Jessa Duggar Seewald Appears Onstage Today In Orlando Without Duggar Family
Jessa Duggar Seewald is scheduled for a controversial appearance today at 1 p.m. at the Southern Women’s Show in Orlando, Florida.
The show features professional entertainers, corporate executives, fitness gurus, designers, chefs, and the like. Unlike many of the professionals appearing at the event, Jessa is not raising money for charities and will receive a fee for her appearance.
Jessa Duggar is billed as a “special guest” and will appear without other Duggar family members. According to the notice on the event’s website, Jessa’s one-hour appearance will consist of answering questions. After the session, Jessa will be available to sign autographs.
“Guests are welcome to ask Jessa questions on her wedding details [almost a year ago], life as a newlywed, her pregnancy and how she is preparing to be a first time mom when she appears on stage.”
Jessa was scheduled for this and two other appearances with the Southern Women’s Show before the Duggar family scandals appeared in the press beginning on May 19. The Duggar family series on TLC, 19 Kids and Counting, was pulled from the air on May 22 and was formally canceled by the network on July 16.
When Jessa Duggar appeared at the Southern Women’s Show in Charlotte, North Carolina, on August 29, the backlash on the event’s Facebook page was scathing. Overwhelmingly, comments about Jessa’s appearance were negative and centered around the fact that she was not a good role model for women and that her husband Ben should get a job. One Facebook commenter stated that over half of the comments had been removed from the post.
During that appearance last month, Jessa stated her plans to have “at least 20 children,” which more than startled her audience. Given the fact that Jessa doesn’t have a high school diploma or a GED and that her husband’s only work is doing odd jobs for Jessa’s father, her statement wasn’t well received by the women at the show. Most of the women attending the event were working moms, which is why it is held over a weekend.
Though not on the billing, husband Ben actually appeared onstage with Jessa in Charlotte as she answered questions from attendees. More than one commenter questioned why Ben was onstage and why he was at a women’s conference at all.
Ben also sat next to his wife while she signed autographs after the question/answer session. He appeared to be ready to sign his autograph to pictures of Jessa. Also on the table waiting for autographs were copies of a book written about Jessa and three of her sisters, Growing Up Duggar.
The book about the four Duggar sisters was actually written by Charlie Richards and not by the Duggar sisters themselves, according to the book’s Acknowledgements page. Richards is a middle-aged man who compiled information for the book from interviewing Jessa and her sisters Jana, Jill, and Jinger. Though the book is written in first person, the text is all in Richards’ voice and not that of the Duggars.
One professional reviewer of the book, Carolyn Warren, wrote on Amazon.com, “And next time, I’d like to read a book that was actually written by one of you – preferably after the age of 35 when you’ve had time to acquire an independent perspective.”
Jessa Duggar Seewald, however, likes to present herself as an author even though she has never written a book or even part of a book. This is the header photo from her Facebook page.
During Jessa’s last appearance at the women’s event, questions from the audience were carefully screened to avoid questions about her brother Josh and his sexual abuse of her and three of her sisters when they were children. At today’s event, questions may have to be screened to avoid questions about Jessa’s recent solicitation of gift certificates and her sister, Jill Dugger Dillard, for her use of donated funds to her non-profit ministry.
On Thursday, the TLC network announced that it will produce a special about the birth of Jessa’s baby, which is due on November 1, and a special about Jill Duggar and her ministry with husband Derick in Central America. Diehard fans were thrilled with the news, but Dillard detractors came out in force with their objections. No doubt, the upcoming specials will be fodder for at least a few questions during Jessa’s appearance today in Orlando.
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[Intro Photo from YouTube]
