Derick Dillard is setting the record straight about being seen with his father-in-law, Jim Bob Duggar, on Christmas.
Dillard, 35, and wife Jill Duggar, Jim Bob’s estranged daughter, were seen seated on a couch, appearing to talk to the family patriarch in an Instagram photo that Jill’s brother James Duggar, posted on Christmas Day. Jill, 33, and Dillard’s three sons — Israel, 9, Samuel, 7, and Freddie, 2 — were also pictured.
The photo led to speculation that Jim Bob, 59, and his daughter may have mended fences, but Dillard says that is not the case. In a comment via People’s Instagram on Thursday, January 9, Dillard refuted the outlet’s characterization that he and Jill were “mingling” with Jim Bob.
“Just so people know, Jim Bob approached me while we were there on Christmas Day for about 5 minutes, and I do not respect him,” he wrote. “I don’t think that is considered ‘mingling.’ There were over 100 people, the house is 8000 square feet, and Santa Claus was there, so this isn’t your typical intimate family gathering.”
He added that he is trying to keep things civil for the sake of the rest of the family, but that should not be misinterpreted as anything more.
“I have spoken with him less than 10 minutes since the last time we were at that house, which was over a year ago,” he continued. “We’re trying to be civil for the sake of our family, but that doesn’t mean everything is all hunky dorey, and it sure doesn’t mean that I’m not going to comment when people try to warp reality for their own purposes.”
Jill previously revealed that she shares a complicated relationship with her parents after the release of her 2023 memoir, Counting The Cost. In the book, the Counting On alum discusses her family’s involvement in the controversial Institute in Basic Life Principles (IBLP) religion and her allegedly abusive upbringing as one of 19 kids.
“I feel like we are in a rebuilding phase now with healthy boundaries still in place,” she wrote via Instagram in November 2024. “We try to hang out whenever it works well and we have the bandwidth to navigate things.”
She had previously revealed in January 2024 that she believed her parents were aware of her allegations in Counting The Cost.
“I’ve heard that they did [read my Counting the Cost memoir],” she said on the “Unplanned” podcast at the time. “I heard they, like, listened to it on audiobook or something. I don’t know. … They’re my parents and I’m gonna tread lightly.”
She also spoke of her family dynamic in the 2023 Prime Video docuseries, Shiny Happy People: Duggar Family Secrets.
“Family relationships were already kinda rocky,” she said in the documentary. “Everything within the family dynamic has shifted, and not for the better.”
