From the first time we met Amy Duggar on the earliest versions of 19 Kids and Counting, we knew that she was totally different than the rest of the Duggar family. Even though she spent a lot of time with her Uncle Jim Bob and Aunt Michelle Duggar (and grew up being close to her many, many cousins), somehow it seems like they haven't had much of an influence on her life at all. Amy has always been the kind of gal who marches to the beat of her own drum, and sometimes that means doing things in a totally different way than her family might do them.
Whether she's speaking out against things the Duggars themselves believe in or choices they've made in the past — or simply showing off how she's chosen her own path in her life — Amy is definitely one of the rebels of the family. Forget the Duggar dress code, the traditional gender roles, and the courtship rules. Amy does things on her own terms, and we love her for it, especially since lately, it means she's been standing up against cousin Josh Duggar in the wake of his conviction.
Here are all the ways Amy has rebelled against the Duggar family. We've seen that spunk in her ever since she was a kid, but now that she's an adult with a life, a career, and a family of her own, it's been even more fun to witness her forge her own way, despite who in her family may disapprove of it.
Risqué Baby Bump Photo
Those of us who follow the Duggars already know that they like to keep covered up. (Only a few members of the family have gone so far as to start wearing jeans and sleeveless tops.) But Amy has never subscribed to that modest dress code, and while she was pregnant, she showed off her bare bump with absolutely no shame — and she looked good doing it, too. She lives by her own rules!
Sharing Details About Her Sex Life
In December 2018, Amy got real about her sex life with husband Dillon King in an interview with People. She shared that they like to keep things "wild" in the bedroom so it never gets boring, especially while they were still trying to conceive their son — and she said they were having sex pretty frequently.
"All the time. You can't hide that. You can't hide that," she said at the time.
Well then!
No Plans To Practice That Blanket Training 'Crap'
For years, Michelle Duggar has sworn by "blanket training" her kids — or placing them on a blanket as babies, and then scolding them if they leave the blanket to get a toy that's placed just out of their reach. Amy has said that she won't be blanket training her son, though. When a fan commented on her Instagram photo asking if she would, she replied, "No way! I don't believe in that crap!"
Ignoring All Courtship Rules
Although Amy's always been a lot more "modern" in her beliefs than her Duggar cousins, she really made it clear when she and her husband first started dating. That no kissing before marriage rule? Yep, she didn't subscribe to that, because she and Dillon were doing plenty of smooching from the beginning of their relationship, and the couple even shared kissing pics on social media to prove it.
Wearing a Bikini at the Beach
Fans who have seen the Duggars go swimming know that their bathing suits aren't the same as everyone else's. Many of them look like dresses and ensure that the women are entirely covered. Amy isn't into that kind of thing, though. Every time she's been to a beach or a pool, she's never been afraid to show off her bikini bod in all its glory. And of course, she always looks adorable — and a lot less overheated than her cousins.
Shunning the Duggars' Religion
In 2018, Amy took to Twitter to shun Bill Gothard, the leader of the ILBP movement, or the religion that the Duggars subscribe to, after he was accused of sexual abuse. While Amy has always been open about her Christianity, she's also shared that her beliefs don't exactly match up with the Duggar side of her family. But this time, she was condemning that faith for real.
Supporting Derick's Rebellion
Lately, Derick Dillard has been speaking out against his in-laws — especially Jim Bob Duggar and the way his behavior has affected his wife, Jill — and it seems like Amy wholeheartedly approves. In fact, she even shared a tweet of her own, saying that Derick was "shedding light" on something that needed to be talked about by calling out his in-laws and TLC. We wonder if she'll have her own stories to contribute?
Running Her Own Business
In the Duggar family, the women don't work. Instead, they leave that to their husbands and focus on staying home with their kids. That's not quite the approach that Amy has taken, though. Instead, she has opened up her own boutique, as well as another business that she runs with her husband. This lady is a working mom, and she seems so proud of everything she's accomplished.
She Drinks
Alcohol is off-limits for the Duggar family. It's not clear if even any of the adult children have decided to go off book and start drinking. But as far as Amy's concerned? She's not afraid to kick back with a little booze when the mood strikes, especially when she's celebrating, like she is in the photo above. In fact, her husband even recently opened up a whiskey and cigar bar, which could have the Duggars a little uncomfortable.
Hospital Birth
Anyone who's watched 19 Kids and Counting and Counting On already knows that many of the women in the Duggar family opt for home births, including Jessa and Anna. But lately, a few of them have been heading to the hospital instead, and Amy has been one of them. She welcomed her son into the world in 2019, and she didn't hold back when it came to sweet hospital photos.
