What do Jinger Duggar and Jeremy Vuolo do for a living?
This is a common question that has been asked about the famous husband and wife.
For a long while, too, there was a pretty simple answer.
The couple, who resides in a San Fernando Valley home that is allegedly worth nearly $700,000, have earned most of their income over the years via their roles on TLC’s Counting On.
How much can cast members on such a program really take home?
Reality TV producer Terence Michael one told E! News;
"If TLC budgets about $250,000 to $400,000 per episode… that would mean $25,000 to $40,000 in the Duggars’ pockets for four or five days’ work, which is roughly how long it takes to film a typical episode."
It’s not a bad way to earn a living.
However, Jinger and Jeremy took on a new endeavor late last year.
In December, the parents of two opened up an online boutique called Hope & Stead, with the official website reading at the time:
“It is our goal to promote the message and lifestyle of Hope through creating designs that point to our ultimate Hope — Christ."
Among the items Jinger and Jeremy have tried to sell through this site?
Hats that sold for $23 and candles that sold for $18.75.
The supplies were pretty limited, but the feedback was immediate, passionate — and very negative.
“You owe me money for damaged candles I received,” one customer commented on the Hope & Stead Instagram. “Please answer my emails.”
Remarked an equally irate patron:
“Took my money for baseball hats and never sent out my purchase,.
"Emails never answered. Now a message on the website saying no orders being sent out for a further month with no apologies or explanation?? Absolutely horrifying experience! Buyer beware!!”
Yikes, huh?
Neither Jinger nor Jeremy ever responded to these critiques, at least not in public.
It does appear, however, as if they’ve shuttered the new business.
Go visit the Hope & Stead website right now and you’ll be greeted by a message that says "We will be back shortly with brand new goodies! Stay tuned."
Many social media users, meanwhile, are wondering whether this professional failure is having an impact on the pair’s personal life as well.
Along with this online retailer apparently going out of business, Jinger and Jeremy are also putting their podcast on hold.
And insiders say this decision is a result of serious trouble in the relationship.
"Jinger and Jeremy are experiencing a bump in the road and want to take a step back from the podcast for a while to focus on their marriage," a source close to the situation told UK tabloid The Sun, adding:
"They have been juggling a lot with a new baby, their lifestyle brand and releasing books, all in the middle of a pandemic, they feel a bit overwhelmed and their relationship has suffered."
"They are still very much in love and divorce is not on the cards.
"They just want to work through things and come out of this difficult period together and stronger as a family."
Of course divorce is not in the cards.
No one in the Duggar household is permitted to get a divorce.
Jinger must know she would be cut off financially immediately by her parents if she tried to split frrom Jeremy, which would make it challenging to keep living in Los Angeles.
Still, rumors of marital strife has been following these two around for a year now.
Naturally, Jinger keeps putting on a happy face on Instagram.
You’ll never hear her utter a bad word about her spouse or her romance.
In one sense, it’s great that she won’t air any grievances in public.
In another sense, though, it’s problematic if she has no one at all to whom she can air them, you know?