Years ago, the Duggar family seemed like the perfect picture of a household that functioned well, with strong relationships between the family members, and a healthy respect for their parents and their religion. Yet it all came crashing down when oldest son Josh Duggar was sentenced to over a decade in prison for possessing inappropriate material of children. This was, of course, after it came out that he had molested his younger sisters as a teen.
Fast forward a few years, and multiple Duggars are writing books, giving interviews, and rocking Jim Bob and Michelle's whole world. Jill Duggar Dillard might have been the last Duggar daughter anyone expected to speak out, but she did—multiple times—and may even have inspired her siblings to do the same. From calling out Jim Bob for not giving the kids their fair share financially to providing an interview for Shiny Happy People to releasing a tell-all book, Jill is probably not on her parents' good side. When did Jill Dillard fall out with her family, and are they on speaking terms today?
Jill And Derick Dillard Spoke Out Against The Duggar Family
Jill Dillard was the only Duggar sibling to sit down for an interview for the documentary Shiny Happy People, and that alone spoke volumes about her desire to speak her truth.
Cousin Amy King appeared in the documentary too and corroborated some of Jill's story as well as added more details. But it's Jill who had the most to lose when speaking up, and it was immediately clear that her family wasn't happy afterward.
Jim Bob and Michelle posted a statement to their website decrying the documentary and saying it was full of falsehoods. They didn't specifically address Jill's comments, but it's widely known that Jill and Derick have been on the outs of the family for a while.
The only question is why and how the rift happened, and whether Jill is close with her siblings, if not her parents.
Does Jill Duggar Dillard Still Talk To Her Family?
In 2021, Jill and Derick Dillard were struggling with their relationship with the rest of the Duggars.
In a YouTube video, Jill explained, "We’ve had some disagreements and stuff, but we’re working towards healing definitely and restoration, but we’re having to kind of just take some time and heal and just doing what’s best for our family right now and just working through it."
That was understandable, given the difficulties Jill had during her upbringing and coming to terms with it as an adult. As many fans know, Jill was one of the sisters molested by Josh Duggar, and the narrative is that Jill attempted to speak out, but her parents silenced her efforts.
Jill also gave statements during legal action (after she and her sisters alleged that local authorities "improperly released redacted police investigation documents") that said her father was "toxic" and "verbally abusive" when she and Derick made their own decisions.
Jill elaborated that being around her dad wasn't good for her mental health at that time. And it seems that by the time Jill gave her interview for Shiny Happy People, things weren't any better.
In the documentary, Jill stated that she and Derick were "not on the best terms" with some of their family members.
They didn't say exactly who, but it stands to reason that Jill is hinting at not only estrangement from her parents but also some of her siblings. Otherwise, she might have said she wasn't on good terms with either her parents or a specific sibling or group of siblings, instead of leaving it vague.
Jill further stated that the family dynamic had shifted, but not in a positive way.
Do The Duggars All Get Along Today?
Not all of the Duggars are on good terms today, and it seems that Jill Dillard's estrangement began at least a few years before the documentary interview. But there is some good news amid the family drama; many of the sisters still get along today.
Though Jill hasn't posted anything to social media about her parents in more than a year (Derick's mom has been featured in some posts, and Jill made a tribute to Derick's late father), she might still be close with her sisters.
In 2023, Jinger Duggar was quoted as saying that she and her sisters have "such a tight bond" and that she keeps "in contact with all of them often" through FaceTime. Since Jinger lives the furthest away from the family, it makes sense that everyone can't get together often, but that the sisters make an effort to keep in touch.
Since Jinger also released a tell-all book about her journey through religion—and leaving her parents' rules behind—fans are hopeful that she and Jill have remained close. After all, given the lengths Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar went through to keep Josh's wrongdoings, plus other family secrets, under wraps, the siblings likely have a lot to process to this day.
