Duggar fans, who hoped that Jana Duggar may have found her soulmate, are going to be disappointed. Jonathan Hartono has denied reports that he is dating the oldest Duggar girl. For the past several days, speculation ran rife that the two were courting.
The courtship rumor made news after Hartono shared a video of a bowling session with Jim Bob Duggar. Captioned “1-on-1 with Mr. Duggar,” the video soon went viral, triggering a wave of speculation that he had discussed with Jana’s father about courting her, despite the unlikeliness of such a discussion at that place. Before they married, Ben Seewald, Derrick Dillard, Jeremy Vuolo, and more recently, Austin Forsyth, as prospective suitors, sought to speak with Jim Bob in private about courting his daughters. Jonathan took to Instagram to clarify he had not discussed courtship with Jana Duggar.
“Definitely did not have a 1 on 1 date with Mr. Duggar it was a 1 versus 1 tiebreaker bowling game with everybody else watching LOL. And, no, not courting Jana haha God Bless y’all #stillsingle.”
His closeness to the Duggar family is likely to keep the rumor alive, though it may have been settled for now. In the recent past, Hartono shared several images taken with the Duggars during the Big Sandy conference, revealing just how close he is to the Arkansas reality TV family. He is also known to be close pals with Jessa Duggar and her husband, Ben Seewald. His proximity to the family and the bowling video led many to believe Jana Duggar was courting him, though not much was publicly known about this rumored relationship.
According to his Facebook profile, Jonathan Hartono hails from Indonesia and was enrolled at the ALERT Academy in Big Sandy, and later at Pensacola Christian College for Sports Management. His family relationship listing includes two brothers and two sisters. Among his friends are Josh Duggar, Josaiah Duggar, and Ben Seewald. Like the Duggars, he too was home-schooled and remains single, his profile reads.
After rumors of courtship with Jana Duggar continued to do the rounds, Hartono turned his Instagram account private last week to keep curious eyes at bay.
Being the oldest Duggar girl and single in a family where women marry early, Jana’s single status has often drawn a lot of attention. In the past, she has been linked with football star Tim Tebow and family friend Lawson Bates, who is younger than her. Some have also speculated over her sexual preferences.
While maintaining that she will wait for the right man, Jana has spoke about being single.
“I know how it feels to wait for ‘Prince Charming’ to come along,” she told the Crown of Beauty magazine in an interview. “I’m still waiting. Waiting is not always easy. Especially in those times when all the married siblings are getting together and you can’t go along because your not part of ‘that’ group.” She has also said she prefers men who are not afraid to get some dirt under their fingernails.
While fans often question her about marriage and children, critics and others laud Jana for defying Duggar norms and the pressure of marriage. Others have criticized the family and alleged that the Duggars do not want to let go of her as she is her mother, Michelle’s, right hand in keeping the family home running. Images of her carrying her sister’s children often add to the criticism.
Duggar fans eager for a courtship will have to contend with Hartono’s denial. While the Duggar family seldom responds to rumors, the denial this time is not the first instance in connection with Jana’s rumored relationships. The Bates family had taken to social media to silence rumors about a courtship involving Jana and Lawson Bates, as per an earlier Inquisitr story that quoted Kelly Bates.
“I think that probably Lawson and Jana would both be shocked by that news, although we have heard that rumor. They are very good friends but no courtships that either of our families are aware of.”
[Featured Image by Duggar Family Official/Facebook]