Fans think a recent Duggar family gathering may not be exactly how it appears. Jessa Duggar recently shared some photos and a video featuring her mother, Michelle Duggar, and all eight of her famous sisters celebrating a rare reunion together in Arkansas. But critics are accusing Jessa of trying to control the narrative to keep her father, Jim Bob Duggar, happy — and this theory actually makes a lot of sense.
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Jessa posted photos of the large Duggar gathering on Instagram.
The Counting On alum shared a snapshot of herself with her eight sisters and her mother. All of the women are lined up together with a very pregnant Joy-Anna posed directly in the middle of the shot.
"The older everyone gets, the busier life gets — which means it's always extra special when we manage to get all nine of us sisters and mom together again in the same place at the same time! Last week was golden," Jessa gushed in her caption.
It was shocking to see some of the sisters included in the photo.
The image not only features Jill, who has been notably estranged from her famous parents for years, but also Jinger. Jinger's recently released tell-all book, Becoming Free Indeed, takes aim at her family's strict upbringing and her parents' blind faith in the teachings of the cult-like Institute of Basic Life Principles, something Jinger blames for creating a childhood of fear and confusion for her and her siblings.
Rumor has it that Michelle and Jim Bob are not at all pleased that Jinger chose to air the family's dirty laundry in her book.
A frequent Duggar family critic pointed out how odd Jessa's framing of the day appeared to be.
"Jessa Blessa is on damage control for JB today," Katie Joy wrote on her Without a Crystal Ball Instagram page, referencing Jessa and family patriarch Jim Bob.
"Fans noted that videos posted by Jinger and Joy did not include Jill," she continued. "Additionally, fans noticed that neither vlog showed the bestie sisters embracing."
Katie believes that Jessa was trying to prove everything is fine within the Duggar clan.
Katie's post went on to accuse Jessa of trying to prove that she and Jinger are still on great terms despite the recent drama surrounding Jinger's book while also showing how accepting they are of Jill, who has largely rejected her family's beliefs and influence since quitting their reality series.
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The family dynamics are so confusing right now that we're not sure what to believe.
Now that the Duggars are no longer on television every week giving fans and critics alike a peek into their daily life, it's hard to know exactly where everyone stands with one another.
Katie could be onto something with her suggestion that Jessa is trying to make it seem like the Duggars are still the picture-perfect family. However, with Josh in prison and Jinger's book continuing to stir up drama, it's hard for anyone to ignore the obvious cracks in the famous family's foundation.
