If you’re a Duggar fan, then by now, you’ve probably caught wind of the feud between Derick Dillard and Jim Bob.
Going against the patriarch is typically a death sentence in the Duggars’ world, but that doesn’t seem to bother Derick, possibly because he hasn’t appeared on an episode of Counting On in over two years.
Whatever the case, Derick has been leveling some shocking allegations against Jim Bob, the most egregious of which have to do with the reality star’s handling of the Josh Duggar sex scandal.
And a new piece of evidence from 13 years ago might serve as proof that Derick is telling the truth.
Take a look:
Going Nuclear
Derick Dillard hasn’t been holding back in his comments about Derick Dillard. And he recently broke the Duggar code of silence when he openly discussed the Josh Duggar sex scandals.
The Scorched Earth Approach
It might seem like Derick was stating the obvious when he referred to his wife, Jill Duggar, as an abuse victim — but no one close to the family has ever spoken of the Duggar women in such terms.
Putting It Out There
“It’s not going to look good for TLC when it’s exposed that they pressured an abuse victim to continue filming when we tried to quit, just so they could continue with Jill & Jessa: Counting On after 19K&C,” Derick wrote in an Instagram comment late last year.
Two Birds With One Stone
Obviously, TLC was the primary target of Derick’s remark, but the former reality star was also putting his famous father-in-law on blast in a big way.
Changing the Narrative
Not only has Jim Bob never referred to any of his daughters as abuse victims, he has repeatedly attempted to sell the idea that they don’t think of themselves in such terms.
Coerced Comments?
When Jill and Jessa were interviewed by Megyn Kelly in 2015, they stated that Josh was so “sneaky” in his abuse that they were often unaware they had been molested.
Reframing
The goal of that remark — which is widely believed to have been coached by Jim Bob — seemed to be to create the impression that Josh’s predatory behavior was not abuse, so much as childhood experimentation that went too far.
Rebuilding
The approach sounds absurd, but shockingly it worked. Other than Josh, all of the Duggars are back on TV these days, and Jim Bob is still cashing massive checks from the same network that fired him after the scandal broke.
An Unlikely Hero
That’s what makes Derick’s remarks so powerful — a member of the Duggars’ inner circle openly referring to the Duggar women as abuse victims is a powerful refutation of the narrative that Jim Bob has attempted to sell to the public.
Carrying on the Tradition
Many have credited Derick with being the first person close to the Duggars to speak in such terms — but he’s not.
Go Ask Alice
Back in 2007 — several years before the Josh scandal went public — a user on the website Ibiblio, who was identified only by the username Alice, spoke in detail about the allegations against Josh.
The Oprah Incident
Alice was the first to reveal that the Duggars filmed an episode of The Oprah Winfrey Show, but it never aired, as the host caught wind of the Josh allegations.
Oprah Smells a Rat
“In January, the whole family went to Chicago and taped Oprah Winfrey show. Oprah wined and dined them for one week. You know that had to cost some pretty pennies,” Alice wrote back in 2007. “As you may have noticed, that show never aired and it never will.”
The Truth
“Oprah was informed that Josh, the oldest son, had been molesting his sisters,” Alice continued. “Yes, this is the truth. Oprah turned them over to the Arkansas State Police Child Protection Agency and the Washington County Child Protection Agency.”
Speaking the Truth
“They have to report to Arkansas Department of Human Services every six months,” she went on. “They have lied and lied about their son to protect him at their daughters’ expense. For some unknown reason the boy is still in the home with the girls. God only know if this is still going on. In my eyes he is a CHILD MOLESTOR. HE SHOULD BE REMOVED FROM THE HOME!”
Domino Effect
“If you don’t believe me, contact the Arkansas State Police Child Protection Agency in Bentonville, Ar. and the Washington County Child Protection Agency in Fayetteville. It will be worth the time and effort to read all about it,” Alice wrote. She was later proven right when In Touch Weekly did exactly that.
But the Secrets Live On
Alice was never identified, but she’s believed to be a departed friend of Jim Bob’s late mother, Mary Duggar.
Some Needed Support
Whoever she is, Alice has corroborated Derick’s claims in more ways than one.
The Victims
For one thing, she confirms that the Duggars were at the center of multiple police investigations. She made her remarks while Jill and Jessa were still minors, so it seems unlikely that the girls grew up not thinking of themselves as abuse victims.
Further Evidence
On top of that, Alice goes into detail with regard to Jim Bob’s greed, compulsive spending, and illicit, backroom deals with TLC — things that Derick has spoken about a length.
Begging For Handouts
“Discovery Health Channel and the TLC channel wrote them a check for over $200,000 to build the house,” Alice wrote. “Everything inside the house was given to them except the kitchen. They did buy that themselves. The rest is all free. Mary and Josh was on the phone day and night asking for donations from soup to Computers. They also received a Baby Grand Piano from Campbell Soup Co.”
Ahead Of Her Time
“I think that is time the Duggar’s are stopped. They are pimping out their family for material things to keep them fed and clothed. If they cannot feed and clothe their children, don’t have them,” she concluded.
More Shady Behavior
In 2019, Derick made comments that closely echoed Alice’s, accusing Jim Bob of pilfering funds that were meant for his children, and negotiating new contracts for the entire family without telling his kids.
Called Out
Derick has repeatedly insisted that he and his wife were lied to about how much money the show was bringing in and Jim Bob simply pocketed their earnings.
Lesson Learned?
When Alice first claimed that Jim Bob was a manipulative opportunist back in 2007, her remarks were mostly ignored.
The Fight Continues
Now that the accusations are being made by someone even closer to the family, perhaps fans will take heed.