Jinger Vuolo was booted from not one but two lucrative sponsorship deals this week!
The Counting On star, who, along with her husband Jeremy and daughter Felicity has been living a glamorous life in Los Angeles for the past few months, recently began partnering with brands to promote their products. On Wednesday, however, the LA donut shop Fonuts announced that it was cutting ties with Jinger, despite naming a donut after her last week.
Fonuts released a lengthy statement about ending their partnership with Jinger, and asked their fans to forgive them for making “a poor choice of promotional partner” in Jinger. The brand, which claimed to be known for being about “kindness, inclusivity and transparency” hinted that Jinger (and her family’s) views on homosexuality and other religions may have had something to do with the decision. The brand also claimed that they were not aware of Jinger & Co.’s views before signing on to work with her.
“We apologize for our recent poor choice of promotional partner,” Fonuts wrote on its Instagram. “We were shocked and dismayed to learn about who we were associating with. We recognize that we really made a mistake by not properly researching them.
“We have ended our partnership with Jinger Vuolo and the company who introduced us. We would like you all to know, we promise to be more diligent in the future and will only work with people who truly represent our core values of kindness, inclusivity and transparency. We are so sorry and we really hope you will forgive us for this mistake.”
For the most part, the donut shop’s followers were happy with the choice to give Jinger the boot.
“Jinger’s family is very anti-LGBT community, very anti-choice and very anti-religious freedom,” one person wrote.
“Following you since I heard you don’t tolerate homophobic influencers,” another wrote. “Her and her family preach against people different than them while their closets are full of skeletons. There is no place for bigots anymore.”
After Fonuts kicked Jinger to the curb on Wednesday, Jinger announced that she was partnering with designer Rebecca Minkoff to appear at a charity event held at the brand’s flagship LA store. In a message posted to Instagram, Jinger invited her fans to come to the store for a “mommy pampering event.”
By Thursday, though, the brand had quietly removed Jinger’s name from the event invite and all promo pieces. The brand eventually added a message to its Eventbrite page.
“Unfortunately, due to personal circumstances Jinger and Jeremy will no longer be making an appearance at the event, but encourage you to donate to this great cause!”
Jinger has since removed the Instagram message she posted on Wednesday to promote the event.
Jinger and Jeremy have yet to address the lost partnerships.
RELATED STORY: Former ‘Counting On’ Star Derick Dillard Says He Wants to Write a Tell-All Book About the Duggars: “That’s the Plan”
(Photos: TLC, Instagram)
32 Responses
I’m very mixed on this. I am a Christian but the Bible has a lists lists of things what NOT to do. EVERY SINGLE person breaks one or another. If you look at WHAT JESUS HIMSELF TEACHES its to love one another. Feed the hungry, heal the sick. It’s the so prophet Paul that mentions gay Sex& that’s just once. JESUS DID NOT. . I can believe in God and focus on the WORDS of Jesus who said HE MADE ALL OF US. Since ppl are BORN gay God made gay ppl. I believe God loves them just as much. I think Ginger can disagree with the life style but still love & accept gay ppl. Ginger has come along way and ppl are not helping her to evolve by shutting her down. Ppl fear what they don’t know. I feel Ginger can change views by giving her time to live in LA and be around the LBGTQ. I would of liked the donut company to ASK Ginger for a comment. So many cult victims can be freed If we don’t shut them out. Many of my Christian friends believe LBGTQ have every right to live how they chose & be given all the rights of straight ppl. Maybe if we stop shutting out these young ppl raised in these cults they will get the chance to be exposed & see for themselves ALL ppl have a right to love who they want & God did make ppl this way. I have a feeling Ginger has no issue with gay ppl but given more time in the world she won’t be afraid to say so. She grew up being beaten if she spoke out against JIM Bob. Give the girl a chance!
Ha! Rebecca Minkoff is a Scientologist and one of the worst fashion retailer brands to work with. I worked for her and it was the worst working experience in my life. I would rather align myself with Jinger than Rebecca Minkoff.
When are you doing last week’s recap? Not this last episode, when Jessa went into labor and gave birth in the living room, the week before, when Jana threw a garden party. I’ve been checking a few times a day for over a week, to see if you have posted it yet. I live for your Counting On recaps!
I don’t understand why people are so hateful. First of all. Its unfair to judge a person based on what a family member has done. If we have followed Jinger closely over the years we would of seen her desire to pull away from her family and do her own thing and to be different to what she was thought. Fonuts I do not agree with your decision.what’s your phobia,?
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I don’t understand why people are so hateful. First of all. Its unfair to judge a person based on what a family member has done. If we have followed Jinger closely over the years we would of seen her desire to pull away from her family and do her own thing and to be different to what she was thought. Fonuts I do not agree with your decision.what’s your phobia,?
Why is this person an “influencer”? Other than being a cult member the Duggar crime organization who is she?
It baffles me that people that doesn’t tolerate and actively hate others based on their religion or sexual preferences expect to be tolerated and respected in their hateful beliefs
It’s a slippery slope when we get to the point that you are publicly pressured to disassociate with anyone who doesn’t agree with your religious or political views. Doughnuts don’t have a damn thing to do with gay marriage, traditional marriage, or any other kind of marriage so why should it matter?
Looks like these businesses need to open their eyes. The Duggars have made their feelings known for many years. These companies should have done their research. Seems like a perfect opportunity for them to give more recognition to their views as it is just brought to light again and again. Good gracious.
Fonuts is located in West Hollywood area on S. Crescent Heights, where I used to live for many years. A hugely liberal & gay city, so of course they wouldn’t want the Duggars to be a part of their brand. They should have researched her popularity before all this. Many Duggar “fans” don’t seem to know about the family’s religion either, so I guess by just looking at both IGs Fonuts had no idea.
