Jim Bob Duggar Pushing His Way Into ‘Jill & Jessa: Counting On’ In Bid To Stay ‘Relevant’ [Rumor]
Rumors are swirling that Jim Bob Duggar is attempting to make cameo appearances in the Jill & Jessa: Counting On specials in a bid to stay “relevant” after his own series was cancelled following Josh Duggar’s molestation scandal and Ashley Madison leak. The Duggar daughter-focused specials will air on TLC, but it appears, not surprisingly, that many other Duggars will make cameo appearances in the specials. However, Jim Bob is said to be upset over the shift of focus to Jill and Jessa instead of the entire Duggar family and wants his own on-screen time.
The International Business Times reports that the Duggar patriarch, Jim Bob Duggar, is not too happy about the new TLC specials with will focus on his two recently married daughters, Jill Dillard and Jessa Seewald. Instead, Jim Bob had hoped that TLC would pick back up a series or special focused on the entire Duggar family. Therefore, rumors indicate that the Duggar family is divided over the recently announced Jill and Jessa specials.
“Jill and Jessa having their own show is really dividing the family.”
According to Life & Style, Jim Bob Duggar is worried about the family’s fortune and is attempting to gain at least a little of the TLC money back. In addition to the money aspect of the 19 Kids and Counting series cancellation, Jim Bob reportedly also is having a hard time accepting that the show’s focus will no longer be on the Duggar name but instead the Dillards and Seewalds. Therefore, Jim Bob is allegedly trying to “take back” the Duggar name by making cameos on the Jill & Jessa: Counting On specials.
The rumors should come as no surprise to the Duggar fans, as rumors about Jim Bob’s disapproval of a show focused on specific Duggars began shortly after the 19 Kids and Counting cancellation. It was reported that Jim Bob declined initial requests for a Dillard and Seewald family-focused show, noting that the show must focus on the entire family or not at all. However, it seems that the Duggar patriarch either changed his tune or his married daughters took the deal without consulting him on the matter.
It has not been revealed exactly how much the Duggar daughters will be paid for their three TLC specials, but many fans and Duggar dissenters are telling the women to take the money and run, as they are hoping Jim Bob is not in charge of the financial dealings for the couples. However, it is likely that Jim Bob will act as Jill and Jessa’s manager to earn a piece of the payout for the other Duggars.
Regardless of the distribution of the money earned by the specials, the network has confirmed that the show will focus on Jessa’s pregnancy and birth along with Jill’s move to Central America for missionary work. The network is attempting to separate themselves from the Duggar name by calling the families the Seewalds and Dillards instead of the Duggar daughters, but is it enough?
It is unclear at this time exactly what sponsors will support the new show. Following the Josh Duggar molestation scandal and Ashley Madison leak, TLC ended its relationship with the Duggars, barring a sex abuse special, due to the number of sponsors that dropped from the show’s time slot. However, the relationship was clearly not over, as the network was quick to find a way to work with at least some of the Duggars on future projects. While the network has only committed to three “specials,” it seems that the network is testing the waters for the creation of a new series.
What do you think about TLC shifting its focus from the Duggar family to the Seewalds and Dillards? Do you think the separation is enough? Can the network overcome the shamed Duggar name?
[Photo by Brendan Hoffman/Getty Images]
