy boundaries” with him.
Dillard attributes some of the tension between her and her dad to the demanding filming schedule he imposed on her and Derick after their marriage. According to People, the couple’s book “Counting the Cost,” set to be released on September 12, reveals their desire to step away from the spotlight but their contractual obligation to be available for TLC’s cameras 20 hours a week.
Dillard appeared on over 50 episodes of the “19 Kids And Counting” spinoff “Counting On” from 2015 to 2020 following the cancellation of the original series due to her brother Josh Duggar’s alleged molestation scandal.
D Dipasupil/Getty Images; D Dipasupil/Getty Images for Extra
Dillard explains that her family’s involvement with the Institute of Basic Life Principles (IBLP), an ultra-conservative, controversial Christian organization, made it difficult for her to oppose her father’s wishes. She was taught to “obey” her parents above anyone else, regardless of her age or the personal milestones she wanted to share privately with her husband.
Derick reveals that his father-in-law would say “damaging” things to him and Dillard whenever they disagreed with him regarding filming. “He would weaponize the relationship and question whether it was Jill or me, Derick, leading her astray and being unsupportive of marriage. That was a red flag,” Derick explains.
Dillard realized that she and Derick needed to confront her father’s alleged demands together, or it would have torn their marriage apart. She ultimately chose to prioritize her relationship with her husband.
In a statement to People, Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar declined to comment on the matter. They expressed their pain about the conflict with the Dillards and their desire to resolve it privately, without involving the media or the public.
Prime Video; Kris Connor/WireImage
Dillard and Derick previously spoke out about Duggar’s demands for filming their TLC reality shows. They participated in the Prime Video docuseries “Shiny Happy People,” which aired in June and focused on victims of the IBLP. In interviews for the docuseries, the couple claimed that Duggar had deceived them into signing a contract to film their wedding for the original series the day before they got married in 2014.
In the docuseries, Dillard expressed feeling obligated to participate in a 2015 interview with Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly to support her brother Josh after his alleged molestation scandal. She regrets her decision to do the interview
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