Speaking Out Against Transphobia
When Derick was fired from TLC after sharing transphobic tweets about Jazz Jennings, the trans star of another TLC reality show (I Am Jazz), Amy quickly let her followers know that she doesn't share his beliefs on that particular subject. Instead, she tweeted that she believes people should be compassionate to everyone, which wasn't exactly the message Derick was sending at the time.
Less Than 'Modest' Wedding Dress
When Amy and Dillon tied the knot in 2015, Amy definitely opted for a wedding dress that was nothing like what her cousins had picked out. Her strapless white gown was beautiful, and of course, Amy looked amazing. But it was a far cry from what the other Duggar women have worn on their wedding days — dresses that included sleeves and higher necklines, along with alterations to make them more modest, if necessary.
Loving Reality TV
It would be hard for us to imagine any of Jim Bob and Michelle's kids sitting down to watch reality TV — aside from Fixer Upper, since we know that many of them are big fans of Chip and Joanna Gaines. But Amy's always been a huge fan of TV, and frequently shares her thoughts about it online, like she did in this tweet about The Bachelor.
Going on 'Marriage Boot Camp'
Yes, we all know about the Duggar family because of a reality show, but that doesn't mean we can imagine them going on another show to air all of the dirty laundry in their relationships. Amy and Dillon appeared on Marriage Boot Camp, and this was a move unlike anything her cousins have done before — especially since it included a lot of on-camera conversations about subjects that the rest of the family tends not to discuss publicly.
Sharing Her True Opinion
When it comes to subjects like sexuality and race, the Duggars tend not to speak out about it, and as a result, most of us have to assume that their views are very conservative. But Amy takes the opportunity to speak up about what matters to her anytime she can, and does her best to spread the love — much like she did when she shut down Derick's views in 2017.
Celebrating Halloween
The Duggars are super traditional in their religious views, and as a result, the family generally doesn't celebrate Halloween. That means no trick-or-treating, and no fun costumes — boo! But that doesn't seem to be the way that Amy has grown up, either, since she's shared Halloween photos like this one on social media before.
Short Shorts & PDA
Could anyone imagine a child of Jim Bob and Michelle's posting a photo like this?! After the couples of the Duggar family get married, we see plenty of PDA and kissing photos on Instagram, but none quite as gratuitous as this one, which includes a bit of booty touching. And Amy's cut-off short shorts would most definitely not meet Duggar dress code — not by a long shot!
Hanging Out in Vegas
Although members of the Duggar family have been to Las Vegas in the past, it hasn't been for a bachelorette party or to hang out in the bars and casinos that help make the city so popular with tourists. But not only did Amy put on her shiniest (and shortest) outfit to celebrate her friend getting married, but it also looks like she did Vegas right — in a way that might seem scandalous to her relatives.
Cosmetic Procedure
Given that we were shocked for weeks after finding out that Jill had gotten her nose pierced, we'd be stunned into complete silence if anyone in the Duggar family had a cosmetic procedure done. But not only did Amy get a laser treatment on her legs for her cellulite, but she also posted about it on Instagram, including a photo that showed off plenty of skin. It's hard to believe, but it's true!
Tattoo
None of the adult kids in the Duggar family have gone so far as to get anything permanently inked on their bodies, but Amy didn't hold back. Granted, her matching tattoos with Dillon are based in her religion and say "rest in the storm," but it's definitely not something that we can imagine any of her cousins doing — at least, not anytime soon. What a rebel move on her part!
Airing the Dirty Laundry
In 2021, rumors circulated that Jim Bob's dad did time in prison, and Amy wasted no time confirming them when she was asked if they were legit. "I mean it's true. But I'm not that source. I'm just going to be real about it all," Amy said in a DM to someone who runs a Duggar-related Facebook page.
Defending Jana
Following a lot of chatter about Jana Duggar doing the bulk of the parenting work as the oldest daughter in her house, Amy shared a series of tweets on the subject.
"Your kids, even your older kids, should not be your built-in babysitter," she wrote. "Your kids, no matter what their age is, should be able to live a normal adolescent life. Helping out every once in a while is great, but if you're gonna have that many kids then be responsible for them."
A TikTok Challenge
While filming a video for TikTok, Amy and Dillon were asked, "Whose family sucks more?" Rather than hiding from the conversation, they both pointed to her — and unfortunately, before she could reveal anything else, they ended the video.
Her Open Letter to Anna
In May 2022, just ahead of Josh's sentencing, Amy wrote an open letter to her Anna, encouraging her to divorce Josh.
"If no one else in your life is saying it, I need you to understand that there is no shame in divorcing Josh," Amy wrote in the letter, which she shared on Instagram. "Someday your kids will be old enough to understand what kind of guy their father really is. You can't protect them from the truth for forever."
