‘Counting On’: Who Is Lauren Caldwell, and Why Does Everyone Think She’s Courting James Duggar?
James Duggar may have just turned 19 in July, but Duggar family followers have theorized that he is already courting. The rumors have been swirling since James rang in his 18th birthday in 2019. Now, family critics are even more convinced that another Duggar wedding is on the horizon. James was spied hanging out with the Caldwell family over the weekend, and everyone seems to think he was on hand to spend time with Lauren Caldwell. The 20-year-old Caldwell daughter has been linked to a different Duggar boy in the past, though. So, who is Lauren Caldwell exactly?
Who is Lauren Caldwell?
Duggar family followers seem pretty convinced that Lauren will marry one of the Duggar boys. They just aren’t sure which one. There is good reason to think a courtship could be on the horizon, too. Lauren doesn’t just have a peripheral tie to the Duggar family. Lauren’s older sister, Kendra Caldwell, married Joseph Duggar in 2017.
Ever since that wedding, Lauren has been hanging around the Duggar family. Lauren has been seen in several episodes of Counting On and was on hand for the birth of Kendra and Joseph’s second child in November 2019. She was also spied on a mission trip with Jason Duggar, leading to speculation that Lauren has caught the eye of at least one of the Duggar boys.
Family followers originally assumed Lauren was courting Jason Duggar
Before rumors started swirling that Lauren and James were an item, she was linked to a different Duggar boy. In April 2019, courtship rumors picked up when family followers spotted an interesting picture on Facebook. A mission trip photo featured Jason and Lauren Caldwell with a group of friends in Greece. The picture wasn’t enough to confirm a courtship, but a tour guide’s comment seemed to lend credence to the theory that Jason and Lauren were dating. In the comments, a tour guide claimed Jason and his “future bride” had invited her to visit them in the United States.
Nothing came of the rumors, but Jason was seen spending time with the Caldwells after the mission trip. If Jason and Lauren were an item at some point, that might not be the case any longer. Jason recently joined Instagram but hasn’t announced a relationship, and one of his brothers seems to be spending more time with the Caldwells than anyone else.
Evidence suggests that Lauren and James Duggar might be getting cozy
James and Lauren have been spending a lot of time together, albeit never alone. Rumors about a potential courtship first swirled when viewers spotted James and Lauren looking close during Addison’s birth special. It even appeared as though the duo were holding hands at one point. Nothing came of those rumors, though. After the birth special, everything seemed to go quiet. Fans, however, are now more convinced than ever that James has his eyes on Lauren.
Over the weekend, Kendra and Joseph joined the Caldwell’s for a day on the lake. Along for the ride was James. He looked particularly comfortable around the Caldwell family, leading some fans to believe he’s been spending a lot of time around them. Lauren is the only Caldwell kid close to James in age. According to Fandom, Lauren was born in 1990. The next nearest Caldwell sibling, Micah Caldwell, is 16.
[Correction: An earlier version said Kendra and Joseph welcomed their second child in 2020, not 2019.]