A Duggar Couple Kept Their Courtship Secret Even From Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar
Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar spent years insisting they kept a close eye on their children regarding dating, relationships, and marriage. The Duggar patriarch and matriarch didn’t keep too close of an eye on everything, though. In an Instagram post, Claire Spivey, who married a barely legal Justin Duggar in 2021, revealed she and her now-husband kept their budding romance a secret from the family for months.
Justin Duggar was the youngest Duggar to announce a courtship
Justin Duggar was the youngest Duggar offspring to announce a courtship thus far. He was 17 when he told the world he was committed to Claire Spivey in 2020. Claire was 19 at the time. It’s not uncommon for the Duggars to marry young, but Justin was substantially younger than his siblings were when they began courting.
According to Duggar Data, the Duggar ladies are 20.45 years old, on average, when they begin courting. The Duggar men are a bit older. The average age of the Duggar boys at the start of their courtships is 22.73 years.
Apparently, Justin was even younger than we thought when he hooked up with Claire
If you thought Justin was a bit young to be courting when he made the announcement, you’ll be even more surprised to learn the romance was going on for many months before that. According to Reddit, Claire Spivey admitted that she and Justin dated in secret without telling their families for many months before they officially announced their intentions.
In an Instagram comment, Claire said she and Justin dated for 14 months before making things official, but the first eight months of their relationship was kept secret even from their families. She said that the Spiveys and the Duggars knew that she and Justin were “friends,” but they didn’t know the true nature of the relationship right away.
Claire’s admission goes against everything Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar claimed were rules for their dating kids. The couple insisted they had an extreme influence on the dating process and ensured their kids were never alone with romantic partners. It seems like Claire and Justin might have broken all the rules. They are still breaking the rules today.
Claire and Justin are still making their own rules
Claire and Justin are rebels in more ways than one. Unlike his older sister, Jill Dillard, he keeps his rebellion quiet, though. Still, proof that he and his wife are making their own rules is obvious. The couple currently holds the Duggar title of the longest time between marriage and a pregnancy announcement.
Claire and Justin married in Texas in February 2021. They still have not announced a pregnancy. The duo hasn’t spoken publicly about their family plans, so it’s unclear if they have opted to wait before welcoming a child or if it just hasn’t happened for them yet.
Justin also opted to move out of Arkansas following his marriage. He is only the second Duggar offspring to move to a different state. Jinger Vuolo, who married Jeremy Vuolo in 2016, was the first member of the family to leave Arkansas. She moved to Texas following her wedding and is now residing in Los Angeles with her husband and two children. Interestingly, Jinger and Jeremy were previously the Duggar couple with the longest time between their wedding and a pregnancy announcement. They waited more than a year after their wedding to begin their family.
