The One Duggar Couple That Makes Counting On Fans Cringe

Some Duggar couples arguably go a little overboard with their lovey-dovey posts, but there is one couple that makes fans cringe the most — partly because they aren't buying their love story. According to a Reddit thread titled, "Courtship Cringe: A Ranking," Josiah and Lauren Duggar reign supreme in the awkward department.

"First of all, I never believed these two even remotely liked each other from the start," the criticism began. "Josiah's courtposal (formally asking to start a relationship) at a restaurant, surrounded by all of his sisters, was pretty weak. Their respective explanations for why they were interested in each other are so vague, I don't know why they even bothered–it's clear they barely know each other, more so than with the other couples. There's just no spark between them AT ALL."

Although there is no hard evidence that the couple's marriage is just for show, a source alleged to The Hollywood Gossip that Duggar patriarch, Jim Bob, arranged the marriage between Josiah and Lauren as a way to tame his "persistently defiant" son. According to the source, Jim made "some sort of deal" with Lauren's father and said to him, "'We've got to do something about Josiah because he's nuts; he's totally nuts.'" Jim supposedly tried to domesticate his son, with the insider claiming, "To be honest with, you I don't look for that marriage to last." 

Keep scrolling for more details about why fans think Josiah and Lauren were forced into their "cringey" relationship.

Josiah and Lauren continue to advocate for their romance

Despite rumors that Lauren and Josiah Duggar got forced into their marriage, the couple has never addressed the speculation and continue to profess their love for one another. Since tying the knot in 2018, they welcomed their daughter, Bella, in November 2019, and often gush over their family on social media. In a lengthy and heartfelt Instagram post for their wedding anniversary, "Si" concluded his kind words to his wife, writing, "I cannot imagine life without you. I love you so much sugar! Your guy."

Regardless of their efforts to prove their genuine connection, some fans still aren't buying it. "For better or worse, you could tell that the other couples loved each other. It doesn't even seem like they know each other, and I could be wrong, but it kind of seems like Lauren thinks he's a little slow or not slow, but not on her level," one Reddit user wrote back in 2018. 

Perhaps a few more Duggars need to get married before these two finally lose their title as the most awkward Counting On couple. TBD!