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Joseph Duggar’s arrest has left the entire family rattled — some more than others.
During a recent podcast episode, Jinger discussed how the cult’s theology turned into a family curse.
Sort of. It was really mostly her husband who did the talking, even though it was about her family and her disgraced brothers.
Jinger promises that she can explain why she was so “disconnected.” She wants fans to know that she’ll be okay.
‘It’s been a heavy season that reopened old wounds’
During the recent episode of The Jinger & Jeremy Podcast, the titular hosts delved into the IBLP cult and how it can lead to things like Josh’s incarceration and Joseph’s arrest.
Admittedly, they made some decent points — like how the isolation of people to “protect” them from the world endangers them.
They could have gone further than they did. Arguably, there are ideological barriers. But it was a refreshing stance from Duggars.
But though we reported on Jinger’s words at the time, her husband did the majority of the talking.
Numerous fans and watchers observed that it seemed like Jinger spoke very little, and not just in the normal conservative wife way. It was almost as if she were spacing out.
During a follow-up Instagram Q&A, Jinger used her Stories to respond to fan questions — including one that observed that she looked “disconnected” during the video.
As you can see in the screenshot below, captured by The Ashley before its deletion, Jinger selected this and gave a public response.
“Thanks for asking. It’s been a heavy season that reopened old wounds,” she began.
(As we have explained in the past, “season” has become a popular piece of diction among evangelical Christians, referring not to weather or television, but to chapters of their lives.)
“I wanted to talk about these things on the pod,” Jinger expressed. “And at the same time, it’s honestly so hard to do.
‘I see brighter days ahead’
“I’ve been plugged in deep with my community here,” she assured, indicating that she isn’t isolating.
At the same time, Jinger has been “not as active on socials.” That is very wise.
She added that she has been “enjoying fun days with my little fam.”
Jinger concluded by saying that her “God is giving me help as I see brighter days ahead.”
In other words, she’s hoping to let fans know that she has a support system in place and is coping as well as she can.
In 2015, the world learned that Josh had, as a teenager, molested five young girls. Four of his victims were his own little sisters.
At the time, Jim Bob and Michelle trotted out Jessa and Jill to go on Fox News and tell Megyn Kelly (who else?) that their brother’s sex abuse wasn’t as bad as people thought. TLC canceled the show anyway, but gave them a Josh-free spinoff.
Without speculating about who the other victims may have been, Jinger’s preoccupation makes sense.
Discussions of topics that hit close to home prompt different reactions from anyone with trauma.
It is very common for someone to dissociate, mentally distancing themselves from their current surroundings as a protective safeguard, when something so upsetting is under discussion.