Jill Dillard Said It Was Difficult Not to Call Out Siblings in Her Controversial Memoir

Jill Dillard shocked Duggar family followers when she broke away from Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar and released a scathing memoir that chronicled the manipulation and exploitation she suffered while filming 19 Kids and Counting and Counting On.

While Jill didn’t hesitate to reveal what went on behind the scenes, one topic was mostly off-limits. Jill did not discuss her siblings at length. She never named those who sided with her and those who sided with her parents. Recently, Jill revealed that not exposing her siblings was tougher than you might think. 

Jill Dillard recently said it was difficult not to name her siblings in her memoir

Jill was careful not to name her siblings during more controversial points in her book. For example, the bestselling author wrote about Jim Bob Duggar sending siblings over to her house repeatedly to speak to her.

Still, she never revealed which siblings appeared on her doorstep and which one tipped her off to what Jim Bob Duggar was saying about her to them. While a few names pop up in places throughout Counting the Cost, Jill only really added her siblings’ names to stories that were already known to the public. While it was a calculated decision, apparently, it wasn’t an easy one. 

In a recent appearance on The Unplanned Podcast with Matt and Abby, Jill revealed that she had difficulty keeping her siblings’ names out of things while writing her book. She said that the process was difficult because, several times, she was interested in delving into the sibling dynamics within the family.

Jill would have needed to label people to do so. Instead of naming her siblings and creating a greater rift, she left those parts out. 

Why didn’t Jill Dillard name names when it came to her siblings? 

Jill Dillard has discussed her decision not to speak about her siblings several times since the release of her memoir. Overall, Jill noted that she understood where her siblings were coming from and wanted to give them a lot of grace regarding their personal journeys. 

In more than one interview, she noted that she is perfectly at peace with the fact that some of her siblings remain loyal to Jim Bob Duggar. She explained that she understood why some siblings were willing to connect with her and why some had decided to foster a more distant relationship.

Despite her understanding, Jill insists she’s hoping for closer, healthier relationships with her 18 siblings someday. It’s unclear if that will ever happen, though.