I’m even shocked Jeremy walked around the area. Plenty of Pride flags, shops, bars, weed dispensaries, and couples. Maybe they both are changing their views since moving out west?! I HIGHLY doubt it though. Probably trying to be “hip & on trend” and “relatable” ?
I don’t agree with their views but I do still like them and I think it’s just so sad that “religious” people are so judgmental when the the bible they are thumping tells them to accept others and leave judgement to god.
How very inclusive of fonut to exclude someone who has a different belief that them! Seems harsh and hypocritical to me.
When your belief system involves stating that gay people are sick and/or evil and other religions are demonic (like they said of the Catholics) you can’t expect to be respected. If you spread hate that’s what you’ll get
Translation:
Sorry we gave it a shot but the public has spoken & they hate you & your family.
I never watched the show never followed the family but i knew there was a Jinger Dugger living in LA just from gossip sites
Fonuts is the dumbest name for a donut brand ever.
It doesn’t sound to me like they got “dropped” by Rebecca Minkoff, only that they wouldn’t be doing that specific event. And it sounds like it was J&J’s choice, not the brand’s. At least that’s how it sounds from the statement.
Rebecca Minkoff is a scientologist. Scientology has an awful opinion of homosexuality.
Wow! How INCLUSIVE the donut shop and the designer are!!!! Things go both ways!!! ?
I think this is a promo stunt on the business’ part. I’ve never heard of either till this. Now their name is out there and they don’t have to pay Jinger.
Rebecca Minkoff is an incredibly well-known brand fyi
I’ve never heard of her till this FYI. I think it’s suspect that the companies claim they don’t know certain Celebrities they choose to represent their brands. However, if they choose a controversial celebrity and then drop them they still get exposure. They probably get more exposure than they would if they didn’t hire the celebrity to begin with. If you’re investing money on a person to promote your product I highly doubt you’re NOT going to do your research about the person that you chose to promote said product.
It’s absolutely unfair 2 release Jinger and Jeremy based on who they’re related to. If we did that in every circumstance nobody would be in any position to stand up for anything because most everybody has some type of relative or family member that does something absolutely unheard of that most people disagree with the only difference is they’re not on TV and they’re not made public so I think these companies kicking them to the curb without even the opportunity to make a statement or talk to them is absolutely on their part and that makes them no better than the Duggars.. in fact it shows the same type of intolerance that they’re complaining about and makes them just as narrow-minded is the people that claim to be against. Intolerance is a disease and it spreads like wildfire and I think at this point we all realize you don’t have to agree with somebody’s lifestyle to associate with them through business friendship or in the workplace and the situation just shows more intolerance in my opinion and I think the companies were absolutely just as wrong as the people they’re going after they should be apologizing for their own intolerance at this point
It’s absolutely unfair 2 release Jinger and Jeremy based on their Association and who they’re related to. If we did that in every circumstance nobody would be in any position to stand up for anything because everybody has some type of relative or some type of family member it does something absolutely unheard of that most people disagree with the only difference is they’re not on TV and they’re not made public so I think these companies kicking them to the curb without even the opportunity to make a statement or talk to them is absolutely Carol on their part and that makes them no better than the Duggars their narrow-minded just like them
If they didn’t know who she was why would they sign her? They don’t sign random ass ppl.
Islam is anti-LBGTQ, not to mention most of the black community, but we’ll ignore that . . .
Seriously!!! Speaking of”bigots” you are not perfect and you can’t say you didn’t know about the things she stood for before choosing her to promote your products. Shame on you.
That is such bs that the donut people didn’t know what she was about before they signed up with her, as if they just signed her because she’s such a brilliant marketer. The only reason they dropped her is because of the negative feedback.
I don’t think Jinger is as anti-lgbtq as her family but I think she’s scared to come out and say it. Jeremy’s brother made a (positive) film about a trans man’s journey and she commented on either his Instagram or Twitter that it was an amazing film and they were so proud of him. Jim Bob wouldn’t have allowed that when she was at home and would have led a protest.
I could be wrong. But, Jinger, honey, you aren’t under daddy’s thumb anymore. It’s OKAY to express your true feelings. And if your hubby don’t like it…take that baby and leave. Start a GoFundMe to escape. You have no idea how many people would be willing to help you escape that cult and live a real life. I’m not rich but I’d throw in a few hundred to help any of you kids get out. Also, take absolutely zero advice from Jill and Douchebag. They are clueless.
Look at Jeremy’s sermons, he claims homosexuality is false love, transgender children exist because of “bad parenting” and Catholics are demonic and pagan. Jinger and Jeremy share the same beliefs as the other Duggars, they are just marketed differently to blend in with the world. Not hard to expose their true beliefs with a quick google search.
I guess it’s a crime now days to believe in GOD. If you choose to leave by God’s words them you will be forced to feel guilty, you will be intimidated, get bullied, get beat up, catch on fire.. stupid.
Oh please. I believe in God but I also believe in treating others with respect. We all have the free will to choose what we want in this life and it’s nobody’s business what those choices are. The people who claim to be bullied for believing in God are the same people who bully the lqbtg community or anyone who doesn’t follow their own version of God.
You’re not in Arkansas anymore Jingy…Welcome to CA!
Well, LA isn’t Tontitown… In LA most people don’t actually have an issue with gay marriage, abortion and diversity in general. I don’t think they’ll feel at home there. If Jinger doesn’t share her husband and family’s homophobic views she should speak up but that won’t happen because we all know that belonging to that cult involves that even if you don’t agree with them you can’t voice an opinion