Josh Duggar Receives Birthday Wish From Sister Jill Duggar, Prompting Questions on Social Media
Josh Duggar just received some happy birthday wishes from an unexpected quarter. The one-time 19 Kids and Counting cast member turned 33 on March 3, an event his wife Anna Duggar acknowledged in an Instagram post. Among those wishing Josh well in the comments was his younger sister Jill Duggar.
Jill has had a strained relationship with her family since leaving the 19 Kids and Counting spinoff Counting On in 2017. She is also one of several Duggar siblings who were sexually abused by Josh as children, an experience she opened up about in 2015.
Jill Duggar wishes Josh Duggar a happy birthday
In a March 3 social media update, Josh Duggar’s wife wished her husband and the father of her six children a happy birthday.
“Happy Birthday Joshua! I love being by your side — looking forward to what the next 33 years have in store for us!”
Many commenters chimed in to wish Josh happy birthday as well, including his sister Jill. “Happy B’day,” she wrote, while also commenting on how tall Anna and Josh’s eldest child Mackynzie had gotten.
Jill has a strained relationship with some members of the Duggar family
Though Jill had a friendly birthday message for her sibling, recently, she has been speaking out about her difficult relationship with her family.
“There’s been some distancing there,” Jill said in a YouTube Q&A she posted in October. “We’re not on the best terms with some of my family. We’ve had some disagreements, but we’re working toward healing.”
In a February 2021 interview with Us Weekly, Jill referenced “drama” with her family and said she and husband Derick Dillard were “learning to develop boundaries” with relatives. She hasn’t mentioned which family members she is not getting along with, though Derick has made a number of negative comments about her father, Jim Bob Duggar.
Though it sounds like Jill’s relationship with her family has its challenges, several recent moves have indicated she has not completely cut ties with the other Duggars. On Feb. 26, she and Derick attended her brother Justin Duggar’s wedding to Claire Spivey. Over the summer, she attended her sister Joy-Anna Duggar’s baby shower.
Some people are surprised Josh Duggar and Jill appear to have a relationship
Aside from her brief Instagram comment, Jill hasn’t shed any light on her relationship with Josh Duggar and his family. But some Duggar family followers were surprised to see her wish her brother happy birthday given their history.
“Does this mean you are on good terms with Josh now?” one wondered.
“I’d like to know the answer to that question as well,” another chimed in.
How to get help: In the U.S., call the RAINN National Sexual Assault Telephone Hotline at 1-800-656-4673 to connect with a trained staff member from a sexual assault service provider in your area.
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