Jana Duggar is the eldest daughter in her family, and in many ways, she’s the living embodiment of father Jim Bob Duggar’s bizarre belief system.
But in other respects, Jana is unlike any other member of her infamous family.
Duggar women are taught from a young age that procreation is their primary reason for being, and most marry young and start having children shortly thereafter.
Jana went a decidedly different route, and at the age of 33, she still lives at home with her parents.
Duggar women are usually forbidden to use social media until after they’ve entered a courtship with a male suitor, but an exception was made for Jana.
She built a massive following on Instagram, and for several years, she used the platform to post frequent updates about her day-to-day life.
These days, however, Jana has retreated to a more private existence, and with all the turmoil that’s engulfed her family, fans are naturally curious about how she’s coping.
Unexpectedly, the once candid young woman has become one of the most mysterious figures in the Duggar family, which is why we decided to bring you up to speed on the life of Jana.
So without further ado …
Answers to Common Questions About Jana Bob Duggar:
Is Jana Duggar Married?
Jana Duggar is single, a fact that makes her quite an outlier in the strange, insular world that her family inhabits.
The Duggars are adherents of the Quiverfull movement, which holds that it’s the sacred duty of every Christian woman to birth as many children.
So Jana’s decision not to have kids might be a bold act of rebellion.
Some believe that she appeases her parents by assisting them with the raising of her youngest siblings.
Is Jana Duggar In a Relationship?
At this time, it appears that Jana Duggar is not in a romantic relationship of any kind.
The Duggars follow very strict courtship rules, and for a while it looked as though Jana had begun the process with a family friend named Stephen Wissmann, but we now know that that relationship never progressed beyond the platonic stage.
There have been rumors, however, about Jana’s other friendships.
Is Jana Duggar Gay?
As far as anyone knows, Jana Duggar is not gay.
But her sexuality has been the subject of frequent speculation in recent years.
Many fans believe that Jana is romantically involved with her longtime friend Laura DeMasie, but there’s no evidence that the relationship between the two women is anything more than platonic.
Of course, if Jana and Laura were dating, they would likely feel compelled to conceal the nature of their relationship.
The Duggars are extremely anti-gay, and Jana is likely aware that she would be disowned if she ever came out of the closet, or, for that matter, if she engaged in any sort of sex before marriage.
It’s more than a little ridiculous that a grown woman is not permitted to make such decisions for herself, but that’s life in Jim Bob’s world!
How Old Is Jana Duggar?
Jana Duggar was born in January of 1990, which makes her 33 years old.
She and twin brother John David were the second and third babies welcomed by Jim Bob and Michelle following the birth of the couple’s infamous eldest child, Josh Duggar.
Jana has 18 siblings in total, 14 of whom have now reached adulthood.
She’s not the only adult in the group who has yet to marry — brothers Jackson, 19, James, 21, and Jason, 23 are all still single — but she’s the eldest single Duggar, as well as the only female.
That’s a very big deal, as women are granted virtually no rights in the Duggars’ world, and Jim Bob openly believes that they were put on this planet for the sole purpose of making and raising babies.
(With regular breaks for religious duties, of course.)
So by remaining single and child-free Jana is boldly rejecting Jim Bob’s teachings.
And she’s doing so while living under his roof!
Speaking of Jana’s living situation …
Does Jana Duggar Still Live at Home?
Jana Duggar still lives at home in the massive, 10,000-square-foot home that fans have dubbed “the Duggar Compound.”
Despite, the size, the house only boasts four bedrooms, and the last time she offered an update from inside the home, Jana was still sharing a room with her youngest siblings.
While such an arrangement would be unimaginable for most women in their thirties, Jana insists that she enjoys it.
The Duggars have a lot of strange rules in their house, and one of them is that older siblings are responsible for helping to raise their younger brothers and sisters.
Jana has lived under this system for her entire life, so we’re sure she’s used to it by now.
And like all Duggar women, she’s also been taught to smile all the time and never complain about anything.
So we’ll likely never find out how she really feels about becoming her family’s live-in nanny.
Did Jana Duggar Move Out?
Despite rumors that Jana moved out of the “big house” and into a smaller building on her parents’ property, it looks as though she still shares a room with her younger sisters.
Jana’s brother Jason Duggar has moved into a treehouse on Jim Bob’s land, but the patriarch would never allow one of his daughters to enjoy such freedom — at least not before she’s married.
Jana’s not even allowed to take a vacation without a male chaperone, so it’s a safe bet that she’s not allowed to take up permanent residence in a structure of her own.
The infamous Duggar courtship rules dictate much more than how couples are permitted to behave prior to their wedding night.
Their main function is to restrict the freedom of women like Jana.
Until and unless Duggar gets married (to a man, of course), she’ll never be permitted to make any decisions for herself or enjoy even a modicum of independence.
It’s very sad, but it’s also the reality of being Jim Bob’s daughter.
What Does Jana Duggar Do For a Living?
Generally speaking, Duggar women are not permitted to work outside the home, but once again, it seems that an exception was made in Jana’s case.
Back when she was active on Instagram, Jana listed her career as “home remodeler.”
That’s a bit of a vague job title, but it seems that Jana was quite good at what she did.
Discussions of the Duggars’ net worth usually focus on the men in the family, as women are rarely permitted to hold jobs.
But at one point, Jana’s worth was estimated at roughly $400,000.
Bringing in her own cash is just one of many ways in which Jana has served as an inspiration to her sisters, as well as to other women who have been oppressed by their fundamentalist families.
How Has Jana Coped With Her Family’s Scandals?
The Duggar name has become become synonymous with scandal in recent years, and Jana has done her best to steer clear of the quagmire of controversy.
When Josh Duggar was arrested on child pornography charges, Jana chose not to comment.
She remained silent after his conviction, and she took no part in the recent Amazon Prime documentary about the corruption and abuse within her family’s religious community.
Fans might wish that Jana would speak out, but it seems that she’s decided to protect her own peace and privacy — and with all that she’s been through, she’s certainly entitled to do exactly that!