Jill Duggar has not been on reality television for over six years.
But she clearly remained haunted by the experience.
In an excerpt from her upcoming memoir, Counting the Cost, Duggar explains to readers that she wasn’t paid at all to film the shows 19 Kids and Counting and Counting On…
… despite working up to 20 hours per week at times on each series.
The reason?
Her dad Jim Bob forced his kids to sign a contract that gave him total control over their finances.
“I think I was so conditioned to this belief that we were benefitting from it, from going on this trip or that trip or whatever,” Jill tells People Magazine in this week’s issue.
“It was like, well we can buy frozen pizzas instead of beans and rice now because [TLC] is covering these things. It was literally so ingrained in me to be grateful.”
Duggar went on to tell People that it was “ingrained in me to always focus on the positive,” prior to blaming her dad for the unfair situation… without actually naming him.
“It makes sense that somebody would want to push that narrative [of staying grateful], because they’re the ones seeing the greater benefits,” Jill said to this outlet.
After asking Jim Bob about actually earning money for her role on these shows, Jill writes in the book that he eventually offered his grown kids a check for $80,000 each.
However, she and her husband did some research… figured the family earned about $8 million for about 10 years of starring on their reality program… hired a lawyer… and ended up accepting a check from Jim Bob for $175,000.
“It was affecting our marriage,” Duggar also admitted to People of the tension between her and her parents. “I was [cheated] by somebody I thought I could trust.”
At this point, Jill isn’t very close to her mom and dad.
It sounds as if the aforementioned memoir will spill a boatload of tea about Jim Bob and Michelle and all the twisted ways in which they raised their children.
“I didn’t want to have to write this story,” she claims to People.
“I do love my parents. I love my siblings. I struggle with the weightiness of it. But I feel called to do this. I feel passionate about empowering other people to find their voice, and if they do that through my story, great. I want them to feel like they’re not alone.”
In response to Duggar’s latest allegations, meanwhile, Jim Bob and Michelle have said the following:
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. 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.
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.