2020 has been a big year for a lot of our favorite celebs, but it was especially eventful for the Duggar family from Counting On. Every year, we expect a few things to happen in a fam this large: new babies, pregnancy announcements, courtships … it's all part of the Duggar universe. But 2020 certainly threw us some curveballs, especially when it came to all the ways Jill Duggar is starting to branch off from the family and do things her own way.
Between Justin Duggar's surprising courtship and engagement, Josh Duggar continuing to raise eyebrows, and the normally low-key Jana Duggar stirring up a bit of controversy, it's been a big year.
Read on for all the most dramatic moments that happened in the Duggar family in 2020. With a wedding in the works and more babies on the way, there's no doubt 2021 will end up being just as big for them. But there is no denying 2020 definitely changed this family forever.
John & Abbie Welcomed Their First Baby
Talk about starting the year off with a bang! After Abbie's difficult pregnancy struggle with hyperemesis gravidarum, she gave birth to her and John David's first daughter, whom they named Grace Annette, in the beginning of January. Though John and Abbie definitely aren't as active on social media as other members of the family, they have shared updates on their baby's growth all year long.
Joy-Anna's Rainbow Baby
After Joy tragically lost a baby to stillbirth when she was 20 weeks pregnant in 2019, it was such a moment of celebration when we found out that she and Austin were expecting their rainbow baby. Then, little Evelyn Mae was born — or Evy, as her parents call her — and Joy was so happy.
Justin's Courtship
Fans were shocked when Justin revealed that he was courting Claire Spivey on the season finale of Counting On earlier this year, especially since he was still 17 at the time. Sure, teenagers date, but in the Duggar family, they date with the intention to get married.
Justin's Engagement
As surprising as his courtship was, fans were even more surprised when he announced that he and Claire were engaged on his 18th birthday in November. They're both still teenagers as they plan their wedding, but at least they seem happy together. And according to the couple, they courted for a year before announcing their relationship publicly.
Jill's Legal Battle
In a surprising YouTube video this year, Jill revealed that she'd had to get lawyers involved when it came to her getting paid what she was owed from her parents for the years she spent filming Counting On.
"Around the time we left the show, we hadn't been paid for anything. We weren't paid until we were really pressing about it, and we ended up getting an attorney involved," she shared.
Josh's Lawsuit
It seems like Josh is constantly embroiled in some kind of legal scandal, and this year was no different. In October, he lost a lawsuit involving a property that he had purchased, even though it was already owned by somebody else. As a result, Josh was required to pay a $5,000 fine, plus attorney fees.
Kendra Is Pregnant — Again
In August, some fans were surprised to find out that Kendra was pregnant again, and that she and Joe were expecting another child just nine months after her daughter, Addison, was born. Now, we know that they're pregnant with another baby girl, who is due in February 2021.
Jill Sends Israel to School
In 2020, Jill broke the mold in her family in a major way. Until this point, all of the Duggars (and the Duggar grandchildren) had always been homeschooled, but she decided to enroll her oldest son, Israel, in public school. Sure enough, the fall came and he began kindergarten, which was something Jill had never gotten to experience herself.
Breaking Guidelines
This year, just about everyone in the Duggar family came under fire for their unsafe behavior during a time when many people are making an effort to be extra safe. They've been seen attending church maskless, traveling, throwing parties — the list goes on and on. As far as we can tell, everyone in the Duggar family is lucky enough to have remained healthy so far, and hopefully, that doesn't change.
Jill's Tell-All Interview
In an interview with People that came out in October, Jill didn't hold back when it came to talking about how controlling her family has been. We can only imagine that her parents were pretty taken aback by this, as it's the first time that a member of the Duggar family has spoken out against them in such a huge way and so publicly.
Jim Bob & Michelle Speak Out About Jill
In response to Jill's People interview, Jim Bob and Michelle issued a statement to the outlet — the first time they've spoken out about their fractured relationship with their daughter in such an official capacity.
"Every family has differences of opinion and perspective at times, but families work things out," they said. "We all love Jill, Derick, and their boys very much. It is our prayer that our relationship is healed and fully restored quickly!"
Jinger Becomes a Mom of Two
In November, Jinger officially became a mom of two daughters when her second child, who she named Evangeline Jo, was born. Fortunately, her mom and younger sister, Jordyn, were able to come to Los Angeles to help her out with her daughter, Felicity, while she was in the hospital.
More Women of the Family Started Wearing Pants
Although all the Duggars once agreed that wearing skirts and dresses only was the ultimate path to modesty, things have changed, especially over the past year. In 2020, we saw all kinds of members of the giant fam trade their skirts for pants, including Jessa, Joy, Jana, Lauren, and Abbie. Jill and Jinger have been wearing pants for some time.
Jill Starts Drinking
After Jill shared this photo with a strawberry daiquiri in the background, fans wanted to know if it was a virgin drink. Later, she revealed in a YouTube video that it wasn't — and that she does feel OK with her choice to drink occasionally. This made her the first in her family who drinks alcohol after leaving her parents' house – or just the first to admit it publicly.
Jinger & Jeremy Build Their Business
2020 was a big year for Jinger and Jeremy — and not just because they had another baby. They also launched their podcast, Hope We Hold, and toward the end of the year, they announced they were opening an online store filled with merchandise they found inspiring.
Jana's Political Controversy
In October, Jana shared a video to Instagram and YouTube of one of her brothers, James, cutting the word "Trump" into their lawn with a weed eater. Obviously, this ended up drumming up a lot of controversy, and it even ended up losing Jana a few followers who were disappointed in her choices.
Jed Lost His Election
In 2020, Jed ran for Arkansas state rep, even getting his own Instagram account to help his cause in the process. But the election didn't quite go his way. When the time came to vote in November, Jed lost against opponent Megan Godfrey. Bummer for Jed!
