Thursday, June 1, 2023

Duggars Speak Out About Documentary


Shiny Happy People: Duggar Family Secrets, the four-part docuseries that was originally slated to be released tomorrow, is now available for streaming on Amazon. Today, Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar have just released a statement about the documentary. This statement was posted to their website the day after Jill's announcement about her upcoming book. You can read the statement at duggarfamily.com.

Photo courtesy duggarfamily.com

230 comments:

  1. Jim and Michelle responded to this with grace. They knew what was going on with their daughters and they chose to handle it how Jesus would. It's smart to not air dirty laundry, no matter how much money you make doing it

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    1. No. If they would have handled it correctly the girls would have received professional help and not have been forced to downplay it on national tv. Maybe Josh wouldn't be in prison if they didn't cover it up.

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    2. Good point OP.

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    3. It's not grace, it's damage control just like every other statement they had to put out over the years. It would be better if they hadn't said a word one way or the other this time. The statement tells us they're still defending something that shouldn't be upheld. Their own daughter was part of this documentary that they're calling ill-intentioned and derogatory! That's not trying to patch things up privately or with love.

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    4. What?! Jesus denounced the false teachers and protected the vulnerables. They didn't.

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    5. Yes.. they did the best they could to raise the kids right. Satan attacks all families and he's done a number on this one.

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    6. @9:25 Well isn't that interesting. The very family who supposedly knows all about keeping Satan away is getting attacked?

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    7. 3:28- yes, because satan doesn't want Christians spreading the Word of God.. he's using their kids, the media and society . Satan is the father of lies and causes confusion, which I'm certain he's done to Jill, Jinger and most commentors here

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    8. 8:24 At least another person here sees through the deceptions. Thanks! Enjoyed your comment.

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  2. All I can say is shame on those girls...

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    1. For speaking the truth? Wow.

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    2. What did the girls do? They have every right to tell their story to help them heal and help other victims. Shame on her parents

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    3. What?! Shame on the girls?

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    4. Shame on the GIRLS!??

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    5. @9:12 The children bear no shame here. I don't know how you can think it's shameful to explain, as an adult, what awful things you were put through while you were growing up. Are adults not allowed to talk about their childhood?

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    6. I am very proud of their girls! To stand up to the abuse they had to endure is very heroic!!

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    7. Did you watch the series? You may delete your comment after watching it

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    8. May your God have mercy on your soul when you try to enter His Kingdom

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    9. It didn't look like Jill said that much.. the others had a lot more to say. Those others probably had a different experience than the Duggars

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    10. 11:26 and that comment has to do with.. what?

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  3. I’m confused. In their public statement, they said they prefer to handle things in private. Which is it? And did they also think the Megyn Kelly primetime interview was private?

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    1. You are not confused - you're stirring the pot.

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    2. When you choose to live your life on TV and get paid for it, there is no more "private."

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    3. That Megyn Kelly interview was one of the WORST things the Duggars ever did. Nobody was fooled. You can't try to innocently explain your way out of the hole you dug yourselves into.

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  4. Word salad crafted by their PR team.

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  5. It is very telling that the Duggar's statement essentially says "the documentary is hurtful," but never once says "the documentary is untrue."

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  6. "Honour thy father and mother; which is the first commandment with promise; that it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth." For children to air dirty laundry like this speaks to their basic character.

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    1. Wow, do you seriously think the children are to blame here? Their "basic character" - you mean the one Jim Bob and Michelle were sooooo proud to have instilled in alllllll their children and were happy to show us every week (after the check was cashed)??

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    2. The Biblical reference refers to children under their parents’ authority. Later they are told to leave their father and mother and cling to their spouse. Nowhere in Scripture does it tell adult children to submit to their parents’ authority.

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    3. It speaks to the I'll nature of their family and the culture around them.

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    4. For children to have dirty laundry like this speaks to the character of their parents.

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    5. And then "Parents do not provoke your children to wrath".....

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    6. hmmm...does it say anything about their parents?

