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Jim Bob Duggar: Using Money to Control His Family?

We all know that Jim Bob Duggar likes to maintain control of his massive family. Religion, isolation, and allegedly abuse are parts of that. Another part may be his wealth. Fans believe that he has a strategy to keep his married children from straying too far. Are fans right? Is he bribing his adult children to stay close to home in Arkansas? As we all know, Jim Bob’s grand design for humanity involves women not working except as obedient wives, dutiful mothers, and reality stars. In this economy, after a couple of decades of wage stagnation, supporting a massive family of children on only one income can be positively brutal. But fans think that they know how married Duggar children remain afloat despite the expenses of life. It’s more than just asking daddy — sorry, their father and former owner — for a handout. They suspect that he uses the money to control them. Specifically, to control where they live. Let’s look at a few examples. We’ll start, of course, with the worst of the batch. By the worst, we of course mean Josh Duggar, whose recent return to social media did not go over well. When Josh Duggar married Anna, Jim Bob rewarded that ill-fated (and yet still enduring) union. Josh and Anna moved into a house in Fayetville that had belonged to Grandma Mary. That house was only 15 minutes by car from the Duggar compound. But Johs and Anna didn’t stay there forever. Josh got a job with the Family Research Council, which the Southern Poverty Law Center designates as a hate group , To do that job, he moved to Maryland. When news broke that Josh had molested 5 little girls , including his own sisters, that his family had covered it up, and that he had cheated on his wife, he lost his job. Josh and his family now live in Siloam Springs, which is about 20 minutes away from Jim Bob. Now, we know that there isn’t the clearest connection between Jim Bob and their move back home. Maybe Josh wanted to be around the only people who wanted anything to do with him — which happens to include a few of his former victims. But Jill was the next to get married. She tied the knot with notorious homophobe Derick Dillard in 2014. After they were married, Jim Bob allowed them to reside in his 4,000 square foot, 4-bedroom $1.5 million “mini-mansion” property. Many fans believed that this “gift” may have been intended as a leash to keep the couple close to home. It is unclear if they had to pay rent or not, though Derick has implied that they did. Now that they have returned from their misadventurous mission trip in South America, they are living closer to where Derick went to school. Jessa Duggar and Ben Seewald have lived in the Fayetville home that was once inhabited by Josh and Anna. In fact, Jim bob surprised Jessa and Ben by renovating the property while they were on their honeymoon. They must have been happy with it, because they have lived there for the past three-and-a-half years. Ultimately, they ended up paying Grandma Mary just one dollar for the home. (So that’s how Millennials can save up to buy a house — just have rich relatives who give one away!) Not everyone seems to live on Jim Bob’s dime, however. Joy-Anna Duggar and Austin Forsyth lived in an RV, if you can imagine … but only while a property that Austin already owned was rennovated. When Gideon was born, they went ahead and moved in, even though the house remained a fixer-upper. In the mean time, 28-year-old John David, 28-year-old Jana, and 18-year-old Jason are already homeowners … but Jim Bob does not permit them to live away from “home” until they are married. Not everyone is a denizen of Arkansas, however. Jinger Duggar and Jeremy Vuolo have put down roots in Texas. So … are fans right? We would never accuse Jim Bob of being a nice person or a good parent, but it sounds like he provides his married children with homes when they need them. He might use any financial support as a means of control, but he uses all kinds of methods to control his family. Nothing about the real estate uses strikes us as particularly devious or unusual for a family with the means that the Duggars possess. But … we never know what conversations take place behind the scenes. Fans may still be right. The Duggars don’t talk about money that much, but they definitely care about it. View Slideshow: Duggar Family: Their Secret to Raking in Millions on the Side Revealed

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Jim Bob Duggar: Using Money to Control His Family?

