Back in November, Jinger Duggar got married to Jeremy Vuolo in the sort of massively-attended ceremony that's become a Duggar calling card. (Sources say nearly 1,000 guests watched the couple exchange vows.) But while the wedding was certainly lavish, it was also rooted in generations of tradition, as the Duggars are reminding us in a newly-released clip from the upcoming season of Counting On. Yes, to the chagrin of some fans the Duggars are getting still more mileage out of Jinger's wedding. (We figured that well had pretty much run dry after devoting most of last season to the nuptials.) But at least this time they're letting us in on a family custom that had been heretofore undiscussed: “There’s been a family tradition that whenever one of the girls gets married, they can take a piece of my mom and Grandma Duggar’s dress — they wore the same dress for their weddings,” Jinger tells the camera. “And so, we take a piece of that dress and incorporate it into our dress.” So they chop up Grandma Duggar's wedding dress? At the rate the Duggars get married and breed that thing is gonna be the size of a dish rag by 2025. But hey, at least it's original, and a refreshing change of pace from a family that usually seems allergic to originality. Yesterday, the Duggars offered dating advice to young women, and their tips were predictably old-fashioned and puritanical. By comparison this wedding dress thing is like a teen texting about premarital sex while pulling off a skateboard trick.
It's been a long road for the Duggar clan from Tontitown, Arkansas. Over the past decade, we've watched Jim Bob, Michelle and kids go from the stars of a limited-run TLC documentary series to one of the most famous families in the history of reality TV. During that time, the family expanded (There was a time when they were a scant 16 kids and counting!) and endured some incredibly dark times. (The Josh Duggar sex scandals will rightfully never be forgotten.) Not surprisingly, the Duggars have changed as individuals as much as they've changed as a family since gaining fame. Check out the slideshow below for a trip down memory lane, and as always, you can watch Counting On online at TV Fanatic to get up to speed on what the Duggars are up to these days. 1. The Duggars in 2004 We guess khaki was really in that year. As for Michelle’s hair? There’s no explaining that. 2. Duggars in 2014 The Duggar family just a few short years ago. Much has changed, but some things never will. (Michelle’s hair still defies all logic.) 3. Michelle and Jim Bob: 2004 Michelle and Jim Bob back in the early days of them having way, way too many kids. Don’t worry, they went on to have many more. 4. Jim Bob and Michelle Today Jim Bob and Michelle have a slightly less atrocious fashion sense these days. Sadly, they’re 5. Josh and Anna Duggar on Their Wedding Day Josh and Anna in 2008. Things haven’t worked out all that well for these two. 6. Josh and Anna Today Somehow still married after YEARS of scandal! View Slideshow
Jessa Duggar just became a mother for the second time this month. Now the Counting On star is back with a new photo of her baby boy! Her adorable baby boy, in case that doesn’t go without saying … “My [heart emoji] is full,” the mom of two captioned the photo. As the Seewald household grows, so do all of their hearts. It’s a feeling all parents out there know, even when their children grow up. On Tuesday, Jessa posted the above picture of newborn Henry Wilberforce fast sleep in her arms while his big brother Spurgeon plays. Spurge was born just 15 months ago, and boy has he grown! While he didn’t initially know exactly what to make of his infant brother, who was born on February 6, he’s taking well to it now, Jessa says. “We thought, ‘This is going to be so adorable,’ but he wasn’t really sure about it,” the 24-year-old said. “He thought Henry was a toy.” Having two kids so close in age is something Ben and Jessa have expressed excitement about, but right now, that age is really little. Naturally, the new big brother “wanted to touch his eyes and put his finger in the baby’s mouth” and he “has no concept of being soft.” He will learn that in time. Maybe … hopefully. As for adding to their family, Jessa admitted that before they can think about expanding, they first need to expand their square footage. “We just need a little more space,” she said. “We’re always checking the market!” Jessa also posted a photo of herself twinning with her son, and we can’t get over how cute they are – and how much they look alike! Like Spurgeon, Henry wasn’t Henry when he came into the world. Only a few days later did Ben and Jessa settle on his (unique) moniker. Henry Wilberforce Seewald and Spurgeon Elliot Seewald share their parents’ propensity for baby names, and also obvious share genes. Reports of Jessa and Ben planning baby #3 are getting a lot of press, but in the short term, they seem focused on the tasks at hand. Life with a baby and toddler at home is mighty hectic, but from all indications, Jessa and Ben are natural parents who handle it well. At least as well as you could expect. In an interview with People magazine, they shared that a little 2-on-2 isn’t that arduous a task, considering what might come along soon. “I take one. He takes the other,” Jessa said, while Ben – a big Arkansas basketball fan – used a sports metaphor to describe his parenting. Says the proud 21-year-old dad: “Right now we have two kids and two of us, so it’s man-to-man coverage. When we have more, we’ll have to switch it up to a zone defense!” Over the moon with their new addition – both of the new additions, to be fair – it’s no surprise that the spirits are positive for the Seewalds. If and when they do get around to having a third, which we honestly doing expect to be too far in the distant future, parenthood suits them. Check out the gallery below: View Slideshow: Jessa Duggar Baby Bump Pics: 2 & Counting!
