A lot has changed since fans were first introduced to Amy Duggar on 19 Kids & Counting. Known as the Duggar family’s “rebellious” cousin, Amy — Jim Bob Duggar‘s niece — wasn’t quite as sheltered as her cousins were, especially because she didn’t grow up under the Institute in Basic Life Principles. As she and her family all got older, some of their viewpoints have clashed, and now, Amy’s opening up about where she stands with her cousins today.
Amy has had to set boundaries for herself.
In a new interview with E! News, Amy said that when it comes to Jim Bob, Michelle, and their family, “boundaries are just very important.”
“If you are not necessarily lining up with mine, then there’s going to be a line drawn,” she said. “Unfortunately, that’s where we stand.”
Not only does Amy hold different beliefs than many of her family members, but she’s also spoken out against the IBLP and about parts of her cousins’ upbringing publicly over the years, including in the Amazon Prime Video docuseries Shiny Happy People.
She was ‘heartbroken’ she couldn’t stay close with her cousins.
Despite knowing those boundaries are what’s best for her, the situation has still been a tough one for Amy to navigate.
“For a little while, I was really sad,” she told the news outlet. “I was really heartbroken. It was really difficult to make that choice, and now I stand by it. It’s okay to say we’re living different lives, and I wish them all the best, but I’m going to speak my truth.”
Amy has remained very close with Jill, though.
Amy’s cousin Jill Duggar has been on a journey of her own that has led to her being estranged from some of her family as well, and it sounds like having that in common has only made them closer.
“We trust each other. We have this great cousinship,” Amy said. “She has told me intimate details and things that have happened. She trusts me and I trust her.”
She continued, “We were very vulnerable with each other, and just being like, ‘Hey, this is hard, this is scary. We’re going to be open about it.’ I’m her cheerleader for life, and she’s mine. So it’s like, ‘Let’s do this together.’ We’re stronger together because we can rely on each other.”
It’s good to hear that after everything they’ve each been through, the cousins still have each other.
She has no regrets about what she’s shared publicly.
“For me, I was just like, ‘If you can shine a light and help other people heal from their religious trauma in any kind of way, then count me in.’ I’ll be an advocate for that,” she said.
The second season of Shiny Happy People is now streaming on Prime Video.