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  7. They don’t want to look like the bad guys so they’ll say something. Wonder if they’ll make a retraction statement?

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    1. Perhaps they aren't necessarily the "bad guys"

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  8. Another carefully crafted satement, blaming the "media". Yeah. Live by the sword, die by the sword.

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    1. Amen …. So true

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    2. Yep. That horrible horrible media that promoted their shows, bought the wedding and birth stories for their magazines, promoted their book tours........

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    3. Lol yes 8:27!

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  9. If they didn't want all their scandals and problems to be public property, they should have thought about that before putting themselves and their children in the public eye to make money.

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    1. It appears ever going on TV was the #1 mistake. All of this would have been avoided.

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    2. Yes, and if they were going to do tv....live beyond reproach. Follow the laws, treat your children well, pay them fairly, listen to them when they say no.

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    3. If you're going to do TV, don't let greed and pride overshadow common sense either.

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  10. Nothing like a little sanctimony in the morning. Do JB and Michelle ever take responsibility for how putting their family on national TV affected their children's lives?

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    1. I don’t believe I’ve seen them take accountability for anything. Their complete refusal to accept any responsibility in the Megyn Kelly interview was truly astonishing.

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  11. They can't be aerious. They should had thought about a private setting a long time ago.

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    1. Agree. If you're going to put your family on national TV you can't have "privacy" now.

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  12. I'm glad that the Sugar parents finally spoke out about things that are being said about them. The negative statements don't just effect them but also the Bates family and every family that followed those same teachings. I can't for the life of me figure out why some of their kids want to attack how they were raised so much. They make their parents look so horrible. They seem to use the excuse that they are doing it to help others but what they are really doing is making money off the downfall of their parents and family friends to try and destroy their family and friends lives for money. I think they should get a real job and leave their family alone and stop trying to make an income off attacking their family. Its shameful!

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    1. @11:53 What part of being an employed lawyer is not having a real job?

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    2. Very well said

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    3. It could be their husband's, media, society..a whole number of things. JB approved of these husband's too. I don't know if any other Duggars or in-laws have spoken out. Jill used to be so quiet and sweet too

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    4. @11:53 I see you were a victim of the dreaded autocorrect. How does it get Sugar out of Duggar is beyond me!

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    5. Derek Dillard is an assistant district attorney in Oklahoma. That's a real job.

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    6. Derek Dillard is an assistant district attorney in Oklahoma. Jeremy Vuolo is on the staff at Grace Community Church and is working on his PhD at the Master's Seminary. Those are real jobs.

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    7. They didn’t get paid for participating in the docu-series.

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    8. @11:53 So if your upbringing was abusive and the responsible organization is still in business, still having a hold on young people, you feel that as adults, these (former) children shouldn't speak out and truthfully tell what happened to them and who caused it? Nothing will ever change or improve if these children keep quiet..... If they don't want their children telling negative tales on them later, either to a therapist or to the press, then parents need to examine their own behavior and parenting.

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    9. Derick has more of a "real job" than all the other Duggar boys and husbands put together. Everyone else either putters around for the family or mingles only with other church people. Derick has way more exposure to "the real world" in his job. Good for him.

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  13. I found the statement to be a bit underwhelming. Painting it all as sensationalism just sounds a bit much like the "fake news" rhetoric. I would have liked to see a little more along the lines of "We made the best choices for our family that we thought were right at the time and still find a value in much of our beliefs, but understand that some of it may have had unintended consequences. We still hold out hope to repair those relationships through love and a difficult discussions." Is it possible that the people who are featured tried to repair the relationships "through love in a private setting" and were bullied or dismissed, so they felt this was a way to finally get their feelings heard? It's almost like kids that act out for attention, only some might say this is a bit more of a noble cause. People will say that it's all about money, because Jill is also writing a book, but personally I don't think most people would willfully lie about their family to the degree of risking having any future relationship (not just with parents but with siblings, who generally have seemed to be closer and more supportive) unless there was a good reason with a lot of truth and trauma behind it. All of these people telling similar stories tells me there's some significant grains of truth here. I think they see a lot of damage being done and maybe hope that if people hear it from someone they love and trust, maybe those seeds will be planted for those folks to understand what's truly happening. It's super sad the family dynamic has come to this, and I bet every day they regret ever going on TV. I'll be interested to watch.

