JINGER Duggar’s cousin Amy has heaped praise on the former reality TV star for finding the courage to “use her voice” and speak out against her family’s “cult-like” beliefs in a new tell-all book.
Jinger, the sixth child of Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar, is set to lift the lid on her incredibly strict upbringing in her forthcoming memoir, “Becoming Free Indeed”, which is due for release later this month.
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Jinger and her 18 siblings were all raised within the Institute in Basic Life Principles (IBLP), a nondenominational Christian organization that has been accused of being a cult.
Founded by disgraced minister Bill Gothard in 1961, the IBLP preaches strict modesty laws and ultra-conservative beliefs.
Growing up, Jinger and her siblings were banned from dancing, listening to pop music, and wearing clothes that didn’t cover their shoulders, chest, and legs – among various other rules.
Jinger was an active member of the fundamentalist organization until finally leaving in 2017.
Her cousin Amy Duggar, who appeared frequently on the Duggars’ TLC hit show 19 Kids and Counting, said she is “proud” of Jinger for having the courage to speak out.
“I knew she was writing a book and I’m proud of her,” Amy told The U.S. Sun.
“She’s speaking up, she’s using her voice, and she’s doing just fine [since leaving]. She’s got a huge following and that’s awesome.
“So I’m team Jinger!”
FAMILY BACKLASH ‘INEVITABLE’
Amy said she’s excited to read what her cousin has to say when her book is released on January 31.
Although Amy grew up in a different household, one with far fewer rules, she said she witnessed first-hand just how strict Jinger’s upbringing was and she’s glad she’s no longer “just going along with it all.”
Amy said: “The way she grew up was very much like, ‘keep your mouth shut, you have no opinions, you’re not allowed to have opinions.’
“And now she has them […] and it’s so important to be open and share how you actually feel, you know?
“So I 100% support her on that.”
Jinger didn’t reach out to ask Amy – a long-outspoken member of the Duggar clan – for advice, she says, but her beloved cousin has been in touch from time to time.
When asked whether she believes Jinger will get any backlash from Jim Bob, Michelle, or the rest of the family, Amy responded: “You get backlash from the family no matter what you say or do.”
“It’s pretty simple,” added Amy’s husband Dillon King. “If what you say goes against what they want, you get backlash.
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“That’s as simple as you can put it.”
RULED BY FEAR
Jinger spoke with PEOPLE earlier this month, where she revealed that fear had played “a huge part” in her childhood.
“I thought I had to wear only skirts and dresses to please God,” said the 29-year-old.
“Music with drums, places I went or the wrong friendships could all bring harm.”
Now a mom-of-two, Jinger said she felt “terrified” she was defying the will of God even when the family would play broomball, a sport similar to hockey.
“I thought I could be killed in a car accident on the way because I didn’t know if God wanted me to stay home and read my Bible instead,” she said.
In her memoir, Jinger writes of how she was ordered to follow strict modesty guidelines, always obey her parents and other figures of authority, and shun virtually all aspects of pop culture.
Additionally, Gothard’s IBLP doctrine teaches women to be totally subservient to their fathers and husbands.
“[Gothard’s] teachings, in a nutshell, are based on fear and superstition and leave you in a place where you feel like, ‘I don’t know what God expects of me,’ ” she told the outlet.
“The fear kept me crippled with anxiety. I was terrified of the outside world.”
THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS
But something changed in her life in 2017, and she came to the realization she needed to leave the organization and not look back.
“His teachings were so harmful, and I’m seeing more of the effects of that in the lives of my friends and people who grew up in that community with me,” said Jinger.
“There are a lot of cult-like tendencies.”
Jinger still has a strong Christian faith and she said she hopes her book will help others who may find themselves in similar situations.
“That’s the beauty of this journey,” she said.
“The teaching I grew up under was harmful, it was damaging, and there are lasting effects.
“But I know other people are struggling and people who are still stuck. I want to share my story, and maybe it will help even just one person to be freed.”
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