Lauren Bushnell: Ben Higgins Was a Disaster I Should Have Seen Coming

It’s been a little over a year since Lauren Bushnell and Ben Higgins broke up . While Ben left The Bachelor: Winter Games in tears not too long ago, Lauren is opening up about what it was really like leading up to and after her engagement to him. In particular, she’s revealing more than ever about her misgivings about their one-season spin-off. Speaking on Reality Steve ‘s latest podcast , Lauren Bushnell describes exactly what it’s like in the hours leading up to the filming of a The   Bachelor finale. “There’s so much doubt in your mind.” It makes sense. When you’re part of the final three, it must all become so real. A fun reality opportunity to get your 15 minutes of fame could set the course of your entire life. “And I remember waking up that morning and I kind of had an idea that I was possibly going to get engaged and I remember having so much anxiety about it.” That is very natural. “Looking back, I don’t know if that was my gut being like, wait, timing-wise, this is too rushed or what.” Anxiety is a mysterious mistress who comes to us for good reason … and for no reason at all. “But I remember being really anxious that morning to the point where like I kind of snapped at my producer, which I had never done.” Oh, yikes! “We were super-close and good friends.” She says that she needed some isolation during which to psych herself up for going on camera and for the man who had told her “I love you” to very possibly propose. “I remember locking myself in the bathroom and being so overwhelmed and anxious.” She wonders if she subconsciously realized that it would not end well. “Now looking back, I wonder if it was my gut being like, this isn’t the right timing. You guys need more time.” Or maybe she just had a case of the jitters. “I don’t know. Who knows?” And speaking of Lauren’s reality career and anxiety, remember her short-lived spin-off with Ben? Lauren & Ben: Happily Ever After? “Obviously we had lots of talks and by no means was my arm twisted to force me to do anything.” That said … she has always said that embarking on yet another reality series doomed them , even though it was not the only issue. “At the end of the day, I made my own decision.” Remember, they moved to Denver — where Ben had a job, friends, and family. Lauren had … nothing. Not even time with her fiance, thanks to the constant presence of cameras. “But I remember initially the show was supposed to be about Ben running for office.” Oh boy. “He wanted to get into politics.” This was not how Lauren had seen her life going at all. “And not only did I not want to do a reality show, but I also really didn’t want my life to be a politician’s fiancée or wife or whatever.” Remember how, just a few days after their breakup, Ben Higgins broke his silence and talked about their breakup? Lauren sure does. “I just don’t think you should ever use or let anyone around you use a breakup or a tough situation or actual personal feelings or personal life to promote something or benefit off something or profit off something.” Ben used that to garner interest for his radio show. “It just makes me feel uncomfortable…” Very understandable. Especially since doing so allowed Ben to define the story in people’s minds. “I was automatically kind of the bad guy and he was kind of the victim so that was a hard pill to swallow.” That sounds so unfair. “But at the end of the day, I’m glad I kept true to who I was…” Lauren has obviously opened up about their life together — and what went wrong. But she took her time. More than Ben did, anyway. “I just don’t think I’d necessarily talk about those things right away.” Lauren also addresses whether, in some alternate timeline in which Ben proposed to JoJo Fletcher instead of to her, she would have accepted the role of leading lady on The Bachelorette . “That’s such a hard question. I don’t know.” That’s very honest. “Honestly, I think I’ve realized this especially as I’ve gotten older, I do not like all eyes on me.” But that doesn’t necessarily mean that she would have realized that at the time, right? “I don’t like all the attention to be on me. I would feel really weird having 20 guys competing for my attention and I think I would really, really struggle with that.” Ah, yes, every beautiful woman’s nightmare. (We tease — we totally understand her discomfort) View Slideshow: 33 Hottest Women of The Bachelor: Who’s #1?

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Lauren Bushnell: Ben Higgins Was a Disaster I Should Have Seen Coming

Journalist Slams Anthony Bourdain as "Gaping Assh-le," Gets Savaged on Twitter

The name David Leavitt might not be familiar to you, but there’s a very good chance you’ve seen his awful attempts at humor or insight clogging up your social media feeds. Many people first became aware of Leavitt when he famously thought the correct way to respond to news of the Manchester bombing that claimed 22 lives was to make jokes at the expense of Ariana Grande . “MULTIPLE CONFIRMED FATALITIES at Manchester Arena,” Leavitt tweeted. “The last time I listened to Ariana Grande I almost died too.” And folks, the rib-ticklers didn’t end there. In response to criticism, Leavitt decided to keep his “dad-joke night in the Catskills” routine going by tweeting: “Honestly, for over a year, I thought an Ariana Grande was something you ordered from Starbucks.” Leavitt was swiftly and rightly roasted to a crisp on that memorable occasion, and while most people would’ve taken their licks and happily limped back into obscurity, it seems Dave has fallen in love with his new career as a professional troll. As you’ve likely heard by now, the world awoke today to news that beloved chef, writer, and television personality Anthony Bourdain passed away . It’s difficult to think of an international celebrity who cultivated such an intimate relationship with his fans, and millions are mourning a death that feels much more personal than the passing of most public figures. So leave it to Leavitt to solidify his reputation as the world’s most tone-deaf dumbass by thinking today would be a good day to settle his long-simmering feud with Bourdain. In the wake of the Manchester incident, Bourdain was one of thousands who pointed out to Leavitt that he’s the very worst kind of person. “You, sir, are truly a steaming, gaping,” Bourdain tweeted with his trademark candor. When Anthony Bourdain describes you as a piece of anatomy he wouldn’t eat on the Mekong Delta in front of a camera crew, you know you effed up, and it seems Leavitt really took the insult to heart. “Selfishly taking your own life and hurting your friends and family makes you the steaming, gaping asshole Anthony Bourdain,” Leavitt tweeted this afternoon. He then doubled down by casusally informing his followers that Bourdain is burning in hell: “You don’t go to heaven when you kill yourself. It’s incredibly selfish. Don’t do it,” he tweeted, adding: “If you’re religious, then you believe there’s a special place in hell or purgatory for people like Anthony Bourdain who take their own lives.” Leavitt then attempted to score points on Kate Spade’s suicide , accusing the late designer of courting depression by chasing “material goods and ego boosts.” After being ratioed within an inch of his life and losing over 1,000 followers in an hour, Leavitt attempted to backtrack and play the old “actually, I’m more affected by this tragedy than you are” card. “A couple close friends have taken their lives,” he tweeted. “That’s why I’m opinionated on this.” It’s hard to know what to say when a life as big and bold as Anthony Bourdain’s ends in such a tragic fashion, so we’ll just encourage you to call the National Suicide Prevention hotline at 1-800-273-8255 if you’re plagued by thoughts of self-harm. Oh, and don’t follow David Leavitt on Twitter.  That’s just sound advice for everyone. View Slideshow: Anthony Bourdain: Celebrities React to Shocking Suicide

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Journalist Slams Anthony Bourdain as "Gaping Assh-le," Gets Savaged on Twitter