All the Times the Duggar Children Broke the Family Rules
This popular family has shown its strict point of view on issues such as entertainment, the way of dressing, and love relationships, on their television show for years. But in many opportunities, some of the many siblings have gone against the rules.
Although the Duggar family is a very unusual one, Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar along with their 19 children have become popular precisely because of their way of doing things according to a belief system that not many people practices nowadays.
It is not unknown that the Duggars belong to a branch of Christianity called Independent Baptists, which have well-defined guidelines regarding morality and the way of having any romantic relationship. So they are certainly not completely alone in their customs, even if they are certainly a rarity in mainstream culture.
The Duggar children have to follow their parents' rules while they are living under their parents' roof, but that doesn’t mean they have always done so. Some of them have rebelled, and we wanted to revisit who has broken the rules and the consequences that this has brought, just for you to enjoy.
JOSH DUGGAR
The older brother has had problems observing the rules for years, not to mention the law. Way before "19 Kids and Counting," the original incarnation of the show, was canceled in 2015 because of Josh's turbulent past, he made viewers uncomfortable with a dirty joke about some of his sisters.
On another occasion, he confessed to being addicted to porn, something that is very common but, according to the Duggar family and its moral standards, men or women are not allowed to watch it. However, Josh has described himself as the “greatest hypocrite”, considering that by viewing this kind of videos he is somehow unfaithful to his wife.
It can’t be forgotten that five girls filed charges against Josh for molestation in 2002, something much more serious and condemnable than breaking outdated rules. The oldest of the Duggar boys has generated the worst consequences for his whole family with his actions.
Another of his ill-advised decisions which broke the moral standards of the family is infidelity. Josh was subscribed to the infamous dating site for Ashley Madison, eventually admitting to have been leading a "double life" for years.
Despite Josh's infidelity, his wife Anna has decided to stay with him and the couple has five children. He carries on his back a long list of painful actions against his parents, wife, and children. Josh didn’t only break the rules, but he also has broken the trust of those who love him.
JILL DUGGAR
It is easy to notice that all women in the Duggar family have a modesty dress code. The girls only wear skirts -no pants, no shorts- and always shirts with sleeves -no tank tops. However, Jill has been caught breaking this rule from head to toe in more than one occasion.
Apparently, her husband Derek Dillard has no objections to this. Although Jill's short are never that short, she has definitely relaxed the code of only dresses and skirts for women in the family. She has also above the knee dresses unapologetically.
Jill has gone as far as putting on a nose piercing, something that unsurprisingly her parents are strongly opposed to, just as to tattoos and any other body modifications.
Another of the rules that this couple has broken has to do with music, keeping in mind that the Duggar family only allows religious music to be played, but never falling to the temptation of dancing. But this hasn't kept Derick Dillard from making some moves in what appeared to be like a truly wild party.
AMY DUGGAR
Although she is not Jim Bob's daughter but her niece, Amy shares the family's last name and is also supposed to have the same moral standards as her uncle's. In spite of this, Amy has published photos in bikini, something that is inconceivable for the modesty code of the Duggars.
Although she and her husband identify themselves as Christians, they do not practice the same set of restrictions of her relatives.
The rebel Duggar also defied the prohibition of having intercourse before marriage. Even when she and her husband kept things platonic until they tied the knot, Amy reportedly had previous experiences.
JESSA DUGGAR
Jessa confessed that during her courtship with her now-husband Ben Seewald they broke the rules by having private conversations, which she describes as innocent, in addition to holding hands and hugging.
JINGER DUGGAR
Jinger was another one of the Duggar girls who broke the strict rules during courtship because she couldn't keep her hands to herself when she was close to her boyfriend Jeremy Vuolo.
In relation to her choice of clothing, Jinger appeared with her husband in a photograph where they are seen walking to a tennis match with clothes that break with the Duggar codes since Jill's skirt was quite short and Jeremy's shorts exposed his legs.
JOSEPH DUGGAR
One of the Duggar's rules on courtship is that couples never go on a trip together without a chaperone. In fact, they should never be left alone. This to prevent temptations of physical closeness that can lead to unwanted pregnancies. However, Joseph's parents let him go on a trip with his girlfriend without a chaperone.
Perhaps because it was a mission trip to Panama where, besides his girlfriend Kendra Caldwell, other adults also attended and they were all focused on the church. But it is a remarkable exception nonetheless.
ABBY DUGGAR
She is the family nurse and she discovered her vocation after her parents once became ill and she realized that her passion is to help sick people feel better. Because of her choice of a job, Abby is forgiven for wearing pants, since they are mandatory in her profession.
LAUREN DUGGAR
Josiah and Lauren Duggar published a photo at Christmas 2018 where something didn’t match the values of the Duggars: Lauren's clothes.
Josiah's wife appears in a red dress, quite tight to the body and well above the knee, something that also breaks the code of dressing modestly, in other words failing to be covered from head to toes.
Another moment when Lauren broke the rules of home economics was at the time of choosing her wedding dress. Far from doing like the other Duggar women, who wore second-hand dresses to save money, Lauren picked up a brand new one from a bridal shop.
Lauren wore an Allure Modest gown, with a price that ranges from $700 to $2.000 surprising her followers because they did not understand how a family with a modest budget allowed one of her women to spend that amount of money in her wedding dress.