Over the last few weeks, we've heard plenty about how cult-like the Institute in Basic Life Principles can be, but it sounds like not even the IBLP is enough for Jim Bob Duggar. According to a source close to the former reality TV star, Jim Bob may be trying to create his own religious cult as he encourages his "groupies" to move to Arkansas near where he and his family reside.
Jim Bob has supposedly managed to convince multiple families to relocate to northwest Arkansas.
According to one of vlogger and Duggar critic Katie Joy of Without a Crystal Ball's latest Instagram posts, those who already live in the area aren't thrilled with Jim Bob's recent actions, and a source close to the family says he's doing all of this intentionally.
"The families are 'groupies' of Jim Bob and essentially worship him," Katie Joy wrote. "He’s created his own cult-like following in NWA."
This is why Jim Bob has been trying to open up RV parks.
Reportedly, his plan is to convince people to move to Arkansas and pay him to live in the RV parks he's opening. One of those was through John David, but most recently, his daughter Joy and her husband, Austin Forsyth, made an attempt to open one that fell through because people in the community there didn't want it to happen.
"Locals suspected the property was owned by JB Duggar but due to his unpopularity some residents believed he used his son in law to do his bidding," Katie Joy wrote.
Austin seems like a 'puppet' in all of this, according to a resident of the area.
In a separate Instagram post, Katie Joy went on to talk about a resident who was present at the community meeting that shot down Joy and Austin's RV park. According to her, Austin seemed so unprepared that she didn't even think this whole thing was his plan.
"I felt bad for Austin. It really felt like he was a puppet. It was clear this wasn’t his project at all, and that others were using him. The whole interaction made me so uncomfortable," she shared.
That would make sense if Jim Bob was secretly behind the plan.
At this point, he might just be using his own children to do his bidding.
The witness went on to say that it seemed as if the Forsyths were being "controlled."
"It felt like Austin and Joy are victims of someone else pulling their strings," she explained.
Knowing Jim Bob's reputation, none of this would surprise us one bit.
It's hard to say for sure what Jim Bob's plans are at this point.
But combining the fact that his adult children seem to be walking away from their restrictive upbringing and Jim Bob's silence on the matter when it happens, we have a feeling he can't be happy — especially with Jinger promoting her new book on such a large scale.
There's definitely something brewing behind the scenes, but what?
