For several months now, the feud between Derick Dillard and Jim Bob Duggar has left the Counting On clan deeply divided.
It’s rumored that some of Jim Bob’s kids are in open rebellion against him, while others have taken the patriarch’s side in his war against his upstart son-in-law.
Like the Five Families of the New York Mafia, the Duggars remain an insular, secretive bunch even when they’ve been torn apart by internal conflict.
But Derick Dillard seems eager to break this code of silence by publishing a memoir about his time with the Duggars.
And a source close to the family tells The Hollywood Gossip that Jim Bob is preparing for a legal battle against his son-in-law in hope of preventing the book from seeing the light of day.
The situation has left many fans wondering about the nature of the secrets that Jim Bob is so desperate to keep buried.
Here’s what we know about the situation thus far:
Internal Strife
It’s the sort of internal conflict that Duggar critics have been predicting for years — Jim Bob Duggar and Derick Dillard are officially at war.
On the Offensive
These days Derick is constantly threatening to release damaging information about his father-in-law, and Jim Bob is doing his best to make sure that Jill’s husband is forced into silence.
The Skeletons in Jim Bob’s Closet
The situation has left fans wondering what sort of information has left Jim Bob running scared.
Jill Speaks Out
The latest development comes to us courtesy of in Touch Weekly. A source tells the outlet that while Jill is 100 percent on her husband’s side in this conflict, she’d “rather her husband stayed quiet” and put the feud to rest.
Strife in the Dillard Home
Jill has reportedly come to terms with the fact that that’s “not going to happen,” as Derick is hellbent on publishing his memoir.
A Simple Request
Since she’s apparently given up on the idea that her father and husband will set aside their differences, Jill has requested that both men leave her out of their conflict and do not ask her to take sides.
An Insurrection
Duggar women are taught from a young age to obey their husbands at all times, and it’s almost unheard of for a wife to not support her spouse in a situation like this one.
Two Possibilities
Jill’s unprecedented move has led to two opposing theories among fans: either she feels her husband is attacking Jim Bob unfairly, or she believes that the information he’ll reveal will have devastating consequences to Jim Bob’s career and reputation.
What’s Really Going On
We can see why some fans might believe that Jill feels Derick is making a mountain of a molehill, but it seems unlikely that she would go against her husband simply because she believes his attack against Jim Bob is less than fully warranted.
It’s All About the Money
The more likely theory is that Jill is terrified by the idea of Derick telling his story, as she knows what devastating consequences it will have on her entire family’s earning potential.
The Comeuppance Is Coming
This theory was recently corroborated by a former Duggar employee who spoke with The Hollywood Gossip and revealed that Jim Bob has a lot to hide — and lives in fear of someone like Derick exposing his secrets.
The End of Jim Bob?
“He’s definitely gonna do his book, and when he does his book, Jim Bob is done. He is done” our source claimed.
A Lone Voice
The insider told us that Jim Bob has already assembled a crack legal team with the hope that he’ll be able to put a halt to Derick’s memoir before it even finds a publisher.
Making His Case
And what exactly is Jim Bob so afraid of? Well for starters, there are the allegations that Derick has already revealed he’s planning to delve into in the book.
The Big Con
For example, Derick claims that Jim Bob stole millions from his own children by pocketing their earnings from the family’s TLC reality shows.
Finally Held Accountable
On top of that, Derick plans to shine a light on Jim Bob’s egregious mishandling of the Josh Duggar sex scandals.
Nightmare House
As you may recall (who could forget?), Josh molested five young girls — four of whom were his sisters — and his parents helped him hide his crime from the authorities.
Unimaginable Trauma
It’s bad enough that the girls were forced to continue living under the same roof as their attacker.
Monstrous
Now, Derick claims that Jim Bob exacerbated the situation by forcing Jill and the other girls to continue filming for 19 Kids and Counting in the weeks following their attacks.
Tight Purse Strings
As though that’s not horrific enough, Derick will reportedly allege that Jim Bob continues to exercise strict control over his children well into adulthood, primarily by withholding their earnings.
Paymaster Jim Bob
“It’s supposed to be when the kids come of age, they get their pay,” the tipster told us.
Money = Power
“Needless to say, Jim Bob keeps all the money, and he doles it out as he sees fit,” says the source.
Riding High
Our source says Jim Bob keeps his kids’ money not only so that he can maintain control over their lives and decisions, but also because he’s a shopaholic spendthrift who’s used to living the good life.
Behind the Eight Ball
The source describes Jim Bob as a “high-class hoarder” who’s badly over-extended with regard to his finances.
The Man Who Wants to Be King
Jim Bob, it seems, is money hungry above all things, a fact that Derick reportedly plans to expose in his memoir.
The Hunger For Power
On top of everything else, it seems Jim Bob still harbors dreams of political clout, a fact that explains why he’s financing 20-year-old Jed Duggar’s run for the Arkansas State House of Representatives.
Damaging Stuff
All-in-all, it seems Derick is planning to portray his father-in-law as a greedy, maniacally ambitious man who’s willing to betray his own family in order to improve his standing in society. No surprise, then, that Jim Bob wants Jill’s husband silenced.