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    1. Well they put their family on national TV for the money, so it's pretty lame to complain about the "media" and try to call it "sensationalism".

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  14. Shame on the daughters and husband's who are creating division! Handle this privately.

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    1. They put their children on TV.

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    2. No, 12:10 Haven't we already seen what happens when the Duggars try to handle things privately?

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    3. Exactly 💯 right!

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    4. Why? Their parents sold their privacy when they were children. They have every right to speak publicly.

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    5. When did the Duggars ever handle anything privately, except what they wanted to keep covered up because it would be bad for their image? These are the people who let their seizing child be filmed, and then there was what should have been a very private funeral for Jubilee.

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    6. The only things this family ever did "privately" was hide things that tarnished their public image. Who else shows family members giving birth on national TV for ratings?

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    7. @8:41 Or even creepier, a couple listening to a weird tape in the car after their wedding reception and then checking into a hotel.

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    8. The parents sure weren’t handling things privately when they paraded their daughters (and eventually Anna too) all over TV to make excuses for Josh and save Jimbob’s TV money—which he kept all for himself.

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    9. The adult kids decided to be on social media so nothing is private

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    10. @3:53 Don't forget Josh's proud tour of the honeymoon house!

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    11. 3:53, listening to a tape about the marriage bed on the way to a honeymoon isn't what's creepy. Putting it on national television is creepy.

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    12. 11:57 I think that's what 3:53 meant. That whole marriage footage was creepy, from Jim Bob's "Lego" talk to Josh's "working model" to Josh's "loyalty" song to that motel scene to the scenes from the honeymoon beach house. Poor naive Anna, having to see all that mashed together and put on TV later.

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    1. @12:40 Or a pitiful attempt at that

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    2. Exactly, 12:40. A weak try at that. If you watch the documentary, there are things no family message to the public can ever undo.

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    3. Yes, but a feeble attempt at that. I don't think you can control damage when your sister, your niece, your daughter, and your son-in-law are all telling the same story. I hope the Duggars aren't trying to imply that all of those people are lying some coordinated lie. I found Jim Bob's sister's information especially compelling.

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  16. Now let's have a family statement from Amy and her mother. That one would be far more truthful.

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    1. Amy and her mother were in the documentary, so they sort of already have made a statement.

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  17. We're supposed to believe that statement? After putting their family in the limelight they now want "privacy" to settle their issues. Oh well, nice try.

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  18. Interesting that this statement came out BEFORE the docuseries when their were no full screening beforehand. So how have they seen it?

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    1. I believe the series was available for the media to view before it hit Amazon for those subscribers. I don't recall exactly what time of day/which date it hit Amazon. Was supposed to be the 2nd but did it drop a little earlier?

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    2. It was available early to media I believe.

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  19. These people are damaged

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  20. I don’t think the entire focus of the docuseries was on the Duggars. However, you can’t ask to handle things privately when you placed your family on a tv show for years, and then had them interviewed by Megan Kelly to downplay Josh’s actions. The daughters are only doing what they learned from their parents which is to publicize their lives as a testimony to God. Their daughters are leading by their example.

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  21. Once again the victims of child abuse are blamed for speaking out. It is so very sad that people turn against the victims versus those who covered up their abuse.

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  22. This is the first time I comment here, even though I follow this blog for years now. I can't believe that people after watching this documentary comment here and still blame children for finally speaking up or say that they should be ashamed! That's exactly what let those horrible things happen in the past - girls should just obey to their fathers and husbands and be quiet, never complain, and if they are abused it's their fault? Do you hear yourself? I'm just shocked, and I'm proud that there were so many women that had the courage to talk about what really happens in fundamentalists homes (blanket training???? are you kidding me?). (Sorry for any mistakes, but English is not my native language and I got pretty emotional).

