Jinger Duggar Vuolo On Why She Opted Out Of Controversial Duggar Documentary
By Fiyin Olowokandi on June 8, 2023 at 11:00 AM EDT
Jinger Duggar Vuolo is opening up about her absence in the tell-all documentary series about her family's ultra-conservative beliefs, despite being one of the outspoken family members.
The media personality rose to fame as the sixth child of Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar. Alongside her siblings, the 29-year-old starred in the canceled TLC series "19 Kids and Counting."
The show followed the family's IBLP teachings, deeply rooted in modesty and commitment to God. However, since breaking free, the TV personality has told a different story about her former religion.
Jinger Duggar Vuolo Says She Declined Participating In The Explosive Docuseries About Her Family's Dark Past
When unveiling the truth about the Duggar clan's radical religious beliefs, Jinger does not hesitate to share her story. However, the mother of two recently explained to PEOPLE why she opted out of joining Prime Video in its four-episode series.
The streaming platform's new program, "Shiny Happy People: Duggar Family Secrets," promised to dive into the TV personalities' controversial practices under Bill Gothard's Institute in Basic Life Principles (IBLP.) The 29-year-old's sister Jill Duggar Dillard and their cousin Amy Duggar King were among the selected members of the show.
According to the "Counting On" star, she was approached by the series' representatives to join them on the tell-all journey about her family's dark past with the disgraced minister. Although it was a tempting offer, the entertainer wanted to share her narrative alone.
"I was actually approached and asked to participate in the docuseries, but I thought that from my perspective, I really wanted to make sure that I was able to share my story in my own words and in my own timing," Jinger confessed.
"So that's why I wrote Becoming Free Indeed, which was to share more of my journey out of IBLP's teachings. I wanted to be able to share it in a way that was, like, God-honoring and hopefully sharing my story in a balanced way," the mother of two explained.
Despite declining to participate in the Prime Video series, Jinger stressed that she was looking forward to the program. After hearing "a little bit" about the show from her older sister, the 29-year-old noted that she was "excited" to listen to what Jill had to say in the documentary.
In one of her many confessions about the negative impacts of the Duggar family's strict doctrines on her life, "The Hope We Hold" author recalled some of her traumatic childhood experiences. According to the former TLC star, "fear" was a significant part of her younger years.
"I thought I had to wear only skirts and dresses to please God. Music with drums, places I went, or the wrong friendships could all bring harm," the media personality revealed, adding that she feared for her life after playing a game of broomball with her family.
"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," the 29-year-old continued. This fear was caused by Gothard's strict IBLP teachings, which Jinger noted created anxiety in people.
"[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,’" the mother of two explained. "The fear kept me crippled with anxiety. I was terrified of the outside world."
Jill Duggar Dillard Revealed She Hesitated Before Participating In The Docuseries About Her Family
Days before her younger sister revealed why she did not participate in "Shiny Happy People," Jill confessed that it was a difficult decision to join the cast of the explosive docuseries. In a snippet from the program, the 32-year-old explained that she contemplated addressing her family's dark IBLP history.
"Yeah, I mean, interviewing this isn’t easy, and I didn’t want to do it," the Arkansas native said nervously. "There’s a lot there. Like, do I want to open that can of worms?"
Despite her hesitation, the former TLC star shared her narrative about the past, including her traumatic experience at the hands of her oldest brother Josh Duggar. In 2015, the Duggar clan revealed that their disgraced son had inappropriately touched five girls.
The victims included a babysitter and four of Josh's sisters, two of which were Jill and Jessa. Opening up about this terrifying ordeal, the "Growing Up Duggar" co-author said:
"It’s just hard to go through. There are a lot of families that are in a similar situation. But it was very different, in the sense that my family was on television."
