If you’ve been following the family for long, you’re probably already familiar with the Duggar’s ridiculous courtship rules.
Basically, Jim Bob and Michelle taught their children from a young age that all forms of physical contact between unmarried members of the opposite sex is sinful.
In fact, children were told that even alone The mere presence of another man or woman may be enough to sentence them to hell for eternity.
Even by radical standards, these are pretty extreme beliefs, and it seems like they came as quite a shock to Jill Duggar’s husband, Derick Dillard.
Derick Dillard learns ‘family rules’
As you probably know, Jill published a memoir last year, and she’s still giving some very revealing interviews while promoting the book.
In November 2023, she and Derick appeared on Dr. Julie Hanks’ podcast, where they made more surprising claims about the Duggar family and their controversial belief system.
Jill talked about her separation from her parents and revealed that the final crisis came when her father Jim Bob Duggar tried to turn her against Derick.
And it seems Jim Bob’s interference in the couple’s early courtship process didn’t end there.
When she learns that Jill’s boyfriend has previously dated other women, she makes a strange power move on Derrick.
“It’s not like I did anything terrible,” Derrick explained on the podcast.
Jill said, “We had different upbringings in the sense that I felt very strongly that it would be a sin if I kissed before marriage, and it would also be a sin if I didn’t follow the rules.”
“As a couple we were able to make our own rules, but we also had additional rules imposed on us.”
Why Jim Bob Duggar Asked Derick to Call All His Ex-Girlfriends and Apologize Before Marrying Jill
“One thing that was strange to me in Jill and I’s early relationship was that Jill’s father said that I should contact all the women I’ve kissed and apologize. It was very strange,” Derrick said.
And it seems like Jill was initially thrilled with her Derrick’s willingness to give in to Jim Bob’s demands.
“He did! At that time I was like, Very good!he told Hanks.
“I got some interesting reactions,” Derrick said of the bizarre task assigned to him by Jim Bob.
Derick also recalled that he was taken aback by some of the Duggars’ more esoteric beliefs, including the idea that women should wear long skirts at all times.
“My mom wears pants and my in-laws, Jim Bob and Michelle[Duggar]Will say, ‘She is a very pious woman. We love your mom,” Derrick said.
“And I said, ‘She wears business suits, and she wears pants.’ Why is it so simple?” He continued.
“And when Jill – there were rumors and we didn’t say anything – and her dad pulled her aside and said, ‘Hey, I heard you wear pants,’ and gave her a book about it being nice to wear. Why are there no pants?”
These days, Jill wears pants whenever she feels like it — but her newfound freedom has come at a price.
Insiders say she is no longer on speaking terms with her parents, and it doesn’t seem there are any plans for a reconciliation.