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    1. Agree with you completely 3:06. Well said.

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    2. 3:06 Looking forward to more comments from you!

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    3. One thing you need to learn about US television is that it is very biased. The truth is not always told and you need to research for yourself

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  23. glad they are speaking out about this cult. that is not christianty. without the show the duggars would be poor living off the goverment. the kids should have been paid Tlc saved thousands by paying the other instead of each kid. I hope none of the other kids are involved in this cult.

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    1. They didn't live off the Govt before, when they still had like 13 kids.

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    2. @5:43 Are you absolutely positive of that, that there were no government programs or funds ever used by the Duggars?

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  24. It is a shame it has come to this. Regardless, lets be honest this is all for the money! There are wrongs on both sides. These things should be kept private.

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  25. I care for the whole family. I watched your show for year's and it's really sad to see you going through this difficult time. I wish your family nothing but the best.

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  26. I feel bad for Jim Bob and Michelle. They did their best and what they believed was good for their kids. I don't agree with everything IBLP taught but the homeschooling, courting, modesty and babies wasn't wrong just taken to an unbiblical extreme. This documentary is making a mountain out of a molehill. It really is. It's going to harm real Christianity not show people what it really is! As far as Jinger and Jill, I disagree with what they are doing especially "airing out dirty laundry" but the difference between the two is that Jinger has been kind about it, humble even meek. She's been careful to disclaim any bashing of her parents and has striven to maintain a relationship with them. Jill's behavior is unacceptable. Period!

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    1. That is good to know. I thought Jill was the quieter one at 1st. I totally agree with you.

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    2. Real Christianity? Do you think that stuff is "real Christianity"?

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    3. Agreed. Youtubers are doing their own videos and stating their opinions on this topic and making Christian and conservatives sound like terrible people.

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    4. @5:31 A lot of them are terrible people, very closed-minded, bigoted, and expecting the rest of society to act the way they do because that will somehow make everything better. After we just watched 4 programs about how it definitely doesn't.

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    5. I think its made really clear that this is about IBLP and not other Christians.

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  27. For any of the 'shame on Jill/Jinger' comments, I beg you to 1st watch the series before posting your judgemental comments of the daughters. If you watch the series & still hold the same opinion, I completely respect your opinion.

    I was a huge Duggar fan growing up & just watched all 4 parts on Amazon Prime, & was heartbroken AND appalled by Jim Bob & the IBLP/ATI group they are substantially linked to. What Jill had to share was powerful & saddening (quite honestly, maddening) at how Jim Bob didn't do more to protect his own daughters & how he domineers way too much power. I have ZERO respect for Jim Bob now.

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  28. Well… the truth shall set you free….hopefully. Sometimes it’s painful to tell the truth. Don’t go on tv if you don’t want your sins to be broadcasted around the world.

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  29. Good for Jill and all the people who participated in the documentary. What happened in the darkness will be shouted from the rooftop

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  30. Since the family is into "deconstruction" these days, let's deconstruct their statement:

    "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." No, in the documentary, which doesn't need to be in quotes because it certainly is a documentary, we see people who were hurt by IBLP telling what happened to them, including your former best friends and your own daughter...

    "Like other families, ours too has experienced the joys and heartbreaks of life, just in a very public format." No, you're not like other families, and you spent many seasons on TV telling us that. The minute your son did what he first did and then you did what you did to "handle" it, that set your family forever apart from the average family. You chose that public format and you had the power to stop it. You chose not to, and you went so far as to force a "new" show after the scandals. Don't speak as if that "public format" was not your choice.

    "This 'documentary' paints so much and so many in a derogatory and sensationalized way because sadly that’s the direction of entertainment these days." No, sadly that is the direction of IBLP that you were and are still involved in. The documentary is not "entertainment" any more than the evening news is "entertainment." There is a difference between telling the truth and telling a story to entertain. If you don't understand that, watch your own TV show. There's where to use quotations around "documentary."

