Jill Dillard

Jill Michelle Dillard (née Duggar) (born May 17, 1991) is the fourth child and second daughter of Jim Bob Duggar and Michelle Duggar.

She is the sister of Joshua Duggar, Jana Duggar, John-David Duggar, Jessa Seewald, Jinger Vuolo, Joseph Duggar, Josiah Duggar, Joy-Anna Forsyth, Jedidiah Duggar, Jeremiah Duggar, Jason Duggar, James Duggar, Justin Duggar, Jackson Duggar, Johannah Duggar, Jennifer Duggar, Jordyn-Grace Duggar, and Josie Duggar.

She is the wife of Derick Dillard and the mother of their three children, Israel, Samuel, and Frederick.

Early Life[]

Jill Michelle Duggar was born on May 17, 1991, in Arkansas, to Jim Bob Duggar and Michelle Duggar. She was the couple's fourth child, and they went on to have fifteen more children after her.

From an early age, Jill was often one of the family's spokespeople. Even when she was very young, Jill often spoke up in interviews more than most of her siblings, helping to tell the world about her family and their beliefs. "You always have someone to play with," Jill said in a 2001 article when asked what it was like to have so many siblings. "And there are lots of birthdays."

Along with her siblings, Jill was homeschooled growing up. She and her siblings were raised as active participants of Bill Gothard's Institute in Basic Life Principles, and regularly attended the yearly Advanced Training Institute conferences in Big Sandy, Texas. As she grew older, she was given the responsibility of helping her younger siblings with their schoolwork, in addition to doing her own. She took the test to get her GED in 2007, at sixteen years old.

Like most children, Jill was assigned chores growing up, which the family called "jurisdictions". As of 2004, one of Jill's jurisdictions was laundry, alongside her sister Joy-Anna. Many of these clothes were made by Jill herself. As of 2007, one of Jill's jurisdictions was preparing lunch each day. As of 2011, Jill's jurisdiction was secretary work. Jill was no longer expected to keep up with her jurisdictions after she began her courtship.

By 2001, Jill's parents had implemented a buddy system, where each older child was paired with a younger child to take care of. Typical tasks for an older buddy included dressing, bathing, and feeding their younger buddies. Jill's original younger buddy was her sister Joy-Anna. By 2009, the family had switched from individual buddies to buddy teams, with each team being led by one of the oldest four daughters. Jill's buddy team consisted of younger siblings Joy-Anna, James, and Jennifer. She still maintains a special bond with these siblings today, and often makes a point of including them in her major life events.

Jill began taking piano lessons from Ruth Anita Anderson, who she and her siblings referred to as "Nana", as a young child. She also took violin lessons. As an adult, Jill has been seen playing the harp, but it is unknown when she learned to play this instrument.

In 2006, as featured on one of the TV specials, Jill and her family moved into a new home in Springdale, Arkansas. The family made a point of doing much of the work on the house themselves, seeing it as a learning opportunity for their children. In this house, Jill was given a dormitory-style room with her sisters.

In late 2009, after her sister Josie was born premature, Jill moved with her family into the Cornish House in Little Rock, Arkansas, to be closer to the Arkansas Children's Hospital. Once Josie was healthy enough to leave the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), Jill and her family moved back home.

In 2010, Jill was an extra in the film Courageous, which was released on September 30, 2011. Although, Jill did not make it into the film's final cut.

Thanks to the reality show, Jill was able to take a number of vacations as a child and teenager. Notable vacation locations include: Disneyland, New York City, Niagara Falls, Scotland, Ireland, London, Israel, Japan, and China.

As a teenager, Jill kept her hair long and permed, which she credited to that being her father's preference. Jill and her sisters gave each other perms at home to keep up this style.

Jill participated in Journey to the Heart, a Christian retreat for teens and young adults to spend time focused on God.

Jill enjoys reading and ministry.

Personal Life[]

Courtship[]

Jill and Derick Dillard first met when he came to her house while Christmas caroling in December 2011, however, they've stated that they don't remember each other. Before leaving for Nepal, Derick met Jim Bob Duggar, and the two became prayer partners. In March 2013, he met Jill over the phone, and began praying and asking God for direction on whether he should continue getting to know Jill. The two began talking more seriously via email and Skype in August 2013, at Jim Bob's suggestion, as featured on the 19 Kids and Counting episode "Another Courtship?". On November 16, 2013, Jill and Jim Bob went to Kathmandu, Nepal to meet Derick. During this trip, Jill and Derick entered an official courtship on November 22, 2013. He asked her to court in front of a hotel in Kathmandu. This trip was featured on the 19 Kids and Counting episodes "Going the Distance for Love" and "The Big Question". After returning home the following January, Jill and Derick began spending more time together in person, as featured on the 19 Kids and Counting episode "A Toast to Love".

