Jill Duggar is surprising her critics and fans.
First, she and Derick Dillard took part in the Prime Video docuseries Shiny Happy People: Duggar Family Secrets, and now, she announced she, along with Derick, wrote a tell-all.
The former Counting On star revealed the news on her Instagram page. She shared the book cover and the name, Counting The Cost.
There had been speculation for quite some time that Jill would be the Duggar sibling who went rogue. Jinger Duggar was the first to release her story about leaving the Institute in Basic Life Principles (IBLP), but she made it clear it was her journey, and she still believed her parents did the best they could.
However, that’s not the vibe that Jill and Derick give off with their book.
In the caption, she wrote, in part, “The challenges we have faced, including lack of respect for boundaries, greed, manipulation, and betrayal, are not that much different than what many people in our audience have faced. However, 15+ years of reality television, undergirded by secrecy and lies, is tantamount to pouring gasoline on the fire of our struggle.”
Jill Duggar and Derick Dillard tell their story
This has been a long-time coming. Derick Dillard began spilling the tea about the Duggar family in 2019 when he revealed that he and Jill were not allowed at the big house without permission from Jim Bob Duggar.
Jill Duggar and Derick walked away from Jill & Jessa: Counting On in 2017, and the show was morphed into Counting On. Jim Bob knew the show could continue as the other daughters were marrying off and building families, keeping the money stream from TLC coming in.
While it took some time, Jill and Derick eventually opened up more about their experiences with their YouTube Q&As. She admitted to having issues with situations she was in with filming and revealed that she didn’t receive the money for her part of the show. They did eventually receive their compensation, which worked out to be just a little bit above minimum wage.
This book is expected to be a look inside what life was like for Jill as she was forced to obey the rules set forth by her parents under the guidance of the IBLP and the teachings of Bill Gothard. It was evident Jill took things hard when the police report was released in 2015, and she was asked to go on the record and try to smooth things over with the Megyn Kelly interview — the same interview Derick called a “suicide mission.”
Shiny Happy People: Duggar Family Secrets
Jill Duggar and Derick Dillard took part in filming the four-part docuseries for Prime video.
Shiny Happy People: Duggar Family Secrets delves into the inner workings of the IBLP, and survivors, cult enthusiasts, snarkers, and Duggar family members have all taken part in the making of this.
It was filmed sometime last spring as Jill was visibly pregnant with Frederick, born in July 2022.
Amy Duggar King, her mom, Deanna Duggar, and her husband, Dillon King, are also part of the docuseries. Amy has long wanted to speak out about what she knew and came prepared.
The docuseries may be pretty tame compared to expectations, but with Jill and Derick’s book being released, their revelations may be more shocking than followers think.
Shiny Happy People: Duggar Family Secrets premieres Friday, June 2, on Prime Video.