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  31. I have loved watching this family for so long as a positive show to watch. It breaks my heart that people (including others family members) shame them for their life choices. I still think of Michelle as a role model, we do not share the same beliefs, but her kind-hearted character is inspiring to me.

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    1. @11:02 But what if your life choices really are shameful or have harmed others?

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    2. You only saw what they wanted you to see on the scripted tv show. We don’t know what went on when the cameras weren’t around.

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  32. If Jim Bob and Michelle ever flat-out admit to doing anything wrong, I'll eat my hat.

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  33. Blame the media....blame the documentary....blame entertainment....blame everyone but YOURSELVES.... Oh my gosh, when Jim Bob and Michelle can't control content that gets released, they start blaming anyone they can!

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    1. Oh please... and I do think media and society take some of the responsibility. Jill, Derek and the parents too. These issues should have been settled way before it came to this

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  34. Seems that same media they embraced to make their fortune is now out to get them. Sigh.

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    1. The media will do anything that makes money.... create gossip, hurt and destroy families, friendships, etc..

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    2. @5:48 Please explain who in the docuseries is gossiping. Gossip usually doesn't have the truth attached to it.

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  35. This documentary provides a public service in more ways than one. It points out the fakery and exploitation with "realty" TV, as well as the fraud, fakery and abuse perpetuated by patriarchal/fundamentalist organizations like IBLP.

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  36. I don’t agree with all of the creeds and the tenets of the Duggar’s religion, but I think that it is extremely important that they have the liberty to worship according to their own consciences. There are many evil forces that are trying to remove that from society and make everyone worship at the feet of the lgbt+++ god. While I believe Jill is sincere and good, I think that for the most part this documentary was made exactly to push the agenda of that God and to continue on the path to removing that liberty that is so important to a free society.

    Additionally, while there is evil in the group the Duggar’s joined up with and it has caused a lot of sorrow for many people, there is a much greater evil in Hedonism and the promotion of every perversion, which the makers of this documentary seem to support.

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  37. YOU GO GIRLS! IGNORE ALL THE IGNORANCE!

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  38. Maybe JB and Michelle should have spoken out..in defense of their daughters...several years ago.

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  39. The truth that God already knew is coming to light. We can see it.

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  40. There is something amiss with this family. Jim Bob was there for Josh every day during the trial, wrote a supportive letter to the judge, made his daughters do interviews years ago to support Josh, but meanwhile has never been able to forgive Jill for some reason.. That doesn't make sense to me..

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    1. @11:53 You're right. It's very telling.

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    2. IBLP put men on stools.

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  41. Watch the series. It's more than just a Duggar speaking up. There is truth to it when others are telling the same story.

    And shame on the girls? NO! They've been silenced for long enough! It's time to be heard! One should not be shamed for speaking up!



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  42. As a parent, I would be devastated beyond words if my children did this. First, the children were clearly not harmed by the show because they have decided to have a big social media presence and they continue making their lives public in order to make money. Second, since they do have that social media presence, their fans can easily see by their dress and grooming and lifestyle choices that they no longer follow their parents' religion. And so when fans post questions on their social media, all they have to do is reply that they do not agree with their parents' religion and have chosen a religion that they feel more accurately reflects the teachings of the Bible. No need for books and documentaries to "help" others by trashing their family. Dignity, grace, and respect so hard to come by these days.

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    1. I was thinking something similar. They can "trash" IBLP, but not their parents. I was raised in a super conservative Christian family (not IBLP). I never got to date or listen to music or go to college. But I went on to do all of those things when I got married to a wonderful Christian man. I did not raise my kids the way that I was raised. I think that my upbringing caused a lot of pain and fear. But I know that my parents did their best, based on how they were raised. They too were better than their parents. And they loved us so much. I would never publicly attack them, for the whole world to see. It is one thing to speak your truth, but keep it respectful. Jinger seems dignified, while Jill does not.

