The Duggar family, known for their long-running TLC fame that kicked off with 19 Kids and Counting, are in the public eye once again thanks to the explosive new Amazon Studios docuseries Shiny Happy People: Duggar Family Secrets. The four-part project, which Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar are not pleased with, is largely about the problematic Institute in Basic Life Principles organization, but also documents the family’s meteoric rise and fall as tied to Josh Duggar, who was arrested in 2021 and sentenced to prison for child pornography charges. Jinger Duggar Vuolo, a familiar face from the original series and one of the stars of the since-cancelled spin-off show Counting On, has finally addressed her absence from the revealing project. Despite fans' anticipation to see her getting candid alongside her sister Jill, Jinger was notably missing from the series, but has now stepped forward to provide insight into her decision not to appear.
In an interview with People, Jinger Vuolo shared her perspective on why she chose not to participate in the documentary series, confirming she was approached about appearing for interviews. However, she wanted to tell her story on her terms, and chose not to take part in the Prime Video project so that she could control her narrative and present her journey in a genuine way. She told the outlet:
I was actually approached and asked to participate in the docuseries, but I thought that from my perspective, I really wanted to make sure that I was able to share my story in my own words and in my own timing. So that's why I wrote Becoming Free Indeed, was to share more of my journey out of IBLP's teachings.
Jinger's decision to publish her memoir Becoming Free Indeed played a significant role in stepping back from the docuseries. She felt that writing a book allowed her to share her experiences outside the sensationalized confines of streaming projects with subjective pruposes in mind, while also keeping her faith front and center She further explained:
I wanted to be able to share it in a way that was, like, God-honoring and hopefully sharing my story in a balanced way.
Vuolo further revealed that she had discussed appearing on the docuseries with her sister Jill, who shared information about what was expected. But the 29-year-old mother of two expressed a larger desire to be the one to share her story. However, she acknowledges that Jill Duggar Dillard possesses her own unique voice, and said she was "excited" to hear what her sibling had to say, even knowing the difficult subject matter.
Jill Duggar Dillard, the fourth child of Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar, was one of the victims of then-teen Josh Duggar's molestation, and heavily participated in the Amazon docuseries alongside her husband, Derick Dillard. During her appearance, she addressed various topics, including not being paid for her time on either the flagship reality series or its spinoff, and her regret regarding her 2015 interview with Megyn Kelly. In that interview, she and her sister Jessa defended their brother amid molestation accusations. In the docuseries, Derick referred to the interview as "a suicide mission," while Jill expressed that she remains not proud of it, but felt it was an obligation she had to take on at the time, both as a way to appease her parents and as an attempt to keep 19 Kids... on the air.
While she might not have appeared in Shiny Happy People, Jinger has previously expressed her desire to address the "disturbing" religious atmosphere in which she and her siblings were raised. In her debut memoir, "Becoming Free Indeed," she delves into her upbringing and the controversial religious organization her family was associated with, and has also openly discussed her emotions concerning her incarcerated brother.
You can now stream Shiny Happy People: Duggar Family Secrets with an Amazon Prime Video subscription. Don't forget to explore our 2023 TV schedule to stay updated on upcoming premieres.