It’s been an eventful year in the lives of the Duggars – but we guess in a family of 21, every year is eventful. 2016 concluded with Jinger Duggar getting married , and despite the fact that there have been two births, a health scare, and about a dozen mini-scandals in the months since, Counting On producers are still painstakingly rehashing every detail of Jinger’s wedding. Even though the focus on Jinger’s nuptials appears to have contributed to a plunge in Counting On’s ratings , it seems the show won’t be changing course any time soon. Watch Counting On Season 2 Episode 19 Online On last night’s episode , we finally got to see Jinger’s wedding in its entirety, and the feeling on social media was that fans found the whole thing a bit anti-climactic. (It’s hard to blame them, considering just about every detail of the ceremony was revealed several months ago when it took place.) However, while the episode didn’t offer much in the way of surprises, there were still some touching moments, such as when Jessa Duggar paid tribute to her newlywed younger sister: Jessa began by revealing that she was “probably not the best influence” growing up (It’s anyone’s guess as to what constitutes mischief in the Duggar compound. Failure to properly memorize a psalm?), and says later in life it was Jinger who influenced her : “But once you started to get a little bit older you encouraged me to do the right thing,” Jessa said. “Even though you’re younger than me,” she added, “I’ve always thought of you as one of my greatest role models.” While most of the tears were the result of profound joy, Jessa admitted to struggling with mixed emotions as a result of her sister’s plans to relocate from Arkansas to Laredo, Texas. “I think it’s starting to sink in more and more how much we’re going to miss Jinger when she moves away,” the teary-eyed mother of two remarked at one point. “I don’t think we fully calculated all the ramifications of how it was going to play out that you were going take her 12 hours away from us.” For as much as she anticipated becoming a Vuolo, Jinger seemed to struggle with the reality of leaving home for the first time as well. “Give us a couple months, and then come visit us,” Jinger told her sister, as she began to tear up herself. Sounds like some difficult times lie ahead for the Duggars. But on the bright side, at leas fans can finally look forward to a new storyline! View Slideshow: Jinger Duggar-Jeremy Vuolo Engagement Photos!
It’s been three months since Jinger Duggar and Jeremy Vuolo got married , which means that by Duggar standards, they’re about two months and twenty-nine days overdue for a pregnancy announcement. We kid, of course. Modern Duggar women are permitted to enjoy married life for a while before they get knocked up – and by “a while,” we mean like 8 to 10 months. So it should come as no surprise that Jinge and Jer are already speaking publicly about their plans to start a family. The couple spoke with People magazine about married life in a recent interview, and of course, Jinger was asked about when we can expect her to be expecting. After a honeymoon in Australia , the Vuolos have settled in Laredo, Texas, where Jeremy was living before he and Jinger met. Not surprisingly (like Scientologists, Duggars aren’t allowed to express negative emotions), Jinger says they’re both loving married life, and she’s adjusted to her new city with ease. “We have just so perfectly adapted, it’s been incredible,” she tells the magazine. “The biggest blessing.” Jinger is the first member of her family to permanently relocate outside of Arkansas, but she says she hasn’t found living so far from the Duggar compound to be as difficult as she’d imagined it would be. “We FaceTime, and there’s always a family group message sharing what’s going on,” says Jinger, 23. “It’s been joyous.” She adds that visits are just “a flight away.” Jinger concedes that she misses her family, but also says that she’s made friends easily in Laredo. “I’ve definitely connected with the ladies here, and they have been so gracious,” she tells People. Of course, the big question on everyone’s mind is: when will Jinger get pregnant ? On that subject, the 23-year-old decided to play it a little coy: “We are just enjoying our life together,” says Jinger, adding: “We will see what the Lord does.” Okay, so not a ton of new information, but the fact that she’s willing to discuss pregnancy (In promotional interviews like this, the questions are usually vetted in advance.) means the topic is very much on her mind. We imagine the Duggar gals feel a lot of pressure to reproduce, what with coming from a family that’s famous almost exclusively for its fertility. Not only is Jinger expected to pop out a baby ASAP, she’s expected to do so in the public eye. That’s gotta put a bit of a damper on those heady early months of marriage. View Slideshow: Jinger Duggar-Jeremy Vuolo Engagement Photos!
