Joy-Anna Duggar On Tips For A Successful Marriage: 'Don't Ask Us!'

Once a reality TV star, Joy-Anna Duggar Forsyth is now a young wife and mother who keeps her fans updated through her weekly vlog, "Following the Forsyths." The September 16 installment showed her and her husband, Austin Forsyth, relaxing by a cozy fire on a camping trip and answering questions posed by their Instagram followers. The topics ranged from fairly generic to tougher issues. The couple has three children; do they want more? (They're open to one more, and then "we'll see.") Their sons are Gideon and Gunner; will all their boys have "G" names? (No; Gunner was almost named Bowman.) One fan asked whether Joy liked Austin's beard. (He's gone from a bit of scruff back in 2021 to a full mountain-man look.) Candidly, Joy admitted, "I love Austin's beard. Do I love it for two years? Not really." 

"What's y'all's key to a successful marriage?" was the next question on the list. Joy laughed and said, "We are not the ones to ask! I feel like we are still young [she's going on 26; he'll be 30 in December]; we're still figuring things out." Austin added, "You can't let life and kids and things get too busy where you lose focus on your marriage. You've got to fight for your marriage." One of the qualities Joy said she appreciates most about her husband is his willingness to apologize, even if he wasn't totally at fault. "We're both sinners saved by grace, and we both need grace in our relationship," she concluded.

Some of the other questions fans had for Joy-Anna Duggar Forsyth and Austin Forsyth were a little tougher. Because Joy's parents were members of the controversial Institute in Basic Life Principles (IBLP), followers wanted to know if she and her husband still belong to the group, and if not, which church they belong to now. Joy and Austin were quick to disassociate with the problematic church ministry, explaining they stopped associating with the IBLP immediately after they were married. The Forsyths currently attend a traditional Baptist church. "We follow Jesus alone," Joy said.

One of Joy's sisters, Jill Duggar Dillard, just released a tell-all book, "Counting the Cost." It denounces not only the IBLP, but also many of the things their father, Jim Bob, did for the sake of staying on the air. An Insta fan asked whether the Forsyths plan to read it. Joy said yes: "I read Jinger [Duggar Vuolo]'s book, I'll read Jill's book. ...I want to know what it's about, I want to know what she has to say." Chimed in Austin, "If your family member wrote a book about your family, would you read it? Duh. The answer's in the question."  It might be worth noting, however, that Joy has yet to "like" any of Jill's Instagram preview posts about "Counting the Cost." It remains to be seen whether the next vlog installment will include Joy's review of her sister's book.