Jessa Duggar and Jill Duggar have spent much of their life in the public spotlight. First, the sisters were known as members of the 19 Kids and Counting reality TV family. Then they became known as two of the sisters molested by their brother Josh Duggar when they were underage. And even when the show was cancelled, Jessa and Jill remained in the limelight, with now-pregnant Jessa married to Ben Seewald and documenting her baby bump progress on social media while Jill, wed to Derick Dillard, also provided fans with details of their mission work.
As a result of their continued popularity among the public, TLC has decided to create a series of specials that focus on Jessa and Jill , reported Us Weekly .
When Jessa and Ben were at the Southern Women’s Show in Florida, the pregnant 22-year-old shared her excitement.
“We’re excited. We’re looking forward to this,” declared Jessa. “We’re going to be doing some filming, preparing to welcome this little one into our lives.”
Jill already has a son named Israel. But while the 24-year-old reality TV star knows how it feels to be a mom, Jessa is anticipating becoming a parent for the first time in November.
“I know it’s going to change our lives dramatically,” she declared.
While it just takes one small suitcase for a weekend voyage currently, Jessa revealed that her pals have been cautioning her that it takes a lot more when a baby is on board, including strollers, car seats, and baby gear. But Jessa should be familiar with all those items as one of the 19 kids of Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar.
It’s well-known that her parents chose names that begin with J for all of the children, and Ben revealed that they aren’t currently planning to follow that lead.
“We thought to ourselves, if we do that, we’ll kind of limit our name selection,” pointed out Seewald. “We’ll keep our options open.”
As for the air date, look for the first special before 2016 — but don’t look for Josh to star on the new show with the Duggar sisters.
The 27-year-old husband of Anna Duggar has led a scandal-scarred existence recently. First, the news emerged that five underage girls, including several of his sisters, had been molested by Josh.
Subsequently, Duggar confessed that he had used Ashley Madison, the website designed for those who want to have affairs while they are married, to cheat on Anna and also revealed that he was addicted to pornography. Josh now is in rehab.
“I have been the biggest hypocrite ever,” wrote Duggar in his confession. “I am so ashamed of the double life that I have been living and am grieved for the hurt, pain, and disgrace my sin has caused my wife and family.”
But it seems as if Josh isn’t the only one in the Duggar family who’s getting some negative backlash. With Jessa faithfully sharing selfies of her blossoming baby bump on social media, some are saying that Duggar is vain for all those selfies, reported SheKnows .
“Do you really need 1,000 people telling you how great you look after every selfie?” asked a follower.
And one person asked Jessa about accusations that she’s vain for all those selfies.
“Isn’t vanity a sin?” questioned that user.
But Jill has been received her share of backlash as well. Both she and Derick have sought money for their ministry work and recently returned from El Salvador. Fans are questioning if Jill and Derick used the money that they gave them for vacations rather than mission efforts, reported Entertainment Tonight .
Dillard Family Ministries is a tax-exempt organization, and they ask for donations through that group. But when fans noted that the couple has visited the United States on pleasure trips twice since leaving, they wondered how Jill and Derick paid for those vacations.
“So what exactly are you doing to help people in El Salvador? Your donors would like a detailed statement of what their money is being used for,” posted one such questioner.
And that’s not all. Derick recently proudly shared that Jill had succeeded in becoming a Certified Professional Midwife (CPM) with a seven-hour test. But Dr. Amy Tuteur, who is an OB-GYN and used to be a Harvard University Clinical Instructor in Obstetrics, contrasts what it means to be a Certified Nurse Midwife (CNM) versus Jill’s certificate , reported Hollywood Gossip .
“Jill Duggar Dillard did not become a midwife,” blogged Dr. Tuteur. “She became a counterfeit midwife. She was awarded an ersatz credential (CPM, Certified Professional Midwife) designed to fool the public into believing that lay people who can’t be bothered (or can’t hack) the education and training needed to become a real midwife are ‘midwives’ nonetheless.”
According to the physician, CPM stands for Counterfeit Professional Midwife.
What do you think of these slams against Jessa and Jill Duggar? Are any of them justified, and will you watch the upcoming specials on the sisters? Post your comments below.
[Images via Derick and Jill Dillard/Facebook ; Dillard Family; Jessa Seewald/Twitter ]