How many babies are Ben and Jessa Seewald expecting? Last night, Counting On Season 3 Episode 2 finally answered that burning question among card carrying members of Duggar Nation. If you watch Jill & Jessa Counting On online , you know that twins run in her family. Jessa’s mom Michelle Duggar had two pair, in fact. It’s also no secret that Jessa and Ben Seewald love hyping up their pregnancy reveals, so this storyline was part for the course. They attempted, with the assistance of Jill, to find out if it’s twins. Jill asked, “Well Jess, do you want to listen to your little baby’s heartbeat?” Jill, who’s trained as a midwife, admitted that she gets some enjoyment out of this as well: “It’s fun to get my hands on her belly.” Jessa couldn’t help but smile widely. “I haven’t really been showing so it’s nice to know there’s a baby in there,” the 18-weeks-pregnant TLC star laughed. “I’m not just sick!” “Not having an ultrasound, we don’t know if it’s twins,” Jessa added. “We think it’s one, [but] you never know” until you know. Twins or not, “this pregnancy has been different than my first pregnancy in many ways,” Jessa opened up during a confessional interview. “I’ve had way more food aversions and certain things like coffee, chicken, popcorn, random things – we couldn’t even have them in the house.” “I didn’t have that with Spurgeon.” “Ben and I both feel like it’s a boy,” she adds. “I don’t know why. When we found out we were expecting, we both just thought it was a boy!” Boy or girl, twins or not, the latest Duggar is scheduled to arrive next month, and the couple is over the moon about the new arrival. And likely the fact that they just milked material for almost an entire episode of their reality show without making any significant reveals. That takes talent, people. If we’ve learned anything watching the Duggars over the years, it’s that they love pickles as much as they hate full-frontal hard core hugging. A LOT, to say the absolute least. Fittingly, then, Jinger Duggar made plans to have a “relish bar” (i.e. trays of pickles) on her wedding day, when the side hugs cease! With an expected 1,200 guests, that means an a– ton of pickles, cheese, crackers, meatballs, coffee and more to serve the people. Showing her sense of humor, Jinger pranked Jeremy on FaceTime, saying she was going to sing to him while they lit their unity candle. Jeremy paused awkwardly before Jinger and her sisters broke down and revealed that they’d pulled one over on the pastor from Texas. We would pay to see that. View Slideshow: 13 Things BANNED in the Duggar Family Ben and Jessa, when they’re not having kids and talking about whether or not it’s twins, are friends with Christian hip-hop artist Flame. Laugh if you want, but Flame has built up a nice following. The friendship Ben and Jessa have with the rapper and his wife may also be why Seewald has developed a reputation for being “woke.” “I’m probably not going to have a career in music,” Ben admitted, having tried his hand in the studio at one point. “At least, not rapping.” “Personally, I think Ben is pretty good at spittin’ some bars,” Jessa said, with a degree of sarcasm and massive amounts of street cred. Lack of talent aside, that doesn’t mean they can’t be fans, though, and Ben, Jessa and Spurge decided to go see Flame perform live. Don’t worry, Spurge had noise-canceling headphones. View Slideshow: Jessa Duggar Baby Bump Pics: 2 & Counting! Evidently, soaking the front rows with water is a staple of Flame’s concerts, and Ben got to do the fun honors with a giant water gun. He was a little nervous about going out there, but just like a lot of situations in life, the only way to conquer that fear is to do it head on. “Don’t fall off the stage,” Jessa advised her husband. Just “don’t trip over any of the cables … go for it.” Words to live by when spraying a sweaty crowd.
