Josiah Duggar’s ex-girlfriend, Marjorie Jackson, has written a tell-all book about her relationship with the 8th-oldest Duggar kid, dishing out advice on dating and talking obliquely about the sex scandal that continues to plague the family two years after it surfaced.
As RadarOnline reported at the time, Marjorie Jackson and Josiah Duggar, both 18 at the time, broke off their relationship – err, “courtship” – not long after news that Josiah’s older brother. Josh. had molested their sisters when he (Josh) was a teenager. This news was followed a short time later by a report that Josh had signed up for the cheating website, Ashley Madison.
Now, it seems a stretch to say that Josh was the reason for their breakup – do you hold your partner accountable for his or her brother’s behavior? But, the Duggar family certainly didn’t handle the incident the way that many observers thought they should have (they shipped him off to Christian rehab and then stopped talking about him). And, not long afterward, the Christian blogger put up cryptic messages on her website after a year of silence.
“Never tire in doing what is right… Stay tuned for posts in the future.”
#Marjorie #Jackson : #Slamming #Josh #Duggar in New Tell-All?! https://t.co/fSRF46Pqdq #TellAll pic.twitter.com/IEVh5kwos0
— ce ivy (@celivyy) May 3, 2017
In the Duggar family, for a family member to embark on a relationship with a member of the opposite sex, there’s a process. First, there’s no such thing as “dating” as in Duggar Land, the relationship is called a “courtship.” Both parties must get the other person’s father’s permission to enter into the courtship, and all dates are chaperoned. There is no physical contact beyond the side-hug, and the relationship is seen as a precursor to marriage, not just a recreational thing. In other words, it’s a big deal.
Marjorie Jackson: Josiah Duggar’s Ex to Pen Tell-All Memoir? https://t.co/3SPDiZ1fov pic.twitter.com/e5W103E8jY
— Hussien. (@bleakmulla) February 14, 2017
Now, two years later, Marjorie is back to blogging, and her new book just came out. Josiah’s name doesn’t come up in her writings, and neither does Josh’s, for that matter. But the specter of Josh’s downfall and the family’s handling of the situation hangs over passages in Marjorie’s new book , according to OK Magazine .
For example, in one passage, she calls out liars.
“People who lie often will never be trusted, even when they’re telling the truth. They’ve become a serial liar. Why would anyone who knows their record of lying believe them?”
In another, she pontificates on promiscuity and pornography, the two vices that led to her would-be brother-in-law’s fall from grace.
“Where promiscuousness once would have been the hush-hush elephant in the room, it now seems that purity sticks out loudly more than ever in a world where anything and everything goes… What kinds of movies, music, websites, jokes, and conversations do we allow and engage in?”
And though she’s long “divorced,” so to speak, from the Duggars and their quaint and archaic rules on relationships, it seems Marjorie still adheres to the same relationship philosophy that governed her relationship with Josiah.
“Have standards for whom you will allow to pursue you, and be sure to screen each potential suitor through your dad or anything trusted Christian spiritual leader first! That will help weed out the creepers and determine character.”
And if you think it’s weird that an adult woman should consult with her dad or a pastor or whatever before dating a guy, well, obviously you’re not a Duggar.
As for Josiah; like his brother, he’s tried to keep out of the public eye of late. Unlike his brother, he seems to be succeeding. While Josh continues to be a third rail for the family’s brand, Josiah hasn’t been heard from since 2016.
Maybe that’s for the best.
[Featured Image by RyanKing999 /Thinkstock]