Duggar Drama: Baby Seewald’s Secret Name Has Followers Seething
The family has, so far, referred to him only as “Baby Seewald,” or, jokingly, Quincy. However, Jessa and Ben Seewald have promised to reveal their newborn’s name through People Magazine, and the reveal can probably be expected soon.
However, fans are not too happy with the couple for keeping secrets and creating extra suspense. More cynical followers of the family are even saying that keeping the name back is all about money (a notion that may have some support from tales of an exclusive contract allowing a celebrity magazine the rights of releasing the name to the public) or about drumming up additional interest in the upcoming TLC specials featuring the two married Duggar daughters, Jessa Seewald, and Jill Dillard.
It’s expected that Jessa’s special will center around her pregnancy and the birth of Baby Seewald — an event that has already created a fair share of drama, with Baby Seewald born at home and his mother reportedly rushed to the hospital afterwards, including a 911 call by Michelle Duggar.
If the Seewald family intended for the birth announcement itself to be released exclusively, they missed their chance. Ben’s sister, Jessica Seewald, was the first to break the news, announcing it on Instagram.
If Jessa and Ben are irritated that they didn’t get to announce the birth, and Baby Seewald’s gender, themselves, or that they didn’t get to sell exclusive rights to a news outlet they haven’t said so, but it seems as though they’ve gotten through to Auntie Seewald, and stopped her before she could leak any more information.
On the Duggar Family Official Facebook page, there’s a lot of talk about the baby, but he’s only referred to as “the baby” or “our new grandson.” A lot of people have been following Jessa’s pregnancy — not only fans of the family, but those who consider the Duggar, Dillard, and Seewald families a blight on reality TV, and their religious and political beliefs a danger to society. Detractors and fans alike have wondered: Will the Seewald couple follow a naming scheme, like the Duggars? Will Jessa blanket train (a style of teaching very young infants to curb their curiosity by smacking them with a ruler or other implement if they attempt to crawl off of a blanket — and a method Michele Duggar has endorsed) the baby? Would Jill (whose credentials have been the subject of some controversy too) serve as midwife?
With the world watching, Jessa Seewald seems to be taking the opportunity to maintain an air of suspense — and the following, fans and detractors, are annoyed and disgusted.
It’s not only Baby Seewald’s name that’s being held back, either. The birth and gender may have been revealed, but the family is holding back photos, making them available only on the Seewald Family blog, where there is an admonishment against sharing.
Not only are no photos on the Duggar Family page, but Jessa and Ben Seewald’s Instagram pages are holding back too. Even Jessa’s cousin Amy King, who has at times been more vocal about the family’s issues than some might have preferred, hasn’t shared photos, though she has reportedly visited to see the baby.
The Duggar/Dillard/Seewald detractors say this is another ploy for money — both because people must click through to the family blogs to see the baby photos, and because it provides the opportunity to sell the photos to media outlets. In this too, followers say Baby Seewald is being exploited for financial gain.
In the meantime, the family isn’t answering any questions about when Baby Seewald’s name will be revealed, and appears to be ignoring the criticism.
[Image via TLC]