Engagement[]

On February 18, 2014, Derick asked Jim Bob's permission to propose to Jill. Derick had a song written by singer-songwriter Walker Hayes to be played before his proposal. The song "When He Made You" chronicles the couple's love story. On March 29, 2014, Derick proposed to Jill at Bentonville City Square, and she answered "yes, totally!". Their engagement was featured on the 19 Kids and Counting episode "The Proposal".

Marriage[]

On June 21, 2014, Jill married Derick Michael Dillard at Cross Church in Springdale, Arkansas. The wedding had around 1,000 guests. The couple shared their first kiss at the altar. The wedding was officiated by Scott Hill. Jill's maid of honor was her sister Jana. Her bridesmaids were her sisters Jessa, Jinger, Joy-Anna, and Johannah and her sister-in-law Anna. The flower girls were Jill's sisters Jennifer, Jordyn, and Josie and Jill's niece Mackynzie. Derick's best man was his brother Daniel. His groomsmen were his cousin Tony Dillard, Jill's brothers John-David and Joseph, and his friends Stephen Jones and Madison McCalmon. The ring bearers were Jill's brother Jackson and Jill's nephew Michael. The ushers were Jill's brothers Josh, Josiah, Jedidiah, Jeremiah, and Jason. The carpet rollers were Jill's brothers James and Justin. The pianist was Jill's family friend Erin Paine. Her dress was designed by Ava Laurenne Bride. Their wedding was featured on the 19 Kids and Counting episode "Jill's Wedding" and their YouTube channel.

For their honeymoon, Jill and Derick went to Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina. They rented a beach house and spent time on the beach, toured the Wright Brothers National Memorial, packed a picnic lunch and spent an afternoon at the Bodie Island Lighthouse, and saw a fireworks show.

Motherhood[]

Jill and Derick have publicly expressed a desire to adopt children, due to Derick's mother being adopted at birth.

On August 20, 2014, Jill and Derick announced that they were expecting their first child, due March 2015. On October 21, 2014, they revealed that they were expecting a boy. On April 7, 2015, Jill and Derick announced that their son, Israel David, was born at 11:49 p.m. on April 6, 2015, at Washington Regional Medical Center in Fayetteville, Arkansas, via an emergency C-section after 70 hours of labor. He weighed 9 pounds and 10 ounces, and was 23 inches long. His birth was featured on the 19 Kids and Counting episode "Jill's Special Delivery".

On December 20, 2016, Jill and Derick announced that they were expecting their second child, due July 2017. On January 31, 2017, they revealed that they were expecting a boy. On June 6, 2017, they revealed that they were naming their son Samuel Scott Dillard. On July 8, 2017, Jill and Derick announced that their son, Samuel Scott, was born at 1:02 p.m. on July 8, 2017, in Arkansas, via an emergency C-section after 40 hours of labor. He weighed 9 pounds and 10 ounces, and was 22 inches long.

On October 11, 2021, Jill and Derick announced that they had recently discovered that they were expecting what would have been their third child. The pregnancy ended in a miscarriage shortly after they found out. They named their miscarried child River Bliss. On October 3, 2022, Jill revealed that it had been a year since they miscarried River.

On February 27, 2022, Jill and Derick announced that they were expecting their third child, due July 2022. On March 23, 2022, they revealed that they were expecting a boy. On July 11, 2022, Jill and Derick announced that their son, Frederick Michael, was born at 5:16 p.m. on July 7, 2022, in Arkansas, via a planned C-section. He weighed 7 pounds and 6 ounces, and was 20 inches long.

On April 13, 2024, Jill and Derick revealed that they had been pregnant with their fourth child, a daughter. When Jill was 4 months pregnant they discovered that the baby had died in utero. They named their daughter, Isla Marie.

Health[]

On March 10, 2022, Jill revealed that she and Derick tested positive for COVID-19. They tested positive on March 8, 2022. Jill was fully vaccinated when she tested positive.

