Is Jim Bob Duggar in Prison? Where Is He in 2023?
Duggar family followers can’t wait for the release of Shiny Happy People: Duggar Family Secrets. Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar will be discussed at length in the miniseries, as the series focuses on the IBLP community. Some family followers are wondering what Jim Bob and Michelle are up to in 2023, as they don’t speak in the series. So, is Jim Bob Duggar in prison — and if not, what is he doing? Here’s what we know.
Is Jim Bob Duggar in prison?
Jim Bob Duggar is not in prison in 2023. While his son, Josh Duggar, will spend another decade behind bars due to downloading child sexual abuse material, Jim Bob will not.
So, what is Jim Bob doing now? The ex-politician likely keeps up with his rental properties for work, as he no longer has reality TV for income. He owns several commercial properties that he rents. “My dad has a lot of rental properties,” Jessa Duggar said on Counting On in 2018. “That’s kind of how they start out. That’s how they make their first little bit of money.”
Jim Bob has a history with the Republican party in Arkansas. He was a Republican member of the Arkansas House of Representatives from 1999 to 2003. Days after Josh Duggar was found guilty, he lost when running for state senate. It doesn’t look like Jim Bob has involvement in politics in 2023.
As for where he and Michelle Duggar live, they’re still on their compound in Tontitown, Arkansas. A few of their kids, including Jana Duggar, who’s 33, live at the huge Duggar family home. Anna Duggar also still lives in a warehouse on the property. Josh and Anna lived there together with their seven children. Jim Bob and Michelle likely spend a lot of their time making sure Anna and the kids have everything they need through Josh’s prison stint.
After TLC canceled Counting On, it was reported that Jim Bob and Michelle sold five acres of their 97 acres of property for about $46,000. It seems they have plenty of land to continue to sell if push comes to shove.
He isn’t featured in ‘Shiny Happy People: Duggar Family Secrets’
Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar aren’t in Shiny Happy People: Duggar Family Secrets. Their daughter, Jill Duggar, makes an appearance with her husband, Derick Dillard. Jill was the first of the Duggar kids to step away from the family and speak out against how her parents raised her.
While Jim Bob and Michelle don’t speak in the new docuseries, the filmmakers mention them. And the series creators hope the Duggar parents will watch and listen.
“We hope that they actually will take a look at it themselves and maybe there’s some sort of reflection and changes,” executive producer Blye Pagon Faust told Yahoo. “And other members of the family and of the IBLP organization and ideology perhaps will also come forward and renounce a lot of the harmful teachings.”
Executive producer Cori Shepherd Stern hopes the documentary series will change how viewers consume reality media. “I think that anyone who takes a look at this [will realize] that some of these things that we’re consuming as entertainment [are] actually misogyny and educational abuse,” she said. “To watch a show and to see a child not be taught anything … I would hope that we all as entertainment professionals, take a look at our responsibility in what we’re presenting.”
Shiny Happy People: Duggar Family Secrets releases on June 2, 2023, on Prime Video.
How to get help: If you or someone you know has been sexually abused, text HOME to the Crisis Text Line at 741741 for free and confidential support.
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