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Jill Duggar and Derick Dillard cut ties with Jim Bob Duggar long before the family’s recent spate of scandals.
Their reasons for doing so were plentiful:
Jim Bob had stolen millions from his kids by pocketing their TLC earnings; he turned a blind eye to Josh Duggar’s abuse of his sisters … the list goes on and on.
Now, Jim Bob has been exposed for all the world as something worse than a negligent opportunist — something much closer to a monster.
Derick was in court every day of Josh’s trial, but his goal was not to show support for the defendant.
No, he was on hand to gather information so that when he eventually spoke out against his in-laws, he could do so with complete knowledge of their many crimes and complicities.
Now, in an act of benevolent betrayal worthy of Shakespeare or Succession, Derick has struck a blow for the victims by revealing that what he witnessed behind the scenes confirms their worst suspicions.
On Tuesday, Josh spoke out against Jim Bob’s long history of lies and manipulation in a reply to a post written by fomer family friend Jim Holt.
“I used to have much respect for Jim Bob, as my father-in-law, and I wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt for years,” Derick wrote.
“Unfortunately, it’s only become clearer to us over time just how deep this man’s manipulation and deceit will go for his own gain, at the expense of others,” Jill’s husband continued.
Derick then referenced Jim Bob’s failed campaign for a seat in the Arkansas State Senate, writing:
“Contrary to his campaign, he does not believe in freedom, but his manipulation has resulted in what is akin to human trafficking.”
Dillard went on to claim that the version fans saw on TV is about as far from the real Jim Bob as you could get:
“When confronted privately, he is not humble, but he is defensive and verbally abusive,” Derick continued.
“When he says he cannot be bought, the truth is that he has a history of being a sellout to anything that he can personally profit from, and he will justify it however he wants to continue his personal agenda.”
Derick concluded by posing a question to fans and former fans of the Duggars — a question that he hoped might illustrate the extent to which they have been deceived.
“Again, if he has lied and continues to lie to his best friends and his own family, will he LIE to YOU?!”
Jim is the husband of Bobye Holt, who also felt that the abuses she witnessed during her long relationship with the Duggar family left her with no choice but to speak out.
Bobye testified during Josh’s trial, revealing that his abuse of his sisters was more severe than it was initially portrayed.
She also revealed that Josh’s parents went to police only after other members of their community found out about the molestations, years after they began.
Jill stopped speaking to her parents in 2019, and she recently revealed that Jim Bob and Michelle seemed glad to see her go.
Over the years, the Dillards revealed small details of the rift, such as the fact that it was made clear to them that they were no longer welcome at the Duggar compound in Tontitown, Arkansas.
Derick’s remarks come just days after an earlier, more diplomatic statement in which he and Jill condemned Josh’s actions, but made no direct mention of Jim Bob and Michelle.
“Today was difficult for our family. Our hearts go out to the victims of child abuse or any kind of exploitation,” the couple wrote on Instagram.
“Josh’s actions have rippled far beyond the epicenter of the offense itself,” continued the Dillards.
“Children have scars, but his family is also suffering the fallout of his actions.”
Yes, the list of Josh’s victims is distressingly long, and it includes his wife, Anna, and the seven children that he now leaves behind as he prepares to spend the next several years in a federal detention facility.
Fortunately, it seems that members of the Duggars’ community have finally recognized the importance of revealing the full extent of Josh and Jim Bob’s abuse.
Hopefully, these efforts will be enough to break the generational abuse cycle that has affected this family for far too long.
It’s unclear what Derick was referring to in his remarks about human trafficking.
But we’re sure that much more will come to light in the weeks and months to come.
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