On August 19, 2022, Jill had surgery to have her gallbladder removed.

Career[]

Missionary Work[]

Growing up, Jill and her family went on a yearly mission trip to El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras the week after Christmas.

On June 26, 2015, Jill and Derick announced that they would be leaving for a long-term mission trip. On July 5, 2015, Jill, Derick, and Israel left for El Salvador. After a number of complaints from fans and donors alike that the couple was spending just as much time back in Arkansas as on the mission field, the couple began refunding donations to those who were unsatisfied. Much of their time in both locations has been featured on the show Counting On. They most recently returned to the United States in May 2017, in advance of their second child Samuel's birth. On August 9, 2017, they announced that their family were permanently relocating their mission to Northwest Arkansas. In the docuseries Shiny Happy People: Duggar Family Secrets, Jill and Derick revealed that they were forced to come back to Arkansas multiple times to film for Counting On between 2015-2017.

First Responder[]

On November 2, 2010, an episode of 19 Kids and Counting aired where Anna Duggar made skirts out of firefighter pants for Jill and her sister Jana to wear when volunteering for the local fire department as first responders. It is unknown when Jill began volunteering for the fire department. On February 24, 2011, Jill utilized her skills as a first responder to aid in the rescue efforts after a massive tornado destroyed the town of Joplin, Missouri.

Author[]

On March 14, 2014, Jill and her sisters Jana, Jessa, and Jinger released their first book, Growing Up Duggar.

On September 12, 2023, Jill and Derick released their first book together, Counting the Cost.

Midwife[]

In 2012, Jill started studying to become a Certified Professional Midwife. She took her exam and passed on September 16, 2015. Jill's midwifery is featured on many episodes of both 19 Kids and Counting and Counting On, with the first appearance being on the 19 Kids and Counting episode "Baby on the Way".

Jill worked alongside a local licensed midwife in Arkansas. She utilized her skills as a midwife while working as a missionary in Central America. She has helped deliver some of her nieces and nephews. Jill hasn't worked much as a midwife since returning from Central America and welcoming her second child because she doesn't want to work much while she still has young children. Although, she has helped deliver a few babies since 2017.

College Ministry[]

On August 15, 2017, Derick announced that he was joining the C3 Ministry at Cross Church. Based on pictures Jill has posted, it is possible that she was involved with this ministry as well. C3 is a ministry that caters to college students in the Fayetteville, Arkansas area.

Social Media[]

Jill is often seen on her Instagram stories promoting products from various companies, such as: FabFitFun, Elora Inspired, Busy Toddler, Magic Spoon Cereal, a modest swimsuit company, and other Christian-based companies.

Scandal[]

On May 19, 2015, InTouch Weekly published a redacted copy of a police report dated December 7, 2006. The report revealed that Jill's oldest brother, Joshua, had molested five underaged girls, including four of his sisters, in 2002 and 2003. In an interview filmed on May 31, 2015, Jill named herself as one of the previously unnamed victims. Jill was fifteen years old at the time of the police interview and eleven/twelve years old at the time that the molestations had occurred. During the television interview, which aired on The Kelly File on June 5, 2015, Jill said that she had forgiven Josh:

"I was angry at first, I was like, how could this happen? And then, you know, my parents explained to us what happened and then Josh came and asked each of us, individually I know, he asked me to forgive him. And I had to make that choice to forgive him, you know. And it wasn't something that somebody forced like, 'Oh you need to do this'. It's like, you have to make that decision for yourself. My dad explained to us, he said, 'You know there's a difference between forgiveness and trust. That's not the same thing.' You know, you forgive someone and then you have boundaries. Forgiveness with boundaries. And so trust comes later. You know Josh destroyed that trust at the beginning. And so he had to rebuild that."

On May 18, 2017, Jill and three of her sisters sued InTouch Weekly, Springdale, Arkansas, and Washington County, Arkansas, for breach of privacy. The four women claim that they were promised confidentiality when speaking to investigators in 2006 and that the publicized report caused them "extreme mental anguish and emotional distress". On February 9, 2022, their lawsuit was officially dismissed with prejudice, due to the defendants' qualified immunity and lack of direct proof.

In December 2021, during Josh's child pornography trial, it was revealed that Jill had actually woken up while Josh was molesting her and confronted him. It was previously said that none of the sisters knew what had happened to them until their parents told them after Josh confessed.