‘Counting On’: Did Josie Bates Just Call Out Lauren Swanson on Instagram?
The Bates family and the Duggar family insist they are friends, but with two massive families, there are bound to be people who don’t like each other. It would seem that Josie Bates, who married Kelton Balka in October 2018, doesn’t seem to be a massive fan of Lauren Swanson. Lauren joined the Duggar family in June 2018, according to In Touch. In fact, it looks like Josie is tired of Lauren copying her style, and she called her out on Instagram for it.
Lauren copied Josie’s Christmas picture idea
On Dec. 23, Josie took to Instagram to share a photo of her young daughter. The snapshot features the couple’s first child, Willow Balka, lying under a Christmas tree surrounded by gifts wrapped in craft paper. The entire picture is clearly Pinterest-inspired. Lauren commented on the photo, proclaiming that Willow (and presumably) the photo was “perfect.”
Shortly after Lauren commented on the photo, she added a similar snapshot to her Instagram Story. An eagle-eyed follower commented on Josie’s photo, calling out Lauren for copying the picture, and, much to the surprise of followers, Josie liked the comment. A Reddit user shared the exchange, although Josie did not provide further commentary on the photo or the comment.
Reddit fans think Lauren is copying Josie’s style all over the ‘Gram
Josie has a clear aesthetic on Instagram. The mother of one appears to spend a good portion of her free time crafting content that fits into that aesthetic. Now, fans think Lauren is trying to follow Josie’s lead, but she appears to be failing. There are more than a few examples of explicit copying between the members of the two supersized reality TV families.
Most recently, Lauren has taken to Instagram to share a photo of herself, along with Josiah and their young daughter, Bella. In the photo, Lauren is wearing a hat that looks awfully reminiscent of a hat that Josie regularly features in her Instagram snapshots.
Strangely enough, Chelsea Houska, who is in no way involved with the ultra-conservative Christian sect that the Duggars and the Bateses subscribe to, also popped up on Instagram rocking the same hat. Chelsea is best known for her role on Teen Mom 2. There is no connection between Chelsea and Josie or Lauren.
Are the Duggars and the Bates family actually friendly?
The world met the Bates family through the Duggars, in a roundabout way. The Bates family was featured on 19 Kids and Counting, the Duggar family’s original reality TV show. From there, they were given their own reality show. Currently featured on UPtv, the Bates family is considered much cooler and more laidback than the Duggar family. Fans, however, have long wondered if the two families are actually friendly.
It looks like several of the Bates boys enjoy spending time with the Duggar boys, but Kelly Jo and Gil Bates, the matriarch and patriarch of the Bates family, have not been featured in any content regarding Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar in years. In fact, it appears the family has distanced themselves from the Duggars ever since Josh Duggar’s molestation scandal broke. It doesn’t appear as though they are outwardly feuding, but that could change thanks to Josie’s recent Instagram activity.
