Michelle Duggar Was Once A Bikini-Wearing Wild Child?

Was Michelle Duggar once a popular cheerleader who loved wearing bikinis and short skirts? The answer might surprise you.

Radar Online recently “exposed” the “wild past” of Michelle Duggar by sharing a little info about her pre-19 Kids and Counting life. Her past wasn’t actually all that wild, but her teen years were much different than those of her daughters — most people would see Michelle’s young life as normal or typical before she embraced the quiverfull movement.

The way Michelle dated was nothing like the way daughters Jessa Duggar and Jill Dillard have been “courted.” According to a former classmate, Michelle was “a very pretty, very popular cheerleader who definitely dated a few guys before Jim Bob.” From the sounds of it, she didn’t let her dad play matchmaker for her — she chose who she wanted to date herself. Jim Bob also didn’t have to wait until marriage to get more than a side hug from Michelle. According to Radar, the “abstinence only” fans “got physical” before they walked down the aisle.

Michelle Duggar had a rebellious streak, which is something that none of her children seem to have. All the girls on 19 Kids and Counting don’t complain about having to keep their legs covered up, but Michelle was not a fan of dowdy clothing when she was a teen. According to the father of one of Michelle’s high school friends, neighbors actually used to complain about Duggar’s barely-there outfits.

“They were always trying to get her to cover up her legs. And so were her parents!”

The neighbors also weren’t happy about the attire Michelle chose to mow the lawn in: a bikini. During an interview with Pop Sugar, the 19 Kids and Counting matriarch basically slut-shamed herself for keeping cool while working outside.

“I mowed the lawn in a bikini and had no idea what I was doing to my neighbor’s husband across the street. No wonder the woman hated our family — you know? And, I think I had no clue as far as the responsibility I had in that the way I dressed caused men to have struggles.”

Now the members of the 19 Kids and Counting clan are so anti-bikini that they don’t even go to the beach. According to E! Online, Michelle Duggar says that the ocean is off-limits because “[i]t’s just too hard for the guys to try and keep their eyes averted.”

Do you think Michelle Duggar is a hypocrite for banning bikinis and keeping her daughters from dating? Or is she a well-intentioned mom who thinks that she’s saving her daughters from making what she views as big mistakes?

[Image credits: Radar Online/Starcasm]