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Jill Duggar Dillard, 32, released her memoir, Counting the Cost, on Sept. 12 and shared what her father, Jim Bob Duggar, 58, thought about it during a new interview with TODAY on Sept. 18. During the phone interview with the outlet, the 19 Kids and Counting alum claimed that her dad was “threatening” to cut his family “out of the inheritance,” if they spoke out against him and his wife, Michelle Duggar, 57.
“My dad texted the entire family group text (since we’re still in the group thread) and he was just saying, ‘This is so sad,’” Jill told the outlet days after her memoir was published. “And basically threatening that if anybody speaks out against him or my mom that they would be cut out of the inheritance.” She also alleged that the 58-year-old told her and his kids that they “owe” their “lives” to Bill Gothard, the founder of the Institute in Basic Life Principles (IBLP).
As Jill and her father’s relationship grew more strained over the years, her husband Derick Dillard, 34, stepped in to protect his wife. “My relationship with my dad got pretty toxic to the point where we had to cut off individual contact with him,” she told TODAY. “It got to the point where Derick was there to step in and kind of say, ‘Hey, don’t reach out to my wife individually or else I’ll have to file a protective order,’ just because it was so hard for me to handle.” Derick and Jill have been married since 2014 and share three children.
At that point in the interview, Derick explained the “boundary” that he and his wife set with the Duggar patriarch. “(Jim Bob) knew that Jill was, not in a bad way, but very emotional, very tender hearted. So he would play to that,” the 34-year-old said. “And I’d asked, ‘Please don’t contact her on her own, one-on-one.’ And then he had done that again. That’s when I basically said, ‘Hey, if you can’t abide by this boundary, because we’re trying to do better setting boundaries, then I’ll have to file a protective order.”
Despite the family’s falling out, Jill did admit that she and her husband have “hope” for “reconciliation” if there is “real” change. “I think actual change would have to take place in some relationships. We really do hope for reconciliation, but also with some of my siblings and these relationships, I also realized that sometimes there’s a need for space and time,” she shared. “And while we realize that life is short, we’re also not going to be intimidated by that and pressured to have a false sense of healing.”
Following the release of her memoir, Jim Bob and his wife released a statement to PEOPLE on Sept. 12. “We love all of our children very much. As with any family, few things are more painful than conflicts or problems among those you love. We’ve aimed to deal honorably with our children, our finances, and our other endeavors,” the note began. “While imperfect, it is our intent and desire to live a life that honors Christ. We do not believe the best way to resolve conflicts, facilitate forgiveness and reconciliation, or to communicate through difficulties is through the media or in a public forum so we will not comment.”
They also addressed their future relationship with their family. “As the future unfolds, we will continue to love our family, pray for them, and enjoy every moment gifted to us to be parents and grandparents,” they concluded. Jill also touched upon her parents role as grandparents to her kids during the interview with TODAY. “We do love our family ultimately, and I would love for my kids to have their grandparents involved more in their lives, but we also want to make sure that it’s a healthy relationship,” she said.