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    2. I agree. The girls claimed it was their choice to wear dressed and their hair the way they did. Then most of them changed it when they got married which is fine, but it could leave people wondering why they change of mind after they wrote the 1st book

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    3. I agree. The girls claimed it was their choice to wear dressed and their hair the way they did. Then most of them changed it when they got married which is fine, but it could leave people wondering why they change of mind after they wrote the 1st book

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    4. Jill says her father never paid them in the documentary, but they had food and a roof over their head. Derrick was or should have been working. They were taken care of from the looks of things

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    5. They didn’t write the relationship book. A ghost writer wrote it.

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    6. 5:35 Derrick is working. It doesn't matter that they was living comfortably. She should had been paid. It was her money and JB didn't tell her what she was signing. She trusted them and she thought it was to do more seasons.

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  43. Some of their umbrellas seem to have holes in them.

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    1. That umbrella system is such a farce. No human has ultimate authority over another human.

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    2. It's puzzling that there are so many umbrellas in this theology. You'd think the biggest one at the top would suffice for everyone.

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    3. ...Supposedly put there by family members who refused to follow fatherly authority. What a ridiculous system.

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  44. I imagine the folks on here probably feel it's terrible how the taliban treats females but think it's disrespectful for the Duggar women to speak out against a church,if you want to call it that,to expose similar treatment? Imagine if those women and children under taliban rule never had anyone describing how they're treated and just left them to deal with it privately. That's what your asking Jill and Jinger to do is to quietly put up and shut up. Your the ones who should be ashamed.

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    1. Great analogy, you're right!

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  45. Their statement makes no sense. They say that through this documentary, they see the media hurting the people they love. Yet it's those people who are speaking out themselves here, not the media "hurting" anyone. The media gave those people a chance to be seen and heard! Jill and Derick are not being "hurt" by anyone while going on camera explaining their side of the story. Quite the opposite. So who are the loved ones the Duggars think are being hurt here? Bill Gothard? Themselves?

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  46. Funny how most of these so called perfect families on TV turn out to be messed up more then the rest of society

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    1. Most people on TLC is though.

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    2. You're right, Regina.

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  47. This is terrible!! To slander your own family over a paycheck?? Really?
    Lots of trips growing up, big beautiful home, lots of siblings to play with, attentive loving parents...Sounds like a terrible childhood to me!! I wonder if all the kids in the countries that they have visited during missionary trips would agree??

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    1. @10:54 You know who did those things to Jill (and Jinger) that you say are slanderous to hear about now. There's way more to this than just the appearance of a happy home and luxuries. I wouldn't have taken any trip in the world or lived in a mansion if it meant having parents who wouldn't let me date, wear pants, or go to public school and college (for starters).

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    2. I don't think Jill "slandered" anyone. In their careful statement, Jim Bob and Michelle never indicated that anything Jill said was untrue.

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    3. All the trips in the world, all the square feet in the home, all the siblings around you still doesn't make up for bad parenting. Even the worst parents can appear to be "attentive" and "loving" when everyone is looking. But when the cameras go off and the doors close... Ever watch the news when they're interviewing neighbors after something has happened? "I don't understand. He/She seemed like such a nice, quiet neighbor..." People and circumstances can be something entirely different than what they seem.

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    4. The kids they visited, gave cheap gifts to, and then left behind, after taking bunches of pictures of themselves to post online. Remember all the talk about adopting some of those kids?

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    5. 3:56 to be fair the main gifts you should bring to those places are things they really need such as clothing, hygiene products and food and school books. Cheap things is not cheap to them. So saying it like that makes you sound really bad. It may have not been your intention but learn from this and realize how lucky you are to call those things cheap.