On the season premiere of TLC’s Counting On last night, Jinger Duggar’s epic quest to procure the perfect wedding dress was chronicled. And that was no easy feat, let us tell you. After months of hype, Counting On Season 3 Episode 1 introduced viewers to the long list of requirements for Jinger’s wedding dress: A seriously long train , three-quarter or longer sleeves, lace detailing and a modest neckline were just the beginning. This was serious. (Why they were debuting with this storyline when they already aired a Jinger wedding special is news to us, but that’s TLC for you.) The bride-to-be had naturally thought a lot about her bridesmaids, even if she hadn’t told anyone yet. The obvious picks for the job? “Jana, Jill, Jessa, Joy, Anna, Johanna,” Jinger said, adding there would be 10 in total, including childhood friends and Jeremy’s sister. Jessa Duggar was named Jinger’s maid of honor, but also hadn’t been informed before Jinger casually mentioned while dress shopping. Not that she was that surprised, as she’s closest in age to (and basically best friends in the world) with the future Mrs. Jeremy Vuolo. “I guess I kind of figured that would be the case,” Jessa said. But, at the same time, “I didn’t want to expect it.” At the dress store, Jinger could not wait to start trying them on, but the first two did not get it done. It’s a process, remember. Patience. While this was going on, Derick Dillard and Ben Seewald met up with Jeremy Vuolo’s dad to discuss parenting multiple kids at once. This not-at-all-staged conversation came as they were caring for Spurgeon and Israel solo so that the women could focus on shopping. Both Derick and Ben, of course, recently got Jill Duggar pregnant and Jessa Duggar pregnant, respectively, and are expecting a second. Mr. Vuolo said that the guys will be alright, as raising two young ones at the same time isn’t so bad … you can still divide and conquer. Three or more? That’s another story indeed. Once you get to that number of kids, or 19 for that matter, then you basically need another adult (cough, Jana Duggar ) to help you out. Who do you think will have more kids when all is said and done, Jill or Jessa? When you factor in their interest in adoption, it’ll be a lot! Jeremy’s dad also told Ben not to compare one child to another because people are all different and children are all special as individuals. Sound advice all of us could learn from. Back at the bridal salon, Jinger fell in love with a gown that featured a huge 12-foot train, which met her specifications and then some. That’s too much for one person to manage alone, especially for pregnant Jessa, but fortunately, Jinger has plenty of sibling bridesmaids. Later, after their successful shopping excursion, everyone reconvened at the local craft store to paint pictures for Jinger and Jeremy. Wild and crazy times in Tontitown. Turns out Jessa’s not much of a painter, so she used taking care of Izzy and Spurge as an excuse – and a cute one – to get out of painting. Jessa noted that it was “good preparation” to watch the two little ones at once since soon she was going to have two kids of her own. 2 and Counting, you could say. View Slideshow: Jessa Duggar Baby Bump Pics: 2 & Counting!
On the season premiere of TLC’s Counting On last night, Jinger Duggar’s epic quest to procure the perfect wedding dress was chronicled. And that was no easy feat, let us tell you. After months of hype, Counting On Season 3 Episode 1 introduced viewers to the long list of requirements for Jinger’s wedding dress: A seriously long train , three-quarter or longer sleeves, lace detailing and a modest neckline were just the beginning. This was serious. (Why they were debuting with this storyline when they already aired a Jinger wedding special is news to us, but that’s TLC for you.) The bride-to-be had naturally thought a lot about her bridesmaids, even if she hadn’t told anyone yet. The obvious picks for the job? “Jana, Jill, Jessa, Joy, Anna, Johanna,” Jinger said, adding there would be 10 in total, including childhood friends and Jeremy’s sister. Jessa Duggar was named Jinger’s maid of honor, but also hadn’t been informed before Jinger casually mentioned while dress shopping. Not that she was that surprised, as she’s closest in age to (and basically best friends in the world) with the future Mrs. Jeremy Vuolo. “I guess I kind of figured that would be the case,” Jessa said. But, at the same time, “I didn’t want to expect it.” At the dress store, Jinger could not wait to start trying them on, but the first two did not get it done. It’s a process, remember. Patience. While this was going on, Derick Dillard and Ben Seewald met up with Jeremy Vuolo’s dad to discuss parenting multiple kids at once. This not-at-all-staged conversation came as they were caring for Spurgeon and Israel solo so that the women could focus on shopping. Both Derick and Ben, of course, recently got Jill Duggar pregnant and Jessa Duggar pregnant, respectively, and are expecting a second. Mr. Vuolo said that the guys will be alright, as raising two young ones at the same time isn’t so bad … you can still divide and conquer. Three or more? That’s another story indeed. Once you get to that number of kids, or 19 for that matter, then you basically need another adult (cough, Jana Duggar ) to help you out. Who do you think will have more kids when all is said and done, Jill or Jessa? When you factor in their interest in adoption, it’ll be a lot! Jeremy’s dad also told Ben not to compare one child to another because people are all different and children are all special as individuals. Sound advice all of us could learn from. Back at the bridal salon, Jinger fell in love with a gown that featured a huge 12-foot train, which met her specifications and then some. That’s too much for one person to manage alone, especially for pregnant Jessa, but fortunately, Jinger has plenty of sibling bridesmaids. Later, after their successful shopping excursion, everyone reconvened at the local craft store to paint pictures for Jinger and Jeremy. Wild and crazy times in Tontitown. Turns out Jessa’s not much of a painter, so she used taking care of Izzy and Spurge as an excuse – and a cute one – to get out of painting. Jessa noted that it was “good preparation” to watch the two little ones at once since soon she was going to have two kids of her own. 2 and Counting, you could say. View Slideshow: Jessa Duggar Baby Bump Pics: 2 & Counting!
