Jill’s Memoir ‘Counting the Cost’ – Top 10 Revelations

These are the top 10 most shocking revelations from Jill’s new book ‘Counting the Cost’, where she discusses in detail what caused a rift between her and the Duggars. 

Number 10

In chapter one, Jill talks about the fact that growing up she was an approval hunter, she really cherished nods of approval, she wanted to be a good girl, and help out as much as she could. At bible study, she would show up with her notebook open and pen ready and Jim Bob would say something like “look at Jill she’s so ready”. Jill had also heard Jim Bob say that Jill is so sweet, she’s the most like Michelle and seemed like this meant a lot to her at the time, for an approval hunter.

I was shocked to learn that although the Duggars played music often together, they had a band for goodness’ sake, they weren’t allowed to dance at all to their own music because apparently, they didn’t want to draw attention to their body and specifically their butts. If anyone started to dance, Jill says that Michelle would stop the music. Which to me was the first thing in the book where I was like “hmmm that’s weird”.

Number 9

In Chapter Two, Jill says that Bill Gothard, the former leader of the IBLP, had invited Jana to go work for him, which may sound like an innocent comment, she jokes that it was probably because she was blond, but what’s not funny is that Bill Gothard actually has had over 30 women accuse him of abuse and I’m not sure if Jana actually went in the end, hopefully not.

Number 8

Jill says that Josh was courting someone and he had confided some information about what he had done in the past with her. I guess she wrote a letter to Josh about how horrible the things he had done were, she then put it in a book, lent that book to a friend, and then those people called the authorities, this is around the time they were in Chicago and the Oprah interview ended up being canceled. Jill says that everyone was interviewed, and people would show up randomly at the big house to check things out.

Number 7

During that Megan Kelley interview where Jill had volunteered to go on TV to defend her family and convince the world that Josh’s actions were in the past, Josh according to Jill was sitting on a couch near her. Can you imagine? 

Number 6

Remember when Jill and Derick went to El Salvador on a mission trip? Well it was a lot more dangerous than it appeared on TV, they literally had to have an armed guard, gang violence was so bad and they were the only white people in the town, in one instance, she was with other women and they heard two gunshots, ran into the closet and she had to nurse Israel so he would stay calm. No matter how dangerous, Jim Bob and Michelle made the trip to see them, and this is where Derick had a tense conversation with Jim Bob where Derrick asks if they could get income from the show at some point, Jim Bob said that the show is a ministry.

Number 5

Jill says that at one point, Jim Bob offered the kids 80,000 dollars, she says it was a commitment for 7 years, they had to make themselves or their kids available for filming, and sign an NDA for the rest of their lives. Jill and Derick didn’t sign it.

Number 4

With her second child Samuel, Jill had a uterine rupture which is extremely serious, she passed out for 4 hours, lost so much blood, and Samuel ended up with a brain bleed. They almost both died. For a while they didn’t know how impacted his brain was going to be, but a later scan showed that almost by miracle, it was all clear.

Number 3

Jill had decided to wear pants, the first place she ever did was at Silver Dollar City, and this was after Jinger, but Jim Bob and Michelle were mad because she hadn’t consulted with them like Jinger did. The final straw in a way in the Jill and Jim Bob relationship came when she decided to get a nose ring, she called him to tell him before but he didn’t answer, and Michelle told Jill she was happy he didn’t because he was not in a good mood let’s say. he later left a voicemail telling Jill she was ruining her life and to think of her little sisters. The nosing was a no-go.

Number 2

Jill, Jim Bob Michelle, and Derrick found a mediator and tried to resolve issues with the mediator, except the mediator was basically worthless and just sat there shocked. Ends up being a shouting match, and Jill is cries in the fetal position.

Number 1

Jim Bob sent an email to Jill at one point outlining everything he spent on Jill throughout the years, her harp, gas, phone bill, midwifery classes, clothes, dining out and made a $20,000 offer a one-time thing and said that her inheritance would be reduced if she went against them, so Jill and Derick lawyered up, and Jim bob went ballistic, they wanted the full contract from the day before the wedding and minutes.

The siblings came over and tried to stay until midnight to resolve things, saying that we might all be sued based on what she did. Most of them turned against her.