Jill Duggar cut ties with her parents years ago and for very good reason.
As you’re probably aware, Jill’s folks, Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar, are authoritarian cult members who once ruled over their household with an iron fist.
Thankfully, Jill was able to escape her past, a journey that she documented in moving detail in her recent memoir, Counting the Cost.
These days, she’s living her best life, free from the pernicious influence of her overbearing parents.
And we often see evidence of this newfound freedom on Jill’s Instagram page:
Every time she defies the infamous Duggar dress code or reveals a new bombshell about her ultra-conservative upbringing, Jill is reveling in her status as an independent woman — something that does not exist in Jim Bob’s world.
And this week, she engaged in a very commonplace activity that some commenters are calling one of her boldest actions to date.
Yes, as you can see from her latest Instagram photos, Jill and husband Derick Dillard dressed up for Halloween.
That might not seem like a very big deal, but such festivities were strictly forbidden during Jill’s childhood.
“Idk if our family theme was just anti-theme this year, but we had fun anyway. We had a train conductor, an astronaut, Superman, an OSU cowgirl & Cousin Eddie,” she captioned the pics of her family’s costumes.
While they’ll never speak out on the matter publicly, Jim Bob and Michelle are almost certainly not pleased with this latest update from Jill.
For starters, Jill and her family celebrated Halloween, which is a major no-no in Duggarland.
On top of that, Derick dressed as a character from National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, a movie that certainly would not earn Jim Bob’s seal of approval.
In fact, growing up, Jill wasn’t allowed to watch any movies or listen to any books that didn’t have Jesus and his teachings as their central focal point.
But surely, the part of this story that infuriated Jim Bob the most was the fact that Jill allowed her kids to dress up.
The Duggars count themselves among the surprisingly large group of fundamentalists who believe that Halloween is a satanic celebration that corrupts children for life.
And some folks who agree with that sentiment made their feelings known in the comments on Jill’s post.
“Surprised as a Christian, you are celebrating the demons. You’re dancing with them!” wrote one such nutjob.
“Christians shouldn’t celebrate Halloween,” another added.
Thankfully, Jill had more supporters than detractors.
“Ignore all the hate. Absolutely love y’all’s costumes,” one fan wrote, according to UK tabloid The Sun.
“Can we all appreciate that in addition to celebrating Halloween, she is watching classic Chevy chase movies? Mainstream movies and trick or treating, I am just so stupid happy for her and her family,” exclaimed a second.
“I’m glad that you are building your own family traditions and having fun with your kids,” a third chimed in.
Yes, Jim Bob might have dominated Jill’s childhood in a umber of terrifying ways.
But there’s no doubt that she’s currently winning the war of public opinion.