Jill Duggar reveals how her dad Jim Bob STOPPED his children from being paid for TLC reality show

Jill Duggar has revealed how her dad stopped his children from being paid for their participation in the family’s lucrative TLC reality show even after they became adults – as her husband, Derick Dillard, recalled how he got anonymous death threats when he demanded they receive money.

For nearly 13 years, the intimate details of the Duggar family’s lives were video taped and shared to their millions of avid viewers through their various shows.

Their abnormally large brood and bizarre lifestyle – the family are members of a Christian group known as the the Institute in Basic Life Principles, which sets a slew of rigorous rules for its members – quickly captured the nation and turned their numerous series into some of the most watched reality shows of all time.

It’s been reported that the Duggars received $18 million over the course of their 21 seasons on TV, but according to Jill, 32 – the fourth eldest of the Duggars’ 19 kids – she and her siblings weren’t given a dime of it during their time in the show. Instead, she claimed it all went into her father, Jim Bob Duggar’s pocket.

It’s been reported that the Duggars received $18 million over the course of their 21 seasons on TV 

But according to Jill, 32, she and her siblings weren’t given a dime of it. Instead, she claimed it all went into her father, Jim Bob Duggar’s (seen with his wife, Michelle Duggar) pocket

She spoke out about her battle to get distributions in the upcoming explosive Amazon Prime docuseries about the family, entitled Shiny Happy People: Duggar Family Secrets 

She spoke out about her battle to get distributions in the upcoming explosive Amazon Prime docuseries about the family, entitled Shiny Happy People: Duggar Family Secrets – while claiming that her dad tricked her into signing a contract that forced her to continue filming against her will, and that she was given no choice but to video tape the birth of her son despite her telling the production crew that she wasn’t comfortable with it.

Jill explained that she was asked to sign a contract on the day before her marriage to Derick, whom she wed in 2014, but said she was never actually shown the full thing, only the ‘signature page.’

‘It was just at the end of the kitchen table. [My dad was like,] “Hey, I just need you guys to sign these,”‘ she recalled. ‘I didn’t know what it was for.’

She said she later found out that it was a ‘commitment of her life to the show’ for the next ‘five years.’

The reality star explained that any ‘business meetings’ and ‘negotiations’ held with TLC did not involve her or her siblings, only her father.

‘We were just told when to be there and what was going on and what we needed to do,’ Derick, 34, added.

Almost everything in their day-to-day lives were documented for the series – including events like their wedding and the births of their kids.

Jill and Derick said they felt like they had ‘no choice’ but to allow millions of people into their home.

 

She claimed her dad tricked her into signing a contract (seen) that forced her to continue filming against her will

Jill said she was asked to sign the contract on the day before her marriage to Derick, whom she wed in 2014, but said she was never actually shown the full thing, only the ‘signature page’

She said she later found out that it was a ‘commitment of her life to the show’ for the next ‘five years.’ She is seen with her husband and parents 

She also said she was given no choice but to video tape the birth of her son despite her telling the production crew that she wasn’t comfortable with it. She’s seen during the birth

When the now 32-year-old became pregnant with their first child, she recalled making it clear that she did not want any camera crew inside the delivery room with her.

However, she claimed the production company was not pleased with that request, and ultimately convinced her and Derick to record the birth themselves on a handheld camera.

‘A few weeks out from the birth, the production company is like, “Hey so we’re thinking about the birth, are you good with us having one person there?” I was like, “Well actually, we don’t want you guys there at all,”‘ she explained.

‘They were like, “At all?’ They were shocked. I knew for sure nobody was going to be in my delivery room. Nobody. And nobody would be there for the labor. I didn’t want any of that.’

Derick added: ‘We basically lost. They were gonna get what they wanted.’

‘They gave us cameras and they were like, “You guys shoot.” We did diary cams, we did a lot of work so they got the footage,’ Jill interjected.

After their son, Israel, was born in 2015, Jill said she asked TLC to pay them for the footage they had provided – but were told that the network had already given money to Jim Bob, now 57, for it. 

She claimed the production company convinced her and Derick to record the birth themselves on a handheld camera. Derick said: ‘We basically lost. They were gonna get what they wanted’

After their son, Israel, was born in 2015, Jill said she asked TLC to pay them for the footage they had provided – but were told that the network had already given money to Jim Bob for it

When asked if they ever received money for their time in the show, Jill stated: ‘No. I never received any payout. For seven-and-a-half years of my adult life, I was never paid’ 

‘They said they paid the family. Paying the family means we don’t get anything,’ Derick said. ‘They said, “We paid your dad so take it up with him.”‘

When asked if they ever received money for their time in the show, Jill stated: ‘No. I never received any payout. 

