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Last month, Joseph Duggar and Kendra Caldwell welcomed their second child.

By all appearances, this is a joyous time in the young couple’s lives.

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But the baby news has caused an old, ugly rumor about Joe and Kendra to resurface in a big way.

As you may have heard, many Duggar fans are convinced that Joe and Kendra entered an arranged marriage when they tied the knot back in September of 2017.

Joe’s father, Jim Bob Duggar, is close friends with Kendra’s dad, Pastor Paul Caldwell.

As we’ve reported in the past, Pastor Paul is a prominent figure in the Duggars’ religious community, and his family is exactly the kind with which Jim Bob would like to become more closely associated.

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(TLC)

As a result, there’s been a good deal of speculation with regard to whether or not Kendra had any say in whether or not she would marry Joseph.

These fans believe Joe and Kendra were the right age to be married, and so, Jim Bob and Pastor Paul decided they should get hitched.

And that, the theory goes, was the end of it.

The rumor reared its head again this week when Kendra and Joe posted the first photos of baby number two.

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The pics attracted a lot of attention on Reddit, where users discussed the size and decadent decor of Joe and Kendra’s house.

"If it’s any consolation, no house is worth selling your soul and being shackled to a man who licks his plate for the rest of your life," wrote one commenter.

Despite the fact that there’s no conclusive evidence to suggest that Joe and Kendra’s marriage was arranged, or that Kendra is in any way "shackled" to Joe, the rumor persists.

That’s partially due to signs that the couple did not wed under typical circumstances.

Photo via TLC

The Hollywood Gossip was the first to report on claims that the original plan was for Kendra to marry Jedidiah Duggar before the powers that be decided she should be paired up with the older Joseph.

These days, it’s rumored that Jedidiah is courting Kendra’s sister, Lauren Caldwell.

The relationship is reportedly being kept under wraps, as it’s certain to add fuel to the rumor fire.

Fans are convinced that Jim Bob Duggar is marrying off his kids to the various Caldwell children, as though he’s some medieval lord arranging political alliances through matrimony.

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While we’re sure that’s how Jim Bob likes to think of himself, he would probably prefer if the public didn’t see him that way.

Of course, Kendra is commonly regarded as among the most cheerful Duggar in-laws.

So even if she was forcibly married off to Joe, it seems she learned to love him.

But that doesn’t make it any less weird that Jim Bob might be arranging marriages for his kids in 2019.