It’s been almost two months since Jinger Duggar married Jeremy Vuolo in a small ceremony attended by a couple thousand of their closest friends. Given her family’s obsession with procreation, it’s not surprising that the rumors about Jinger being pregnant began almost immediately after she got hitched. Surprisingly, however, we’re still waiting on an official announcement. No non-Duggar would be expected to start a family so soon after getting hitched, but Jinger and her siblings have been taught from a young age that sole purpose of human life is to create more human life. Just before the holidays, Jinger celebrated her 23rd birthday, and many fans seemed convinced that she would make the occasion extra special by announcing that she’s expecting her first child. Jeremy added fuel to the fire by hinting at some sort of big reveal on Jinger’s big day. It seems the surprise he was referring to was a trip to the opera for Jinger, who has a reputation for being the most artsy and sophisticated member of the massive Duggar brood. Jeremy posted the pic above with a caption reading, “Enjoying Jinger’s birthday gift together!” We’d say the fact that they’re both in their twenties, yet participated in a sober activity on her birthday might be an indication of a bun in the oven, but for the Duggars, every occasion is a sober occasion. “Happy Birthday, my Love,” Jeremy wrote on Facebook. “Next only to our Lord Jesus Christ, you are the joy of my life and the delight of my soul! I love you, Jinger.” The Duggars, of course, don’t believe in pre-marital sex (or pre-marital hand-holding, for that matter), so if Jinger is pregnant (and she and Jeremy didn’t break the rules of courtship , as they’ve often been accused), then she would only be in her first trimester. Many women prefer to wait until at least their second trimester before they make any sort of announcement, so it’s entirely possible that Jinger is already knocked up and keeping the news to herself. Whatever the case, you can be certain that she’ll have brought another Duggar into the world by the time 2017 is out. We’re infor a full-blown explosion in the Duggar population this year. View Slideshow: Jinger Duggar Photos: From Childhood to Courtship!
Who’s going home on The Voice this week? That is never an easy question to answer, and boy was the tension high as the results show went down to the wire once more on Tuesday. In the wake of the 2016 presidential election results, we’ve learned not to put too much faith in polls slash iTunes charts slash CW. Conventional wisdom, that is. Not The CW network. Although we don’t put a lot of faith in that either when it comes to The Voice results, because why should we? Anyway, downloads of The Voice Top 12 performances are one component of the elimination, along with online, Facebook and app votes. And, of course, Twitter. Oh yes, saving the best for last, those in danger of going home end up battling for a Twitter save in real time, which is borderline thrilling. This week, there will be two singers at the bottom, one instant save, and only one elimination. So with all of that said, let’s get into it man! The singers declared safe last night: Ali Caldwell (Team Miley) Wé McDonald (Team Alicia) Brendan Fletcher (Team Adam) Courtney Harrell (Team Blake) Billy Gilman (Team Adam) Darby Walker (Team Miley) Austin Allsup (Team Blake) Christian Cuevas (Team Alicia) Josh Gallagher (Team Adam) Sundance Head (Team Blake) That left Sa’Rayah of Team Alicia to go against Aaron Gibson of Team Miley, battling it out for the final spot in next week’s top 11 show. Sa’Rayah belted out Aretha Franklin’s “Rock Steady” while Aaron chose Ed Sheeran’s “Lego House” to sing for his life, and the save. Ultimately, as the tweets piled up … Aaron earned the nod. Sa’Rayah has been eliminated, even if her funk classic cover had a lot more energy than Aaron’s acoustic jam. America has spoken. Do you agree? There have been no shortage of controversial ousters on The Voice and this one will be no different. In truth, the show has too much talent. An embarrassment of riches, even. No matter who gets cut, it feels like a travesty some weeks, whereas on other such competitions, you wish they would eliminate more. That speaks to the show itself, and the fact that it’s going so strong after 11 seasons also tells you pretty much all you need to know. Sound off on The Voice results!
