19 Kids and Counting reality star Jill Duggar has opened up about her experience filming the popular TLC reality show and being mistreated by her ultra-religious parents Michelle and Jim Bob Duggar in her tell-all memoir, Counting the Cost.
The reality series ran for 10 seasons before ultimately being canceled by the network after the eldest Duggar offspring, Josh Duggar, was revealed to have sexually abused multiple girls in his adolescence.
The controversy unveiled a series of unfortunate findings that have since landed Josh Duggar in jail for possession of child pornography.
19 Kids and Counting followed the family in their day-to-day lives and their participation in Bill Gothard’s organization, The Institute in Basic Life Principle, which has often been likened to a cult.
A spin-off series Jill & Jessa: Counting On aired on TLC from 2015 and 2020 focusing on Duggar and her sister Jessa Seewald.
Curious to see how Duggar is continuing to tell her story? Here’s everything you need to know about her new memoir, which she co-wrote with her husband Derick Dillard and author Craig Borlase.
Yes – Jill Duggar’s memoir has already come out! Gallery Books released Counting the Cost on September 12, 2023, teasing that Duggar and Derick Dillard “are finally ready to share their story, revealing the secrets, manipulation, and intimidation behind the show that remained hidden from their fans.” Dillard starred alongside Duggar in 19 Kids and Counting and Counting On.
Jill Duggar’s memoir is a personal account of her experience growing up in the limelight and the “red flags” she noticed about her upbringing and her parent’s behavior. The synopsis for Counting the Cost reads, “For as long as they could, Jill and Derick tried to be obedient family members—they weren’t willing to rock the boat. But now they’re raising a family of their own, and they’re done with the secrets.”
The description continues, “Thanks to time, tears, therapy, and blessings from God, they have the strength to share their journey. Theirs is a remarkable story of the power of the truth and is a moving example of how to find healing through honesty.”
The memoir has been teased to contain many big reveals and dark stories. In an excerpt published by People, Duggar wrote about how she accused her dad of treating her worse than her “pedophile brother.”
Jill Duggar recently spoke with Good Morning America about her memoir, and said that the “closeness and relationships” with her family were major costs in separating herself from their television persona and developing “healthy boundaries.”
Duggar goes on to speak with reporter Juju Chang about the lack of payment she received for her time on 19 and Counting and Counting On. “The idea that you weren’t paid and yet your wedding attracted 4.4 million viewers. You’re in many ways the stars of the show,” said Chang.
Duggar replied, “Yeah, even the show after that was named Jill and Jessa: Counting On and we still weren’t seeing income.” She adds that she once received a check for $175,000 but that didn’t accurately represent the amount of money she should’ve received.
Counting the Cost is currently available to purchase at major book retailers, such as Amazon, Bookshop, and Barnes & Noble.
Before Jill Duggar released her memoir, she was the only Duggar to participate in Prime Video’s 2023 docuseries Shiny Happy People: Duggar Family Secrets, in which she spoke about her experience being interviewed by Fox News reporter Megyn Kelly in 2015 to downplay the abuse she suffered from her brother. The series is currently streaming on Prime Video with subscription prices starting at $8.99 per month.