Finding her own path. Amy Duggar earned a reputation as the rebellious cousin throughout her extended family’s tenure on 19 Kids and Counting and Counting On.
Amy is the only child of Terry Jordan and Deanna Duggar, whose brother, Jim Bob Duggar, shares 19 children with wife Michelle Duggar. When the former politician and Michelle’s first reality series debuted in 2008, Amy and her parents would frequently make appearances — and showed how their lifestyle differed from that of their conservative relatives.
Viewed as the “black sheep” of the Duggar clan, Amy was often outspoken about her uncle’s strict rules for his children, from eldest son Josh Duggar to youngest daughter Josie. During an early episode of 19 Kids and Counting, Amy called out Jim Bob’s expectations for chaperoned courtship.
“I would probably ditch my chaperone,” she told the cameras before turning to the real estate agent. “You don’t want me to be [your kids’] chaperone. I will pretty much let them do whatever.”
The Arkansas native went on to imply that her relatives were hypocritical for enforcing such restrictive rules, joking, “Come on now! I’m pretty sure you and Aunt Michelle were not like that when you were younger. I’m pretty sure they kissed before they were married.”
Amy married Dillon King in her home state in September 2015. Four years later, the pair welcomed their son, Daxton. While some of her cousins — including Jill Duggar, Jinger Duggar and Jessa Duggar — have their own large broods, Amy didn’t appreciate the pressure to have more children.
In October 2020, she shared an alleged DM from a social media user who urged her to “pick up the pace” and expand her family, clapping back in a lengthy “rant” about the double standards women experience.
“I’m a very hands on mom, and I also want to give my son my full attention. This toddler stage is so amazing and I don’t want to miss a thing!” she wrote via Instagram. “A women’s [sic] body is not a factory!! Yes our bodies can do miraculous things! But I hate that phrase ‘pop out’ umm. No. It’s WORK. And our bodies go through a lot!”
Amy added at the time: “I am an only child, and I think I grew up just fine. So cheers to the mama’s who decide to have one child! Honestly we are teetering on that idea. Some women are designed not to have large families. I am one of them. … It’s exhausting always being compared to other people. I’m in my thirties now, away from that show and I’m so over it. It just has to stop.”
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Scroll down to see Amy’s ups and downs with her extended family over the years:
