Jinger Duggar Explains Why She Declined Interviews for Duggar Documentary ‘Shiny Happy People’
Jinger Duggar Vuolo declined interviews for Shiny Happy People: Duggar Family Secrets. And now, she’s sharing why.
Sister Jill Duggar Dillard, brother-in-law Derick Dillard, cousin Amy Duggar King, and aunt Deanna Jordan all gave interviews for the docuseries, streaming now on Prime Video. The four-part series takes a deep dive into the Duggar family’s participation in Bill Gothard’s Institute for Basic Life Principles (IBLP) and its abusive practices. Through interviews with the family and former family friends Jim and Bobye Holt, Shiny Happy People also gives more insight into how the Duggar family responded to Josh Duggar‘s abuse of his sisters. (Josh is currently serving a 12+-year prison sentence for possession of child pornography.)
Rather than participate in the doc, Jinger opted to share her feelings about her childhood in her memoir, Becoming Free Indeed, which was released in January 2023.
“I was actually approached and asked to participate in the docuseries, but I thought that from my perspective, I really wanted to make sure that I was able to share my story in my own words and in my own timing,” Jinger told People. “So that’s why I wrote Becoming Free Indeed, was to share more of my journey out of IBLP’s teachings. I wanted to be able to share it in a way that was, like, God-honoring and hopefully sharing my story in a balanced way.”
She and Jill have spoken “a little bit” about Shiny Happy People, and Jinger noted that Jill “has her voice” to use as she sees fit. It seems Jinger will eventually be watching the series.
“I am excited to hear what she has to say, even in this documentary,” she said. As for how her other 17 siblings will react to the series, Jinger said, “I think we’ll wait and see. I think everyone will have their own responses and their own timing, and that’s just part of how we process. It’ll be interesting to see the outcome of it.” She noted that there “will be a variety of responses, for sure.”
Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar responded to the documentary in a public statement on their website on June 1.
“The recent ‘documentary’ that talks about our family is sad because in it we see the media and those with ill intentions hurting people we love,” it reads. “Like other families, ours too has experienced the joys and heartbreaks of life, just in a very public format. This ‘documentary’ paints so much and so many in a derogatory and sensationalized way because sadly that’s the direction of entertainment these days.”
The documentary shows the lengths to which Jim Bob and Michelle went to shield their eldest child Josh Duggar from the consequences of his continued sexual abuse of his sisters. According to a personal account from Jim and Bobye Holt, Jim Bob and Michelle admitted that they were using Kaeleigh Holt, their daughter, as “bait” for Josh. If he stopped abusing his sisters, he could marry Kaeleigh.
Shiny Happy People: Duggar Family Secrets, Available Now, Prime Video
