After growing up on television for the past decade-and-a-half, Joy-Anna Duggar has officially left Counting On. As the ninth child of Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar, Joy-Anna has had her share of moments in the spotlight, but there is definitely one that stands out as her most controversial.
Following in her big sister’s footsteps
Joy-Anna Duggar and her husband, Austin Forsyth, have followed in Jill Duggar and Derick Dillard’s footsteps and are moving on to life outside of the Duggar family brand created by Jim Bob and Michelle.
In late 2017, Jill and Derick left Counting On and essentially separated from the Duggar family. In the years since, Derick has been quite vocal about the struggles he and his wife faced while they were part of the TLC reality show.
Derick claims that Jim Bob keeps all of the money the family makes from their reality show. Derick also alleges that Jim Bob and Michelle control their children’s social media posts and major life announcements, like weddings and pregnancies.
Many fans believe that after Joy-Anna witnessed her sister’s path to freedom, she is now following suit and doing the same thing.
Joy-Anna Duggar is living her best life
Neither Joy-Anna Duggar nor Austin Forsyth have officially announced their exit from Counting On. But the couple and their two-year-old son, Gideon, were not featured in the Season 11 trailer or promotional materials.
Joy-Anna and Austin — who are currently expecting baby number two — did show up in a few scenes at family gatherings during recent episodes. But TLC cameras are no longer following the couple to document their own storyline.
RELATED: ‘Counting On’: Austin Forsyth Is Reportedly the Real Reason Joy-Anna Duggar Left the Family Business
Joy-Anna’s recent social media activity indicates she is already breaking out on her own after finally getting out from under Jim Bob’s thumb. Joy-Anna and Austin separated their joint Instagram account, and now each one has their own. They also launched their new YouTube channel Follow The Forsyths.
Joy-Anna even went so far as to wear a tank top during the 4th of July weekend. She also revealed that she will be giving birth to her daughter in a hospital instead of at home.
Joy-Anna Duggar sparks shotgun wedding rumors
By far, the most controversial moment for Joy-Anna during her years on reality TV occurred after she married Austin Forsyth on May 26, 2017. A date much sooner than their original date of October 17.
Just three months later — on August 30, 2017 — Joy-Anna revealed that she and Austin were expecting their first child. However, the happy news immediately sparked rumors among Counting On fans.
The rumor was that Joy-Anna and Austin had a shotgun wedding because they broke Jim Bob’s rules. Many fans believed that this Duggar no-no resulted in Joy-Anna getting pregnant prior to the wedding. Leading Joy-Anna to move up the ceremony to hide her pregnancy.
The only way that Joy-Anna and Austin were able to squash the rumor was when they welcomed their son. Gideon Martyn was born on February 23, 2018 — exactly nine months after their wedding day.