Jill Dillard Escaped The Duggar Family Thanks To One Little Detail, According To Fans

Once Josh Duggar's scandals died down, and he was safely behind bars, the Duggar family moved on with life. But that doesn't mean they plan to return to the spotlight. Even amid the drama from Jill Dillard and Jinger Vuolo's memoirs coming out, Michelle and Jim Bob Duggar have barely made a peep. Nor have any of the other adult Duggar kids — even Jinger — spilled as much tea as Jill,

After realizing that Jill Dillard is the only Duggar child to publicly break away from her parents, fans theorized that her husband was the one who "saved" her — but not in the way you might think. Many suspect that the Duggar kids signed non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) that they are too terrified to break, while Jill found a solid way out.

Of All The Duggar Siblings, Only Jill Dillard Is Officially Estranged From Her Parents

Most of the Duggar kids lie low and don't talk about the family drama

TLC

As the most active in the media, Jill Dillard has made it clear that she does not agree with her parents' choices and has been estranged from them as an adult. Interestingly, Jill is the only sibling to have given interviews speaking about the state of her relationship with her parents, while labeling their parenting choices as harmful.

Although some speculated that the Duggars could repair their relationship after Jill's book came out, Jill admitted she was still estranged from her parents months afterward. The same may not be true for her many siblings.

Though Jinger, now married to Jeremy Vuolo, also released a book about her life, hers focuses on her religious beliefs and how those shifted after moving away from her parents' religious ideals. While Jinger seems to denounce her parents' participation in IBLP activities, she does not seem to have become estranged from Michelle and Jim Bob. Of course, living a few states away from them likely means that Jinger doesn't have to interact with her parents often, if at all.

Still, other Duggar siblings still seem to be close with their parents. Jill once hinted at the fact that some of her siblings might be quietly leaving the family, too, but publicly, the Duggar kids don't say much.

In July 2023, Jinger Vuolo posted a Fourth of July photo with her mom and sisters in Arkansas, proving they were still in contact months after Jinger's book came out. However, other siblings are less vocal; Jedidiah, who was thought to be Jim Bob and Michelle's 'favorite' after receiving a gift of property, doesn't seem to acknowledge his parents at all on social media.

Joy-Anna, likewise, does not seem to mention her parents, though she posts plenty of Instagram photos with her own little family. Joy is another Duggar who fans suspect is close to leaving the family religion, if she hasn't already.

But fans do suspect there's one thing that helped Jill leave that the other siblings simply don't have: a lawyer spouse.

Fans Theorize That Jill's Husband Becoming A Lawyer Is What 'Saved' Her

Fans think Jill's husband helped her get out of an NDA and get her money back

ET

Sure, getting married does seem to be the only way a Duggar daughter gets to leave the family compound. But in Jill's case, her choice of husband may have helped her in another way: Derick Dillard began studying law after earning a Bachelor's Degree from Oklahoma State University. He graduated from the University of Arkansas in 2022 with a law degree; Derick passed the bar in 2022.

All this to say that Jill's husband is someone who would be able to decipher a contract or non-disclosure agreement easily, and that support is what fans think made all the difference in Jill escaping her parents' control.

Derick once threatened a protective order against Jim Bob after the family's arguments over finances. It was around that time that Jill revealed that her father sent her an "itemized bill" for, essentially, the costs of raising her.

In a Reddit discussion about Jill's estrangement from her parents, commenters proposed that the other kids probably kept quiet because "Most kids signed NDAs in exchange for $80k." Though it's unclear whether that Redditor was correct, other commenters jumped in to point out that NDAs have expiration dates and limitations — they don't mean that a person can never discuss a subject for the rest of their lives.

At the same time, an NDA that covers anything and everything wouldn't be enforceable — but fans suggest that most of the Duggars don't know that, nor do they have the funds for legal representation to help them out.

"Yep, it's no coincidence that out of all the kids, Jill happens to be married to a lawyer."

One commenter even relayed information from Jill's book, which apparently stated that Jim Bob wanted his kids to sign contracts and NDAs that even covered "unborn children and other sketchy things." What's more, none of the Duggar siblings have spoken out to disprove Jill's claim that they were threatened (via text and verbally) to keep quiet or they would be cut off financially.

That might prove Jill's point, as the silence suggests it's true — and so does the lack of Jim Bob attempting to sue her for spreading false information.

Do The Duggar Kids All Have Non-Disclosure Agreements With Their Parents?

It's not clear whether the Duggars have NDAs or contracts at this point

Fans don't know, at this point, whether any of the adult Duggar kids have contracts or NDAs in place with their parents. Given that TLC is no longer filming, there are many contracts that would have been canceled afterward, but that doesn't mean Jim Bob isn't trying to control a narrative, according to Reddit commenters.

Only time will tell what other secrets the adult Duggar kids may be keeping to protect their livelihoods and their family's reputation.