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BAD JEANS
Amy Duggar reveals uncle Jim Bob’s shocking rules in his home & claims she was branded a ‘wild child’ for wearing jeans
AMY Duggar has revealed the shocking rules in her uncle Jim Bob and aunt Michelle’s home, as she claimed she was branded the “wild child” for wearing jeans.
, 35, was close to , 56, , 55, and her cousins growing up, as she often appeared on their reality shows 19 Kids and Counting, and .
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In an exclusive interview with The Sun, Amy opened up about the judgment she faced by her family over her “immodest style,” as Jim Bob’s sister Deanna raised her daughter in a less strict household.
Amy said: “I was in jeans and bright colored shirts climbing trees. I was a wild tomboy. I loved nature and being outside. I loved music, I could date. I would do all the things normal kids and teenagers would do.
"I was extremely known as the black sheep. They would never say black sheep, but I was like the wild cousin.”
Amy continued that while her style and interests made her a “normal, regular person,” she was cast as the “bad, wild girl.”
She added: “I was like what the heck? Why am I wild in their eyes? I couldn't spend the night, they couldn't be in my car. There were several things that I was like, ‘What did I do? Why am I so wrong?'
“Now I see it as more of a protective measure.”
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Amy admitted she felt “absolutely” judged by her cousins, but insisted they “just didn’t know better.”
She added: “I'm a little different than they were, but it didn't make me wrong. I wasn't wearing what they were wearing, I wasn't talking the way they were talking. I could watch TV. I could go to the movies and mall and they honestly couldn't.
“It set me apart without really trying to. They were sheltered growing up.”
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'I GAVE AMY FREEDOM'
Amy’s mom Deanna added of her decision to raise her daughter to be more independent: “I am so proud of Amy. She's such a strong woman. She has become an amazing woman to take a stand like this.
“I gave Amy freedom to choose what she wanted to do like dances. I was raised more conservative so it was nice to see Amy have that freedom. My mother was conservative in her thinking. I was not allowed to go to dances, but I let Amy go to dances. It's important to give your kids the freedom to make choices."
RULE BREAKERS
But Amy isn’t the only one breaking Jim Bob and Michelle’s strict rules, as her cousins, including Jana, Jill, Jinger and others, have worn jeans and short dresses.
Amy said of her cousins defying her uncle’s rules: “I'm very proud of them. They're all very sweet. They're growing and evolving. We're all doing that. It's exciting to see.”
She previously told The Sun of her cousin , 31, and her husband Derick, who are currently estranged from her parents: “I'm so happy for them. It's such a beautiful thing to see her grow and thrive and find her own style and to see her light up in a whole different new way is awesome to experience with her.
“She's just so sweet. What you see is what you get and that's what I love about Jill.”
Amy even attempted to pursue a career in country music, despite her family’s strict stance on music.
But Amy made the decision to turn down a record deal, as she explained: “I was into singing and then I realized I don't want to do that. I don't want to tour. I turned down a huge contract with a record label. I realized that's not for me.
“I'm a homebody. If you sing you are traveling, you're never home. I was looking at the papers, it's not for me. I didn't want to be controlled. I said heck no. I haven't looked back since, I haven't regretted it.”
AMY'S SUCCESS
Now, Amy lives in Rogers, Arkansas and owns successful businesses.
Amy owns online clothing store .
She said of her store, which recently went completely online: “It has grown so much online that we were like, ‘Why am I here in store if I don't have to be?' I can be with my son more. That's the most important thing to me.
“We're online, we're rebranding the website. I've worked with my vendors to get even lower prices. Same exact beautiful quality, but lower prices. I worked hard learning about different vendors and the quality of things. I haven't strayed from that.
“Thirty1Thirty is for the everyday mom and millennial. You can wear them to church, out. It's comfortable. There are a lot of pockets in my dresses!”
Amy’s husband owns in Springdale.
She added of the restaurant and cigar lounge: “We have a 3,000 square-foot restaurant. It's high profile and super nice. Our new location has 9,000 square feet. It's on top of a very tall building so it has beautiful scenery.”
“We're looking into Tampa, Florida for Wellington’s as well. Wellington’s is looking forward to expanding!”
The couple also owns a CPA firm, as she attributes their success to “being a team.”
DONE WITH DUGGARS
Amy previously revealed what caused her estrangement from the Duggars.
She broke away from the family when she learned of her cousin Josh’s molestation scandal.
“If I would've known beforehand, I would've never been on the show. Those girls should've been protected and they weren't. Therefore, bye, bye cousin Amy.”
Josh molested five underage victims in the family home when he was around 15 years old in a police report dated from 2006.
Sisters Jill and Jessa, 29, came forward as two of the victims.
Amy told The Sun: “I found out that there were things that happened, very severe, very sad things that happened. This family always seemed perfect and they're not and they're hiding things.
"That's not something I want to be a part of. That's not healthy. That's not anything I need to be known for or around."
JOSH'S IMPRISONMENT
, 34, was sentenced to 12 years behind bars for receiving child pornography on May 25 after he was found guilty of the crime back in December.
According to The Sun's court reporter, Josh appeared stoic as he received his sentence, which also includes $50,100 in fines.
As he read his decision, the judge called Josh's crimes "the sickest of the sick" to the packed courtroom.
He then said to Josh: "You have done some very bad things. But in your life as a whole, you've done good things... The true test of a man's character is what a man does when no one is watching."
Referring to Josh's insistence that he's innocent, the judge continued: "I find it aggravating about the lack of responsibility."
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When the judge adjourned court, Josh hugged and shook his lawyers’ hands, as he turned around and gave Anna the "I love you" hand gesture used in sign language.
Jim Bob was also in the courthouse in support of his disgraced son.
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