Jill Duggar Is Making This Courageous Move

The Duggar family once presented a united front to the public through their TLC reality shows "19 Kids & Counting" and "Counting On." In recent years, however, that shiny reputation has become tarnished, and the family ties have started to unravel. Josh Duggar is currently on trial for two counts of receiving and possessing graphic child sexual abuse material (via People). He has pled not guilty. Each charge could carry as much as a 20-year prison sentence and a $250,000 fine, which would add up to a near-lifetime behind bars if he is found guilty of both. In the meantime, his wife, Anna, has been enlisting her in-laws' help in raising their seven children, including newborn daughter Madyson Lily, per InTouch. 

One blow to the defense was struck prior to the trial, when the presiding judge ruled that the prosecution could introduce information about Duggar's past as part of its case (via The Sun). In 2002 and 2003, he allegedly touched several underage girls — including several of his sisters — in an inappropriate manner. The news was made public some years later, when father Jim Bob reported the incidents to police; the sisters gave a TV interview in which they claimed to have put this dark time in their past (via E! Online).

Now that past may be coming back to haunt the oldest Duggar son. Among the witnesses who may be called to testify is Jill Duggar Dillard, who has said she was one of the siblings abused by her brother (via USA Today). 

If you or someone you know may be the victim of child abuse, please contact the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child (1-800-422-4453) or contact their live chat services.

Jill Duggar Dillard is the fourth of the family's 19 children and the second-oldest daughter. She and her husband, Derick Dillard, were part of the clan's reality shows until 2017, when they abruptly left the "Counting On" series, per Cinema Blend. They have claimed that Duggar patriarch Jim Bob withheld their TV salary and tried to control their life decisions, per Hello! Derick has also stated that "the public was deceived" by the way Josh Duggar's molestation scandal was handled by the network (via The Sun). The Dillards have not visited the Duggar family home in several years, and allegedly are barred from contact with the younger siblings living at home. 

Jim Bob Duggar was called to testify at the pretrial hearing, but claimed he couldn't recall precisely what his oldest son said or did when he confessed to touching the younger girls (via People). Presumably, Dillard will have no such memory problems if she is called as a witness for the prosecution. Her testimony could help ensure that justice is served, but it could also mean losing any hope that she might reconcile with her estranged family members.

Dillard has a host of online followers who are using the #TeamJillDillard hashtag to show that they support her. One fan wrote a comment on her Insta feed: "So much love and strength coming your day. Sometimes the hardest, bravest things to do are the most impactful. Your courage will change lives. For the better."