‘Counting On’ Fans Think That Joy-Anna Duggar May Have Already Given Birth
The Duggar family has been in hot water since mid-2015’s revelation that Joshua, the eldest son of parents Jim Bob and Michelle, had previously molested his siblings and engaged in extramarital relationships. The family’s wholesome nature and pious values, though admirable to some, leave them particularly vulnerable to criticism and accusations of hypocrisy. Most recently, Derick Dillard, husband to Jill, the Duggar family’s second-oldest daughter, has been embroiled in a controversy related to his views on transgender individuals. This controversy, which began thanks to an early November tweet from Derick, eventually led to TLC, the network hosting the Duggar’s show, to remove the Dillard family from the program. Although Derick insists that he made the choice to terminate his family’s relationship with the show, TLC appears eager to distance themselves from the Dillard couple since the controversy began.
Despite the dispute, Counting On fans have been able to remain positive thanks to the wedding and pregnancy of the fifth-oldest Duggar daughter, Joy-Anna. Months after the ceremony in May, it was announced, perhaps unsurprisingly given the reproductive tendencies of the Duggar clan, that Joy-Anna was expecting a child. Though a joyous occasion, fans have recently begun to postulate that the 20-year-old Duggar has already given birth, despite a projected due date of sometime in March. Of course, despite the apparent honesty of the show’s subjects, many are now beginning to wonder if the TV stars are hiding something from the public.
Speculation began when the marriage of Joy-Anna Duggar and Austin Forsyth was suddenly advanced by several months from an initial October 28 date to May 26. No specific reason was given for the change, but some believe that Jim Bob Duggar urged the couple to advance the wedding date. The sudden change in date sparked a conversation concerning the idea that Joy-Anna may have been impregnated before the wedding, which would fly in the face of the Duggar’s extremely strict premarital sex rules. Given that the interactions between Duggar offspring and their romantic partners are heavily monitored before marriage, sexual engagement out of wedlock would certainly be something the conservative Duggar unit would like to keep hidden. While nothing is confirmed, the theory that the wedding was moved up to disguise a premarital pregnancy seems valid.
Furthermore, fans have insisted that recent photos of the newlyweds indicate that Joy-Anna is much further along in her pregnancy than she should be. Apparently four to five months along, Joy-Anna does appear to be sporting a baby bump akin to a later-term pregnancy. What’s more is that, according to an interview conducted by Radar Online, OBGYN Sean Henry believes the Duggar girl to be around to be around 24 weeks pregnant, which would be slightly further along than a May 26 conception would allow. While it is important to remember that the Duggar’s tend to keep certain aspects of their lives as private as possible, this controversy, if left unattended, could prove to be another massive blow to the already shamed Duggar clan.
