Look outside because pigs may be flying: Jana Duggar is getting married!
The former Counting On star— who has been badgered mercifully for years for staying single while her younger sisters were married off at young ages— is officially getting hitched. The Ashley has confirmed that Jana and her husband-to-be, Stephen Wissman, filed for and were issued a marriage license on Wednesday in Arkansas. (Although Jana and Stephen have been rumored to be dating for several years, neither party has ever publicly confirmed the relationship.)
Jana is currently 34 years old and lives in a tiny house in the backyard of her parents’ compound. Rumors began to circulate that she might be possibly engaged when she was photographed last month wearing what appeared to be an engagement ring on her left ring finger.
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The Duggars– who have become much more private since eldest son Josh Duggar went to prison for CSAM crimes— never confirmed or denied the engagement rumors.
Stephen is a 31-year-old who lives in Nebraska, where he works for his family’s commercial roof repair/ irrigation installation company. If his last name sounds familiar to Duggar fans, that’s likely because Stephen’s sister, Hannah, is married to Jana’s younger brother, Jeremiah. Stephen is the eighth of the Wissmann’s 13 children, and one of the only ones who are not yet married.
Stephen is a licensed pilot, and on his family’s official website, he is described as “a man of many talents.
“He enjoys being a pilot, assistant manager of Wissmann Enterprises, Inc., making small furniture, and being physically active through workouts and sports,” it reads. “He is gifted in initiating conversations that encourage and challenge, and he has a heart for ministry. He directs a lot of our music arrangements, plays mandolin and guitar, and sings lead and bass.”
The date of Jana and Stephen’s wedding is unknown; however, in Arkansas a couple must get married with 60 days of a marriage license being issued. The license issued to the couple is valid for them to get married anywhere in Arkansas, so the wedding will likely be local to the Duggar Clan’s home. (Whether or not Jana will leave her family in Arkansas to live with Stephen in Nebraska remains to be seen.)
Over the years, rumors have circulated that Jana was dating everyone from her best friend Laura DeMaise to Caleb Williams (a family friend who the Duggars tried unsuccessfully to pin Josh’s naughty deeds on) to football player Tim Tebow. All of Jana’s rumored romances turned out to be false, though, except for the one about her being with Stephen, obviously.
“Yes, I long to be married and one day I think that day will come,” Jana told Us Weekly in 2020. “I’m just trying to stay busy with what comes along on my path.”
Jana admitted in the interview that she feels pressured to tie the knot, especially with fans and her family constantly asking her about her still-single status.
“Sometimes it can get tiring, [being asked] the same questions over and over,” she said. “I guess it just depends on the day and the time and how many times I’ve been asked…I think if I sit there and I’m like, ‘Oh no, I’m not married’ and just [get] all worried about it, it makes things way worse, so I just find the next thing to do and stay busy.”
UPDATE! Jana and Stephen tied the knot on Thursday. Click here for all the wedding details!
RELATED STORY: ‘Counting On’ Star Jed Duggar & His Wife Katey Are Expecting Twins: “First Twin Grandbabies in the Duggar Family!”
(Photos: YouTube; Instagram)
4 Responses
Good for her congratulations Jana!
I’m happy for her and hope he’s a good guy. She’s spent her whole life tending to a massive family not-of-her-making, she deserves all the happiness in the world.
There’s a trad wife lid for every trad husband pot.