Jill Duggar Dillard and husband Derick Dillard visited the Duggar Family home on Christmas, where the couple was spotted speaking to Jill’s dad, Jim Bob Duggar, from whom both Jill and Derick have been estranged for years.
The unexpected interaction was revealed by Jill’s younger brother James Duggar, who shared a carousel of snapshots taken during the family holiday celebration at Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar’s “Big House” this year, featuring an array of Duggar siblings/spouses/spawn and even an appearance from Santa Claus.
“The best time of the year!!!” James captioned the post.
In the background of one of the photos posted by James, however, fans noticed that Jim Bob was seated next to Derick and Jill on a couch, where the three appeared to be engaged in conversation.
The image of Jill and Derick’s (seemingly) friendly interaction with Jim Bob came as a shock to those who follow the Duggar family, as most fans know that the couple have been estranged from Jim Bob for years, with the tension presumably increasing after the 2023 release of Jill and Derick’s tell-all book about the Duggar Family.
As The Ashley previously told you, the couple’s book, Counting the Cost, recounts what the Dillards claim is the real story behind Jill’s family and their TLC shows, 19 Kids & Counting and Counting On, with many of the stories painting both Jim Bob and Michelle in a negative light.
Despite the book being released in 2023, Jill– who has a better, yet complex, relationship with her mom– and Derick also made an appearance at the “Big House” last year for Christmas, after confirming in 2020 that they were no longer welcome at Casa de Duggar, due to Jim Bob allegedly fearing the couple would have a negative influence on the other Duggar kids.
While Jill and Derick surprisingly showed up to kick it with the Dugs last year, none of the photos shared on social media from the 2023 Christmas gathering showed Jill or Derick posing with or near Jim Bob, leading many to believe that he wasn’t keen on their visit.
Amid the ongoing estrangement, both Jim Bob and Michelle showed up to a memorial service back in April for Isla Marie– Jill and Derick’s daughter who died in utero when Jill was four months pregnant.
Still, Jill shared on social media just last month that her relationship with her mom and dad remains “complicated.”
“I feel like we are in a rebuilding phase now, with healthy boundaries still in place,” she explained.
Though Jill confirmed that things are still “complicated” between her and her parents, she hinted in November that their relationship had improved from what it was in early 2023, when she had told fans that, although she had seen her mom within the last few months, she couldn’t remember the last time she had seen both Jim Bob and Michelle.
Jill also stated at the time that she and Derick were open to seeing her parents when their mental health allows it.
“We try to hang out whenever it works well and we have the [mental] bandwidth to navigate things,” she said.
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(Photos: YouTube; TLC; Instagram)
One Response
As someone who read Jill’s book, her dad is scary. He kind of reminds me of Britney Spears’ dad with the anger and control issues.