Considering the Duggar family’s prolific history on reality TV, it’s practically inevitable that the future spouses of Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar‘s children would have seen an episode or two before meeting them in person. But after Katey Duggar admitted to being a 19 Kids and Counting fan before she started dating now-husband Jed Duggar, she’s catching a lot of heat from critics who said they predicted this all along.
Katey made the big reveal during a fan Q&A.
While answering questions from fans, Katey was asked if she watched 19 Kids and Counting when she was growing up. Since Katey is only 26, she was young when the Duggars’ reality series before Counting On was still on the air!
“I used to watch the show on TLC at like 7 a.m. before going to school,” Katey replied. “Funny thing is, I used to watch and think Jed was cute and now we’re married.”
The couple began spending time together in early 2020.
Though they’d met briefly before, Jed and Katey were both on the same prison ministry trip in Florida in February 2020 and had more time to get to know each other.
After the trip came to an end, they each went their separate ways home — Jed to Arkansas and Katey to Arizona. But Jed said that he “couldn’t get her off my mind.”
A few months later, Jed and his brother Jeremiah ended up staying with Katey’s family in Phoenix, and he admitted to sister Jinger that he was interested in Katey. Not long after that, the two were courting (albeit long distance).
Critics weren’t surprised that Katey was a fan of Jed before they met.
In fact, some seem to believe that it was all part of her plan to get “clout,” though Katey ended up with Jed after the family’s time on reality TV ended.
“Oh she’s fundie Hailey Bieber,” one person wrote in a post on Reddit.
“Just like Ben and Jeremy did with Jessa and Jinger respectively, Katey used Jed! Prime to get that Duggar clout,” another commenter said.
“Isn’t this the trend with all the spouses that weren’t part of their church?” another person wrote. “I know Ben and Jeremy both watched the show. I think Maddie has admitted it too.”
Others called her confession ‘cringe’ and ’embarrassing.’
“Imagine being down bad for Jed,” another commenter wrote, adding a skull emoji.
Clearly, it all worked out for Katey in the end, and she and Jed both seem happy with the way things turned out, so it was for the best. After all, it’s not like she could help that her future husband grew up on reality TV!
