Jill Duggar Has ‘No Idea’ Why Anna Duggar Hasn’t Left Josh Duggar
Jill Duggar is opening up about her relationship – or lack thereof – with her sister-in-law Anna Duggar.
Anna’s husband and Jill’s brother Josh Duggar is currently behind bars after being convicted on on multiple child pornography charges. Despite the guilty verdict, Anna has not left her husband, and Jill has no idea why.
Jill Duggar has not been in contact with Anna Duggar
Jill spoke with Access Hollywood about her new bombshell memoir, Counting the Cost. The book explores her fractured relationship with her family, particularly her father, Jim Bob Duggar.
During the interview, Jill revealed that she has virtually no contact with her sister-in-law.
“We have not been in contact with Anna. I have seen her on a few occasions, but I also want to respect [her]. I know she’s asked for some space, so we want to respect that as well,” Jill said in a sneak peek (via YouTube) of the interview, which will air Sept. 13.
The former ‘Counting On’ star ‘cannot imagine’ what Anna is going through
For Jill, keeping her distance from Anna is all about being aware of what kind of relationship Anna does or doesn’t want to have with her, the former Counting On star explained.
“When you are learning to set boundaries in your own life, you also learn to respect other people’s boundaries,” she said.
“I cannot imagine all that she’s going through, and I just want to also give her that space,” Jill added.
Despite Josh’s 12½-year prison sentence, Anna has shown no sign that she intends to file for divorce. Jill said she can’t comment on why her sister-in-law remains loyal to her husband.
“I have no idea why Anna has decided to stay with Josh, and what she is dealing with there and everything,” she said.
Jill added that she’s “watching with everybody else” to see what happens with Anna and Josh.
Anna Duggar is unlikely to divorce Josh Duggar
Anna married Josh in 2008, when both were 20 years old. Despite increasingly disturbing revelations about his behavior, she’s remained committed to him. She even showed up in court to support him during his trial.
The mom of seven’s refusal to leave her husband may be baffling to outsiders. But her strict religious faith means she likely doesn’t see divorce as an option, even though Josh has been convicted of sexual crimes involving children.
Anna offered some insight into her thinking about her marriage in 2015, after reports surfaced that Josh had molested several of his sisters and been an active user of the cheating website Ashley Madison.
“I knew that my only hope was to cling to my faith,” she said of her reaction to Josh’s “betrayal” of her trust and their marriage vows. “Because I knew if I went off of what I was feeling, I would turn a mess into a disaster.”
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