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  48. The number of comments condemning Jill and Amy and others for participating in the docu-series is disheartening. They have a right to tell their stories. All of those people who were brave enough to tell their story and share their pain have the right to do so without condemnation. Listen and learn. Hear their hearts and pain rather than clinging to the false image presented in a less than real TV show. Bill Gothard did sexually harass many young ladies. There are many people who were members of Gothard’s group who have been accused of and legally punished for abuse. Does it mean everyone did it? No. But when a group focuses on a man who claims to have clarifying rules for God’s standards, you have a mess in the making. My heart breaks for all those who were drawn in and hurt by the teachings of Gothard. May the Lord give healing and freedom from their past so they can find His true Word and love in their present and future. Yes, the Bible says to honor thy father and mother. In Matthew 16:8 it also says, “But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.” Just sayin’… there are a lot of adults who will be called to task by God for the way they handled their children and the children of others. May God redeem their souls.

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    1. Why didn't Amy say something YEARS ago?? She was on tv pretty often and she was older. Her mother could have come forward years ago too but didnt.. it shows that Amy liked the attention and fame the show brought too

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    2. @9:21 Amy and her mom both have said that they were kept in the dark and lied to about what was happening in the Duggar home. Yes, Amy went along with filming at first. I'm sure she was pressured into being there to appear as the "wild" cousin, for a laugh. But she and her mom didn't know exactly what was happening when they weren't there, and only during Josh's trial did they find out some of the details from years past.

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  49. I heard what Bobbye Holt had to say. JB and Michelle are NOT being picked on by the "evil" media. I have zero sympathy for them as the truth comes out.

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    1. Mrs. Holt's testimony at Josh's trial was the first big eye-opener.

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    2. Media is very non Christian and attacks Christians constantly... totally disagree with you here.. I think those alleged "friends" of the Duggars back stabbed them for money

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    3. 9:22 Bobye was not paid to speak in court. She actually said more there than in the documentary. The rift between her family and the Duggars happened LONG before this documentary - when Josh was a teenager courting the Holt daughter. There was no back stabbing now. They were no longer friends.

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    4. @9:22 Media is not non-Christian. How do you explain Trinity Broadcasting Network, Christian Broadcasting Network, shows like The 700 Club and Pat Robertson, the hundreds of Christian radio stations, the Christian Examiner, The Christian Post, Christian Science Monitor, and even on most days, Fox News? Nobody is being "attacked." There are plenty of ways for Christian media to "attack back." If the audiences for those networks and publications are smaller than others, it's because they don't appeal to most people. You're simply being outnumbered, not "attacked."

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    5. Anon 9:22. Don't blame the "media" for the Duggar's issues. They were involved in a cult and that is being exposed. No one is "back-tabbing" them for stating what actually took place years ago. Jim Bob and Michelle covered up for Josh and the truth eventually came out and it wasn't because of any of their friends.

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    6. The people they interviewed who were part of this cult or whatever in the documentary were odd..

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    7. @5:39 "Odd" how? Or just different than you?

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    8. Hahaha!!! Fox News is NOT Christian 🙄

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  50. I agree the documentary was “hurtful. “ That is as it should be.

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  51. I have been a faithful follower of the Duggars. The one issue that doesn’t sit right is the monies being accepted on behalf of the adult children. It doesn’t add up. Why hasn’t JimBob and Michelle shared payment with Jill? Have they paid their other children? It’s alarming to think the parents received reimbursement but did not financially compensate their children.

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    1. Since Jim Bob and Michelle have not disputed anything Jill has said, I think they didn't pay their children for appearing on the show. They just complain about how the documentary paints them in a negative way. Very telling IMO.

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    2. I agree. I would like to see a financial accounting of all the money JB was paid and how much was paid to or set aside fir each of their children.

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    3. They probably were paid.. the kids are rebelling and acting like brats now... smh..

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    4. It was explained in the documentary.

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    5. @9:23 I would be very interested in Jill's reaction if you said that comment to her directly.

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    6. It is explained in the docuseries.

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  52. After having their family on national TV for 17 years, they want privacy when something they don't like happens? Really?

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  53. Media is not the villain. Media didn't make up the bizarre things that happened. How can you happily be on TV and in books and magazines for years, then turn around and try to accuse the media of hurting your family? Duggars, remember, when you point one finger, the others are pointing back at you.

