Jill Duggar and her husband, Derick Dillard, candidly opened up about their estrangement from her parents.
The “19 Kids and Counting” alums confessed they couldn’t recall the last time they saw Jim Bob Duggar during Wednesday’s episode of “The Unplanned Podcast.”
Dillard speculated they “probably” last saw Jim Bob when their son Frederick was born in July 2022.
Jill chimed in that the run-in might have been at a “wedding or birthday thing,” but it was definitely before the release of her “Counting the Cost” memoir in September 2023.
While the couple couldn’t agree on an exact date, they concluded it was definitely “over a year ago.”
However, Jill said she visited with her mom, Michelle Duggar, at least once last year.
However, Jill, 32, and Dillard, 34, are still in contact with Jim Bob, 58, and Michelle, 57, though they haven’t had a sit-down conversation since their daughter’s tell-all was released.
In the best-selling book, Jill detailed her childhood and the secrets behind the “cult-like” religious teachings she was raised with, known as the Institute in Basic Life Principles (IBLP).
While she hasn’t gotten her parents’ feedback, she suspects they have their critiques on how she described her life growing up as one of 19 children.
“I’ve heard that they did [read it],” she told podcast hosts Abby and Matt Howard. “I heard they listened to it on audiobook or something. I don’t know. … They’re my parents and I’m gonna tread lightly.”
The former TLC star added that she isn’t looking to “create more controversy” by bringing up the book to her family.
“It’s kind of like when you get together at the holidays, and there are just certain things that you don’t just want to bring up,” Jill said. “It’s probably a sore subject.”
Jill speculated that her parents would probably suggest they “sit down with a therapist” and “hash it out.”
However, she doesn’t believe that would work.
“We tried that before. It just is not the healthiest way to go about it,” she explained. “So we’re still on the road to figuring things out.”
Jill previously addressed the trauma she endured from the controversial religion in the Prime Video docuseries “Shiny Happy People: Duggar Family Secrets,” which was released last year.
In the series, several former members of the church came forward to criticize the institute, alleging the religion “raises little predators,” seemingly referencing Josh Duggar.
Josh was sentenced to 12 years in prison in May 2022 following a child pornography scandal. He was also previously accused of molesting five minor girls, including two of his sisters.
The bombshell case led to the immediate cancellation of “19 Kids and Counting,” which premiered on TLC in 2008.
Meanwhile, Jim Bob and Michelle broke their silence on the docuseries in June 2023, calling it “sad” and “sensationalized.”
“This ‘documentary’ paints so much and so many in a derogatory and sensationalized way because sadly that’s the direction of entertainment these days,” the couple wrote in a joint statement posted to their family’s website.
“We have always believed that the best chance to repair damaged relationships, or to reconcile differences, is through love in a private setting,” they continued, referencing Jill’s appearance in the project.
In addition to Jill, her sister Jinger Duggar has also recalled growing up in “fear” during her childhood.
“I thought I had to wear only skirts and dresses to please God,” she told People in January 2023.
