The Duggar family has been captivating viewers with their unique courtship process since 2008 — and have kept the tradition going strong ever since.
Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar share 19 children: sons Joshua, John-David, Joseph, Josiah, Jedidiah, Jeremiah, Jason, Justin and Jackson, and daughters Jana, Jill, Jessa, Jinger, Joy-Anna, Johannah, Jennifer, Jordyn-Grace and Josie.
The family’s first reality series, 19 Kids and Counting, quickly became one of the most popular shows on TLC from 2008 to 2015. They later returned for a spinoff, Counting On, which ran for 11 seasons before the network canceled it in June 2021. The show’s end came two months after Josh was arrested on child pornography charges.
Due to their conservative Christian background, the family enforces a number of strict rules when it comes to courting. Kissing, hand-holding and other physical markers of affection aren’t allowed until a couple’s wedding day. Early in the courtship process, partners must have a chaperone present on their dates. For many of the Duggar daughters, their brothers have been by their sides when getting to know their suitors.
“Having that accountability really keeps things from going in the wrong direction,” Jim Bob told Today in 2014.
Scroll down to learn more about the Duggar family’s courtship beginnings:
