Josiah Duggar's Latest Online Actions Have Fans Scratching Their Heads
People who have their lives captured by reality TV cameras typically react in one of two ways once the cameras are off: They either keep finding ways to stay in the public eye, or they quietly retreat into the normal world. The Duggars are proof of that. After the "19 Kids & Counting" series was canceled, some Duggar family members remained active on social media, the better to promote their projects and pick up lucrative sponsorships. Others have opted for a more anonymous life. Josiah Duggar, the eighth of the 19 siblings, is among them. Unlike older sisters Jinger Vuolo, Jessa Seewald, and Jill Dillard, who keep fans entertained and informed with their Instagram posts, "Si" is keeping a much lower profile. At one point, he and Lauren, his wife of four years, maintained a public Insta page, showing pics of their adorable daughter, Bella Milagro. However, his recent actions are baffling fans and sparking a lot of speculation.
Per In Touch Weekly, the @siandlaurenduggar account was suddenly switched to the private setting about a year ago, meaning that fans now have to request access to the page and be approved by the couple. They went a step further by removing all but a handful of photos. Then in November 2022, Josiah abruptly deleted what remained of the pictures, leaving a blank feed. Commenters on the popular Reddit channel DuggarsSnark had a few theories, per The U.S. Sun — including a particularly intriguing one.
Sharp-eyed fans think they spotted a new addition to Josiah's family
Josiah and Lauren Duggar have been keeping their personal life a secret lately, but that doesn't stop their fans from being curious. On November 1, his dad, Jim Bob Duggar, sold them a nearly six-acre parcel of land adjoining his large Arkansas property (per The U.S. Sun). This got murmurs started that the Duggar son had welcomed a secret baby and needed a bigger living space.
Not long after, Josiah's brother, Jedidiah, posted a video to YouTube that seemed to confirm the rumors. Titled "Duggar Family Fall Festival!", it showed most of the extended family gathering together for games, a chili cook-off, a pie contest, a hayride, and general merriment. It also tellingly showed Josiah holding toddler daughter Bella, and Lauren cradling a baby. It's possible that she might have been watching one of her many nieces and nephews, but given the Duggars' love of large families, it seems more likely that Josiah is indeed a father of two.
Why keep a happy piece of news like this a secret? As In Touch Weekly has noted, Josiah began cutting back on his social media presence around the same time that his oldest brother, Josh Duggar, was convicted and sentenced to prison. By keeping out of the spotlight, Josiah may be trying to avoid being associated with his brother's crimes so he can enjoy raising his own family in peace.