Jill Duggar talks about the family’s dark secrets in a documentary

Jill Duggar says she was hesitant before participating in an upcoming documentary about her family’s “cult-like” religion.

The host is best known for appearing alongside the Duggar clan on the reality series ’19 Kids and Counting’. The second-oldest daughter of the big brood got her spinoff after the family’s TLC show was canceled.

However, the 32-year-old lost Counting On due to her brother Josh Duggar’s child pornography scandal. A new Amazon Prime Video series promises to show how the ultra-conservative beliefs of TV personalities have had a negative impact on their lives.

Jill Duggar reveals in upcoming documentary that airing her family’s dirty laundry has been difficult

As seen in a recent clip from the documentary “Shiny Happy People: Duggar Family Secrets,” the mother of three was candid about starring in the four-part series. In the sneak peek, the socialite sat down with husband Derick Dillard to make some bombshell revelations about her relatives’ religion.

The Arkansas native admitted that he debated taking charge of his own life and that of his loved ones as a member of the Institute in Basic Life Principles (IBLP). The conservative Christian organization was founded by disgraced pastor Bill Gothard and widely publicized by the Duggars.

However, the family’s doctrine was not as innocent as it seemed. Jill admitted that it was difficult to expose the dark side of IBLP’s teachings. “Yeah, I mean, it’s not easy to do an interview, and I didn’t want to,” said the media personality nervously.

“There’s a lot there,” he continued, “like, do I want to open that can of worms?” Despite her volatile spirit, the TLC alum shared her side of the story, adding fuel to the fire that started burning in 2014.

That year, Gothard resigned from IBLP after being accused of sexual harassment by former employees. The accusations came from more than 30 people, making a scandal similar to the tragedy of the eldest Duggar son. Josh was jailed in 2022 for receiving and possessing child pornography.

Unfortunately, this was not the disgraced TV personality’s only crime. In 2015, the family revealed that Josh was guilty of inappropriately touching his four sisters and a babysitter when he was a teenager. Among the victims were Jill and her sister Jessa.

Surprisingly, instead of blaming Josh, the Prime Video series promised to explain how IBLP’s teachings created a “breeding ground” for predators. Still, the ordeal left a dark mark on the Arkansas native’s life.

“It’s hard to get through,” Jill admitted in the segment. “Many families are in a similar situation. But it was very different in the sense that my family was on television.”

Giving herself a pat on the back for being brave enough to share her story, the mother of three noted in a trailer for “Shiny Happy People: Duggar Family Secrets” that she wanted to be the one behind her narrative. “There’s a story that’s going to be told, and I’d rather be the one telling it,” the 32-year-old declared.

The upcoming docu-series will reveal shocking claims made by former IBLP members

Weeks earlier, “Growing Up Duggar,” the streaming platform, announced the co-creator’s participation in the Prime Video series.. On May 18, an explosive trailer for the upcoming documentary was uploaded to the broadcaster’s YouTube channel.

The two-minute clip features interviews with former IBLP members, including teaser footage of Jill and her husband. According to the second-oldest Duggar daughter, her family has been involved with Gothard’s controversial group for as long as she can remember.

Sharing similar sentiments, former practitioners of the conservative religion noted that the disgraced pastor used the Duggars’ TLC series to spearhead his insidious campaign. “World domination was the goal,” claimed one man.

Another male source accused the founder of the Christian organization of turning fathers into “cult leaders” and turning their homes into “islands.” To the same comment, one woman quipped, “IBLP teachings are not Christianity. They are something completely different.”

One of the stars of the documentary stated that “Shiny Happy People: Duggar Family Secrets” covers more than the dark lives of the TLC stars. The show centered around Gothard’s diabolical scheme for political power using groomed IBLP children.

“You train these kids, you give them a political role, and from there you send them to the halls of Congress to intern at the White House,” explained the female participant, claiming that religious leaders “play the long game.”