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    1. Reality tv is not real. It’s a lie. It was always a lie.

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  54. Michelle tried to sugar coat the blanket training. I knew it wasn't the way she said it was and its a form of abuse even if you are not smacking or spanking them.

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    1. I agree. There was simply no point to it that I could see. It was just an excuse to be mean to your kid.

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    2. I know. If Michelle used it on her kids, how do they explain Josh? It obviously doesn't work the way she claims.

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  55. They want "privacy"? JB and Michelle don't deserve any more privacy than their children had. Their kids had TV cameras running when on honeymoon and when their babies were born.

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  56. Whenever you are tempted to publicly attack your parents, think long and hard how you would feel if your children did that to you. How would Jill and Derick feel if their adult boys came out one day giving interviews about how their parents caused them great pain and humiliation with the non-stop family drama? How would Jill and Derick feel if their adult boys were to publicly reveal all of the mistakes that they made as parents? Most parents love their children so much, they would give their life for them. They make mistakes. But they don't deserve to paraded in front of the whole world to be shamed. So sad.

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  57. My heart absolutely breaks about all their children. That’s not parenting to dump most of the work on your older kids. Kids who need parenting themselves.

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    1. The buddy system was actually common. Older siblings take care of the younger siblings. But now parents rely on tablets and strangers. I see old and new system as a huge problem in our society.

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  58. So, from reading the comments that say one shouldn't speak up and slander their family: does that mean you don't agree for someone to speak up about their different view of any given situation? That sounds like 'if you don't agree with me, shut your mouth'.

    So, the Duggars believe in physical discipline and male power/direction over women (taken from the IBLP website and this documentary). When the girls were abused by Josh, they, in YOUR perspective, shouldn't have spoken up because it goes against what the family believes, aka "slandering the family". THAT RIGHT THERE is where the problem lies. We are muffling voices!

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    1. Ok, most of the boomers and Gen Xers got spanked and we all survived! It's called consequences. Yes there is such a thing as going too far with it, but from what I've seen in the behavior in today's kid's, you can tell they haven't been disciplined. Time outs don't work for all..

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  59. I wonder what their plan is for the rest of their lives. Will they continue to go on the defense every time a story comes out about them? They should just ignore this stuff and get on with their lives instead of feeling like they need to put out statements all the time. Are we really supposed to believe they're busy working on repairing damaged relationships? It didn't sound that way from what Jill said.

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    1. I agree. Their goal in life seems to be to keep their children dependent on them. I don't get it. Children outlive their parents and should be prepared to function on their own without having to cater to their parents' beliefs or be financially dependent on them. Look at Jana. 33 years old, still lives at home and has never had a real job other than appearing on the TV show.

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    2. 5:45 I agree with you but she actually has a real job. I don't think people get what jobs are these days. I am not trying to argue but a job is a job. And its not uncommon for 30+ year olds to live with their parents these days. But the way Jana has been dressing of late and visiting LA a lot, I won't be surprise if she's already moved out.

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  60. I understand obeying parents when you're children, but once you're married and out of the house, your life and how you live it is up to you. The whole umbrella concept should be void with the family, or start the concept with your own family

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    1. I agree, however parents still deserve respect. But in JB and Michelle case, it was right for them to get exposed.

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  61. The media isn't "ill intentioned", Jim Bob and Michelle just don't like what is being exposed. They had their glory days which never last forever.

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    1. Exactly, 11:58. What is being exposed was there all along, too.

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    2. 11:58- oh yes they are! The docuseries mainly attacked Christianity as a whole! The media used Jill and these others to do it, in the name of some nutcase who shouldn't represent Christians at all

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  62. Of course Jim Bob and Michelle are upset. The series shows the problems created by his efforts to be an Old Testament patriarch ruling over a large family group. No one was supposed to doubt his authority or question his rules. Jill and Jinger have openly broken away and no amount of private disccussion is gong to heal that breach.

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