Jill Duggar Explains Reason She Broke Away From Her Famous Family In Interview

Aug 19, 2021

The Duggar family has continued to grow over their many years in reality television as they have shared their faith and perspective on life with the world. Their TV series “19 Kids and Counting” was originally titled “17 Kids and Counting,” and continued to change as more children were born. The series lasted from 2008 until 2015 and also launched a spin-off titled “Jill & Jessa: Counting On,” which was later changed to “Counting On,” following the departure of one of the main stars.

Throughout the various television shows, fans were able to follow the lives of Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar and their 19 children, whose names all begin with the letter J. Jill Duggar Dillard was one of the children featured on the series. Born on May 17, 1991, in Tontitown, Arkansas, she is the fourth child and the second daughter of her parents. 

On June 21, 2014, Jill married Derick Michael Dillard, and the two have since welcomed two children into their family. The married couple relocated to Central America in 2015 to serve as missionaries before returning back to the United States 10 months later. They also starred on “Jill & Jessa: Counting On,” although their time on the show did not last for very long.

Despite having such a large, close-knit family and two successful shows on the TLC network, Jill decided to step away from her famous family when she dropped out of her TV show and has since revealed the details as to what led her to make the decision.

After coming into the spotlight with the TV series “19 Kids and Counting,” Jill has since co-authored a book with her sisters Jana, Jessa, and Jinger titled “Growing Up Duggar: It’s All About Relationships.” The book was released in March 2014 and details what it is really like to be a member of the Duggar family. Jill and Jessica also starred in their own spin-off series called “Jill & Jessa: Counting On,” which premiered in December 2015 following their first show’s cancellation. 

However, Jill and her family ultimately decided to drop out of the show two years later, resulting in the title changing to “Counting On.” However, the show was completely canceled in 2021. “Counting On” followed the older children in the Duggar family as they continued to celebrate some milestone moments in their lives while raising their own families.

Since their departure from the program, Jill and her husband have opened up about why they choose to leave the reality series. In October 2020, the couple spoke with PEOPLE, explaining that they wanted to have more power over dictating what happened in their lives. 

“Our control to choose what jobs we were allowed to accept and even where we were allowed to live was taken away from us,” Jill said, noting that the family’s plans sadly always came before the couple’s goals. Derick added, “The first few years of our marriage, we spent time and money working towards opportunities only to hit a dead end when we’d be told, ‘Well, you’re not allowed to do that.’”

The Duggar family is known for being extremely modest, with parents Jim Bob and Michelle teaching their children about strict, religious values. Since her departure from the family’s show, Jill has gotten a nose ring and even modeled modest swimwear, according to PEOPLE. Telling the network about their choice to leave was hard, but the couple had stood by their choice. “Sometimes it’s a good thing being okay with other people not being okay,” Jill said. Speaking with Us Weekly in February 2021, the couple explained that although the situation with the Duggar family hadn’t gotten better, the two of them were “in a better place.”

In July 2021, the Dillards issued a formal statement on their website detailing exactly what led them to the difficult decision. They expressed that they had “many great experiences with the network,” and grew to be extremely close with several of the crew members. “However, we also faced many pressures and some unexpected challenges which forced us to step away from the show in an effort to gain more control over our own lives and to do what was best for our family,” the Dillards wrote. 

They continued, “The pursuit of freedom and authenticity has been a growing theme in our lives. Our story is still being written, and this event is just one more step forward toward that goal.” Concluding their statement, the Dillards wrote, “For now, we will move forward on our own terms, and we look forward to whatever opportunities the future holds.”

What do you think about Jill Duggar Dillard’s decision to leave her famous family and one of their TV shows? Let us know, and be sure to pass this on to your loved ones, too.