Jed Duggar Wants To Clear Up A Major Misconception About His Family

Jedidiah "Jed" Duggar is speaking out online to clear up a misconception the public has had about his famous family. As one of 19 children born to parents Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar, Jed, like many of his siblings, has spent most of his life in the public eye thanks to the family's television series, "19 Kids and Counting" and "Counting On." Things haven't always been perfect for the Duggars, and Jed's latest responses prove he's aware of that.

In a video posted to YouTube titled "Q & A | Jed & Katey Duggar Family Update!," Jed and his wife Katey answered some of the questions that they've received about themselves and their family. The couple also featured their son, Truett Duggar (born in May 2022, via In Touch Weekly) during the early part of the almost 17-minute question-and-answer session — and the two went from answering where they would most like to live to spilling more about their lives.

Jed Duggar can think for himself

Six minutes into their YouTube video, Jed and Katey Duggar answered the question: "What is the biggest misconception of your family?" Jed took the lead on this one, saying, "You're brainwashed, your parents control you, you're all probably going to have the same number of kids or have a lot of kids." He explained that this isn't actually the case, adding, "I'm definitely not brainwashed. I have a mind of my own ... My dad is a very humble man, my mom as well. She's just the sweetest thing." 

Jed also acknowledged that his parents aren't without their flaws but that he loves them despite these shortcomings. He shared, "The upbringing that I had, of course it wasn't perfect ... Now the world, of course, is seeing that."

Katey defended her husband, as well, in the YouTube video, saying, "Probably a big misconception is that, like, no one has a mind of their own and these things are, like, forced on them, and it's like, we're actually happy. We love our lives, and we make our own choices. Some of them are going to be similar to both of our parents, and some will be different — and the same will happen with our kids, too — and that's just the process of life."

Notably, some of Jed's siblings have been more vocal about their individual experiences with their upbringing than others. His sister, Jinger Vuolo, has written a book, "Becoming Free Indeed," which will be released on January 31, 2023, per In Touch Weekly.