Jill Duggar calls dad Jim Bob ‘verbally abusive’ & ‘TOXIC’ & admits she’s ‘prone to tears’ in explosive court testimony
JILL Duggar called her dad Jim Bob “verbally abusive” and “toxic,” as she admitted she is “prone to tears” in explosive court testimony.
An Arkansas police report was released to the public in 2015, claiming dad Jim Bob, 56, confessed to local authorities that his eldest son Josh, 34, molested five young girls while they were asleep in the Duggar family home years prior.
Josh’s younger sisters Jill, 30, and Jessa, 29, came forward as two of the five alleged victims.
In May 2017, Jill and Jessa, along with younger sisters Jinger and Joy-Anna, who never came forward as victims, sued the City of Springdale, police department employees and other Defendants for invasion of privacy and more, claiming releasing the records caused "extreme mental anguish and emotional distress.”
The case was dismissed ahead of trial, as a judge ruled that the sisters failed to prove the released report caused emotional distress.
JILL'S PAIN
In unsealed court records exclusively revealed by The Sun, Jill accused her estranged father of “verbal abuse."
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The four sisters requested evidence related to their relationship with parents Jim Bob and Michelle be excluded because it has “no relevance” to the case.
In the Defendant’s response, they claimed their “allegation of emotional distress opens the door to inquiries into their lives, including their relationship with the parents.”
The court filing claimed Jill is the only family member who has “sought any type of therapy or counseling following the release of the redacted police reports.”
The court papers continued that Jill and her husband , 33, even entered couple’s treatment because they were “going through some issues” with her family, and especially her father, regarding a “lack of boundaries” related to contractual concerns.
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According to the court papers, Jill said during a Preliminary Psychological Opinion by Robert Wynne: “I saw a whole new side to my dad once my husband and I started making decisions that were best for our family, but not in his best interest.
“Sadly, I realized he had become pretty controlling, fearful and reactionary. He was verbally abusive. Our relationship is not good. It got pretty toxic.
"We occasionally text on a family group thread, but I don’t feel comfortable being around him and just hanging out. It isn’t good for my mental health right now.”
The court papers continued: “They were asked to not to come over to the Duggars’ house without permission from her father and that her father did not approve of her having a nose ring, drinking alcohol, or wearing pants.”
JOSH FORGIVED?
The sisters also requested to exclude statements on whether they have forgiven their brother Josh and why they haven’t sued him, citing “irrelevancy.”
The Defendants argued: “The Plaintiffs were parties to a PR effort - initiated and managed by the family’s PR Rep/Agent - that included instructions to the Plaintiffs to forgive their brother and publicly pronounce their forgiveness as a means of muting the controversy and, hopefully, saving their TV show.”
The court papers continued: “Questions about the Plaintiffs’ forgiveness of their brother, including their refusal to sue him, are also relevant to their primary claim for damages in this case, mental anguish and emotional distress.
“Unlike most who claim to have been sexually assaulted, the Plaintiffs in this case were forced to live with their alleged assailant for years after their respective assaults.
“The Plaintiffs were also not provided treatment - or, at least, adequate treatment (none of them can even recall the name of the counselor they vaguely recall talking to once, as a group and with their mother/parents in attendance) - to deal with the trauma of the assault.
“No real measures were taken by their parents to ensure their safety during the remainder of their adolescence.”
'EMOTIONALLY OVERWHELMED'
The court papers also include exhibits mentioned in the response, including the Preliminary Psychological Opinion on Jill.
In the documents, Jill revealed her counselor noted she suffered from “revictimization” and “trauma” following the release of the records.
Jill, who is pregnant with her third child, continues weekly sessions with her husband.
The opinion read of her current symptoms following the release of the records: “On a regular basis, she feels emotionally overwhelmed and prone to tears… She actively strives to manage emotions, distract herself and ‘not think about’ the ‘ubiquitous’ triggers. She tries to bury it.”
The former star described her childhood as “harmonious, happy and stimulating.”
She was “close” with her 18 siblings and had “loving” parents.
'ALL HELL BROKE LOOSE'
The Duggars then experienced a “family-wide crisis” that included Josh being interviewed by police and being sent to residential treatment, and Jill disclosing the abuse to authorities.
The release of the records in 2015 resulted in “devastating consequences,” as she said “all hell broke loose.”
Jill said: “The trauma is hitting me again, harder than expected, and I anticipate being drug through the mud again just in an effort to get justice.”
Jill also elaborated on her relationship with her parents, as she “longs” to have a relationship with her father again.
She said: “My husband and I have had to create some pretty strict boundaries right now to protect our sanity. We pretty much only see him right now at weddings and funerals. I think sometimes he wishes we would just ‘get over it’ and go back to how things used to be… doing things his way.”
She continued that she wouldn’t want to try to talk their issues out in a smaller setting, as there are “too many triggers.”
As for her mom Michelle, she explained she is “hurting” and wishes her husband Jim Bob would “shut his mouth sometimes.”
While she sees her more than Jim Bob, she said it’s still “triggering” and “awkward.”
In her deposition taken on September 1, 2021, she claimed her parents never went to therapy with her.
She said the verbal abuse consisted of him “looking” at her.
MOVING ON
In Derick’s deposition taken on May 25, 2021, he said that while Jill isn’t estranged from her 18 siblings, she doesn’t see them “at all.”
Jill currently lives just minutes from the family compound.
She and her husband have put their Arkansas home on the market, as they are moving for Derick's law job after he passed the Bar exam.
The couple is expecting their third son to join Israel, 7, and Sam, 4.
AWAITING JOSH'S FATE
While the case has been dismissed, the Duggar family’s legal hardship is far from over.
Josh was found guilty of possessing and receiving child pornography on December 9 after a nearly two-week trial.
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His sentencing has been scheduled for May 25.
Jill’s husband Derick was in attendance for the trial, while Jill made a brief appearance.
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