‘No check, no cash, no nothing. For seven-and-a-half years of my adult life, I was never paid. We were taken advantage of.’ 

Things came to a head when Jill and Derick moved to El Salvador in 2016 for 10 months to do mission work (seen)

Things came to a head when Jill and Derick moved to El Salvador in 2016 for 10 months to do mission work.

While the camera crews went with them – continuing to film their every move – they recalled facing immense ‘pressure’ from the network to return back to their home in Arkansas for more ‘shoots.’

‘It was a matter of principle, like, no, we’re gonna stay here,’ Jill recalled. ‘That was the first time we really put our foot down and said no.

‘I’ve never said no to our family before. I said, “No. We cannot do what you’re asking us to do.” It was one of those ah-hah moments for us.’

But according to the mother-of-three, they didn’t have a choice thanks to the contract she had signed on the day before her wedding. 

‘They were basically like, “You have to.” Then my dad sends us the [papers we signed before our wedding] and the obligations section of the contract,’ she continued.

Jill (seen with Derick in El Salvador) said they were facing immense ‘pressure’ from the network to return back to their home in Arkansas for more ‘shoots’ but they didn’t want to go

‘They were basically like, “You have to.” Then my dad sends us the [papers we signed before our wedding] and the obligations section of the contract,’ Jill continued

After returning to America to do the shoot, Derick said he told Jim Bob that he and Jill had to be compensated for their time 

‘At first I was like, “Someone forged my signature,” but then I look at it and I’m like, “That is my signature.” 

‘That’s when we realized what we had signed the day before we got married. That wasn’t what I thought I was signing.’

After returning to America to do the shoot, Derick said he told Jim Bob that he and Jill had to be compensated for their time.

‘If we’re giving up something then we should get something in return,’ he stated. ‘Jim Bob was like, “What do you want? $10 an hour?” And I was like, “I don’t know, what’s it worth?”

‘And he was like, “What’s your price?” He was like, “I can pay you $10 an hour.” That’s when we asked to talk to TLC.’

Unfortunately, Jill said their requests to talk to TLC were shut down by their dad’s publicist, Chad Gallagher, who claimed they weren’t allowed to discuss anything without him.

News of a rift building within the family soon trickled into the media, which Jill said resulted in Jim Bob finally offering to pay his adult kids a ‘lump sum of money.’

However, Jill and Derick explained that they ultimately turned it down because they claimed they would have to sign another contract to get the money. They then parted ways with TLC.

‘In order to receive that, you had to sign another deal with my dad and his production company, Mad Family Inc., which would last like forever. We were automatically like, we’re done,’ Jill explained.

Derick said, ‘We found out on social media that our relationship, if we ever had a relationship with TLC, came to an end at that time.’

Jill and Derick cut ties with TLC in 2017. Following their departure from the show, Derick said he received a series of threatening text messages from an anonymous person (seen above)

Following their departure from the show, Derick said he received a series of terrifying text messages from a ‘burner phone.’

The anonymous person claimed to be a friend of the family’s and threatened Derick for ‘mistreating’ Jim Bob and Michelle and ‘returning evil.’

‘Jim Bob or Michelle have never done you wrong nor Jill,’ read one of the messages. ‘You are returning evil for the unbelievable privilege of marrying their most beautiful and intelligent daughter, who is the fruit of their lives. 

‘You were a trusted man to be given the high privilege of courting and marrying their treasured daughter, godly, well trained, talented, capable. Never was there a girl like Jill.’

Another said: ‘As a son-in-law, Jill’s parents are also yours, and biblically, whatever you do to them is the same as your own parents.

‘The mistreatment of parents is forbidden in both the Old and New Testament, with death penalties ascribed to those violations and wrong actions to parents. And the reverse promise, that things will not go well for you.’ 

When asked if he believed Jim Bob had sent him the text message, Derick admitted, ‘I don’t know, I can’t speculate.’

More of the family’s disturbing secrets are set to be exposed in Amazon Prime’s Shiny Happy People: Duggar Family Secrets, which will premiere on June 2.