Jim Bob & Michelle Duggar's Redemption Arc Starts With Them Getting Real

The following article contains references to child sexual abuse.

For a couple who shared so much of their lives with the public, Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar have been keeping a significantly low profile lately. Of course, we can understand the reasoning. Their hit reality shows, "19 Kids & Counting" and spinoff "Counting On," are both off the air following the arrest and conviction of oldest son Josh Duggar. Two of their daughters have written memoirs criticizing their upbringing, and their faith group is under fire, thanks to the scathing Amazon docuseries "Shiny Happy People: Duggar Family Secrets."  

But you'd hardly know anything was wrong judging by their online presence. The Duggar Family website is devoted to happy moments: Let's watch the siblings sit around a campfire for 20 minutes! Jackson and Johannah just graduated from a homeschooling program that might not have taught them very much! They're far from the first reality stars to see their shows yanked because of off-camera drama, of course. "Here Comes Honey Boo Boo" fell victim to matriarch Mama June Shannon's association with shady men, and "Dance Moms" was canceled after controversial dance coach Abby Lee Miller was called out for her racist remarks. 

But just as both shows found new life in revamped form, the Duggars may yet be able to overcome their tarnished rep and return to TV. The key to redemption: Dropping their "shiny happy" façade and getting real about their flaws, their scandals, and their lives today. 

As of this writing, Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar's Instagram account hasn't been updated since May 2022, when they welcomed the birth of their grandson Truett Oliver, the first child of son Jedidiah Duggar. In the months since Truett has become a big brother to baby Nora Kate, but you wouldn't know it from social media. They also haven't commented on the births of Brynley (daughter of son Jeremiah Duggar) and Gunner (son of daughter Joy-Anna Duggar), the December 2023 birth of daughter Jessa Duggar Seewald's fifth child, and the pregnancy news of Jeremiah and his wife Hannah Wissman Duggar. Plus, there are the long-rumored "secret Duggar babies" of sons Josiah and Joseph Duggar. 

For nearly eight years, the Duggars also raised Michelle's great-nephew Tyler Hutchins (seen above on the far right), whose mother and grandparents were unable to take care of him. In June 2023, Jim Bob and Michelle surrendered custody of Tyler back to his grandparents after they filed a petition asserting that they were the more suitable guardians. Again, the news went unreported; the Duggars' website still includes Tyler in the "Meet Our Family" vertical. 

The custody situation may not be resolved yet either. According to The U.S. Sun, in December 2023, Tyler's grandparents hired another attorney to plead their case. The least Jim Bob and Michelle can do is be more transparent about the basics of their family. Even putting some recent photos on their website would be nice. Youngest daughter Josie Duggar turned 14 in 2023, for instance, but online she's perpetually a preteen.

Having one black sheep in a family of 19 children isn't surprising. Josh Duggar, however, is one of the more horrific stories to come out of the reality TV world. His string of vile crimes culminated in Josh's conviction for receiving child sexual abuse material at work, and he's currently serving time in federal prison. Now his parents need to take accountability for their part in Josh's scandal. 

When they first found out their oldest son had molested four of his sisters, Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar sent him to a sketchy religious training center for a paltry three months. Yet the Duggars hid that information from TLC producers when they signed on for "19 Kids and Counting." As a result, Josh appeared prominently on the show and presented himself as a righteous Christian family man. Even after it became clear that prayer and construction work hadn't reformed Josh, the senior Duggars continued to take his side. 

After Josh's guilty verdict came down, Michelle even wrote a letter of leniency to the sentencing judge, pleading that Josh deserved a shorter prison term because of his compassion, good heart, and dedication to his family. Before they can hope to return to the public eye, the Duggar parents need to acknowledge that they should have gotten professional help for their son from the start and that they should have been more honest about their troubles. It might have cost them a lucrative TV show, but it would have helped their family in much more valuable ways.

If Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar have any hope of salvaging their rep — and their family — they'll need to reconcile with the daughter who was most damaged by their actions. Jill Duggar Dillard's bestselling memoir, "Counting the Cost," reveals a number of crushing things about her father, in particular, all of which are connected to his demands for obedience and his determination to stay on TV. Jim Bob's worst deed, she claims, was pressuring Jill to appear in an interview with Megyn Kelly to protect "Counting On" from cancelation. 

Against her better judgment, Jill told Kelly she had forgiven Josh for abusing her as a child. Even then, Jim Bob continued to treat her as a disobedient rebel. Only years later did Jill confront her dad and finally snap, "You treat me worse than you treat my pedophile brother!" (via E! News). She has a point, and it's time the senior Duggars acknowledged that in a new interview devoted solely to supporting Jill. 

It wouldn't be easy; they'd have to say things like We hurt her and we're sorry. We should have protected her against Josh, not the other way around. We shouldn't have made her give up her dreams for the sake of the show. Just admitting that Jill's nose ring isn't a mortal sin would be a step in the right direction.

If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).