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Jill Dillard visits 'Extra' with her family in 2014, years before her relationship with Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar would become strained
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Jill Dillard Says Jim Bob Duggar Treats Her Worse Than Her ‘Pedophile Brother’ in Upcoming Memoir, ‘Counting the Costs’

Jill Dillard has made her own way in life, away from her parents' judgemental gaze. Now, she's pulling back the curtain and detailing her experience inside the Duggar family and on reality TV in a memoir.

Jill Dillard’s new memoir, Counting the Costs, will be released on Sept. 12. While Jill Dillard is not the first of her siblings to write a non-fiction book, she has emerged as the only sibling willing to dig into the dysfunction of her supersized family, the Duggars. The Duggar family rose to fame in the early 2000s with TLC specials and, later, reality TV shows. Over the years, they’ve been rocked by scandals and have amassed many critics. An excerpt from the upcoming release suggests Jill Dillard was treated with more contempt than her brother, a convicted sexual predator. 

Jill Dillard reveals a tense moment between her and her parents in an excerpt from ‘Counting the Costs’ 

Jill Dillard didn’t seem to hold back in her upcoming memoir, Counting the  CostsPeople obtained an excerpt from the book, and if the rest of the non-fiction offering is half as honest, Duggar family followers will learn a lot about how Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar managed their family. 

Jill Dillard and Derick Dillard appear in the Prime Video docuseries 'Shiny Happy People.'
Jill Dillard and Derick Dillard appear in the Prime Video docuseries ‘Shiny Happy People’ | Amazon Content Services LLC

In the excerpt, Jill recalls a tense moment between her and her parents. She remembers meeting with the duo to try and hash things out after she told her father he was being emotionally abusive. They lectured her and claimed she had “disrespected” them before Jim Bob became aggressive by hovering over her. 

Jill recalled pointing out that her parents treated her worse than they treated her “pedophile brother” simply because she opted to wear pants and pierce her nose. The excerpt did not include information on how the conversation concluded, but clearly, the family did not reach a truce. Jill and her husband, Derick Dillard, remain largely estranged from Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar after entering therapy to unpack issues within the relationship. 

Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar have actively supported Josh Duggar 

The sexual predator Jill referenced is her oldest brother, Josh Duggar. Josh Duggar was convicted on two child pornography charges in December 2021. The father of seven and disgraced reality TV star was sentenced in May 2022 to more than 12 years behind bars and is currently serving his sentence at FCI Seagoville in Texas.

Josh Duggar booking photo
Josh Duggar | Washington County Sheriff’s Office via Getty Images
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Despite the heinous nature of his crimes, both Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar openly supported their eldest son. Jim Bob was on hand at Josh’s trial and is rumored to have paid for a rather expensive defense. While his mother, Michelle, went underground following his arrest, she did pen a letter to Judge Timothy L. Brooks asking for leniency before Josh’s sentencing. According to the U.S. Sun, she was also in close contact with Josh while he was held at the Washington County Detention Center before his sentencing. 

Before his conviction for downloading child pornography, Josh admitted to molesting several of his younger sisters as a teen. Jill was one of his victims. He was also outed as a serial cheater. His name and email address appeared in the Ashley Madison data breach. Josh remains married to Anna Duggar. According to sources, Anna Duggar remains loyal to Josh and believes Jill Dillard is “toxic.”