The Duggar Family’s Failed Courtship: Where Is Marjorie Jackson 8 Years Later?
Josiah Duggar and Lauren Swanson celebrated their fifth wedding anniversary in June. The reclusive Duggar couple is believed to have three children and recently built a new home. Before all of that, Josiah had his sights set on a different woman. In 2015, Josiah Duggar entered into a courtship with a woman named Marjorie Jackson. It is the only public Duggar courtship that failed. Eight years after the couple called things off, it feels like the right time to revisit where their lives have taken them.
Josiah Duggar and Marjorie Jackson announced their courtship shortly before Josh Duggar’s original scandal broke
Back in 2015, everything was going fine for the Duggar family. Then, In Touch Weekly published police records that indicated that Josh Duggar had molested several of his sisters when he was still a teen. Not long after, Josh was outed as a serial cheated following the Ashley Madison data breach.
TLC responded to the scandals by canceling 19 Kids and Counting and scrapping any footage they had prepared. Duggar family followers suspect Josiah Duggar’s courtship with Marjorie Jackson would have been featured in the lost season. Either way, the footage never aired, and Marjorie and Josiah announced the end of their relationship not long after the scandals broke.
Where is Josiah Duggar now?
Following his breakup, Josiah Duggar continued to appear on the Duggar family reality TV show, which had been rebranded as Counting On. The series documented his successful courtship, marriage to Lauren Swanson, and the birth of their first child, Bella Milagro Duggar. When Counting On was canceled in 2021, following Josh Duggar’s arrest on child pornography charges, Josiah and Lauren opted to step out of the spotlight.
They have since deleted most posts on their Instagram and have rarely appeared in photos and footage captured by other Duggars. Despite their secretive nature, some facts about the couple have spilled out. When they opted to leave the reality TV world behind, they were parents of one daughter. Now, they have three children, including a second daughter, Daisy, and a son whose name has not yet been leaked. Property records indicate the duo moved into a house near the Springdale, Arkansas, compound where Josiah grew up earlier this year.
Marjorie Jackson’s life looks much different than it would have as a Duggar wife
While Josiah is married with multiple children, Marjorie Jackson remains single. In fact, her life looks nothing like it would have had she stayed in Arkansas and tied the knot. Following the end of her young courtship, Marjorie went to college and obtained a degree in graphic design. She was only 17 when she agreed to date Josiah. From there, she founded her own business before moving out of Arkansas.
Now 25, Marjorie Jackson lives in Washington, D.C., where she works for the U.S. House of Representatives. Outside of work, she appears to spend her time with a wide array of friends. Interestingly, Marjorie started her D.C. journey at the same employer as the now-disgraced Josh Duggar. Jackson worked for Family Research Council for two years. Josh Duggar worked for the conservative lobbying group from 2013 to 2015. He resigned after his molestation and cheating scandals.
Ultimately, Josiah and Marjorie were clearly all wrong for each other, even if the scandals hadn’t happened. While Josiah and Lauren are keeping things in their personal life quiet, things seem to be just fine between them. Marjorie seems to be enjoying her life, as well.
