We Finally Know Why Jill Duggar Left TLC
Fans of the Duggar family have long wondered about the reported split between Jill Dillard and the rest of the Duggar clan. According to Cafe Mom, Derick Dillard isn't on good terms with Jim Bob Duggar, and it doesn't seem like Jill is on great terms with her family, either. As per In Touch Weekly, the Dillards spent Thanksgiving alone in 2019, rather than celebrating the holiday with the rest of the Duggar clan. And now, Jill is sharing more about why she and Derick left TLC.
The Dillards stopped appearing on the network at the time of Derick's transphobic tweets in 2017. Derick misgendered Jazz Jennings and tweeted that children shouldn't be given gender-affirming care and treatment. "I pity Jazz, 4 those who take advantage of him in order 2 promote their agenda, including the parents who allow these kinds of decisions 2 be made by a child. It's sad that ppl would use a juvenile this way. Again, nothing against him, just unfortunate what's on tv these days," he tweeted at the time. TLC followed up with a statement on Twitter, noting that "the network has no plans to feature [Derick] in the future" in episodes of Counting On.
But based on Jill's new statement, there's more to the distance between the Dillards and the Duggars, both on- and off-screen. Here's what Jill said about her family and leaving TLC, which she shared on the Dillard family's YouTube channel.
Jill and Derick Dillard wanted to pursue their 'family goals' outside reality TV
"We left the show ... like two years ago, three years ago now, because ... our family goals that we had for ourselves didn't align with what we found out," Jill Dillard said in a Q&A on her YouTube channel. "We ended up finding out ... we didn't have as much control over our lives as it related to ... the show and stuff, as we felt like we needed. So we had to make a decision at that time to kind of put the show aside just to ... pursue our own goals and everything. ... It was ... a good decision for us."
Jill went on to say that leaving TLC was a "really difficult decision," but that she and her husband are happy with their choice. "[It's] something that we knew, like, we really needed to do for our family," she said.
Derick also said in the video that the couple was "put between a rock and a hard place, where we had to choose between our family goals or filming." The couple didn't share what these goals were, or if they were related to Derick's transphobic tweets in 2017. In addition to the Twitter scandal, Derick has reportedly criticized Jim Bob Duggar for allegedly keeping the Duggar family's TLC earnings, as per The Hollywood Gossip, rather than sharing the money with his children.
Jill admitted that there's tension between her and the rest of the Duggar family
Fans have long sensed a distancing between Jill and Derick Dillard and the other Duggar family members. Jill has shown a bit of a rebellious side lately (well, as rebellious as you can be while still being a Duggar). Jill has started drinking alcohol and coffee, she revealed on Instagram. And while not many Duggar family members have tattoos, Jill has revealed on YouTube that she's open to getting some ink.
But considering the fact that Derick has accused Jim Bob Duggar of keeping all of the family's TLC earnings, as reported by The Hollywood Gossip, it's safe to say this beef goes beyond tattoos and drinks. In a YouTube video, Jill said that she and Derick are "not on the best terms" with her family.
"There's been some distancing there," Jill said in response to a fan question about her relationship with her family. "We're not on the best terms with some of my family. We've had some disagreements and stuff, but we're working toward healing, definitely, and restoration, but we're having to kind of just take some time and heal and just doing what's best for our family right now."
Jill didn't name any specific family members or go into detail about what the "disagreements" entailed, instead telling fans that she and Derick "appreciate [their] prayers" for the couple.
"It's difficult, but, like, we're praying and trusting God," Jill added in the video. "The timeline is his."
Jill and Derick Dillard have no plans to appear on 'Counting On' again
After answering a fan question about why they left Counting On in a new YouTube video, Jill and Derick Dillard answered another question about whether they'd appear on TLC in the future. Jill didn't share a definitive answer, but it doesn't sound like it's something that's in the cards anytime soon.
"We will not go back on the show under the circumstances that we were under at the time that we left," Derick said in the video. "Meaning, just, as a family, we have to be able to make decisions that allow us to navigate our lives and have the information and control so that we know whether or not we can even plan anything for our lives or not."
Since the couple left the show, Derick has enrolled in law school and worked as a law clerk in Arkansas, according to his LinkedIn profile. Jill also works as a midwife. And while fans may miss seeing the couple and their children on-screen in Counting On, it looks like they're more than ready to move on from the show.