I know a lot of you have written off People Magazine’s gossip coverage over time, but I’m sincerely enjoying the fact that even People Mag isn’t kowtowing to the Duggars anymore. This week’s People cover story is a remarkable hit piece on the Duggars, their insular, cult-like way of life and the basic gist is “if you want to know why Josh is so screwed up, look no further than his nutjob family.” Now People Magazine is taking a dump all over our dreams of Anna Duggar breaking free now that Josh is “away” at some kind of faith-based rehab. According to People, Anna’s family is just as crazy as the Duggars, if not more. This story comes from a “source” close to Anna’s family:
Growing up as one of eight children to parents Mike and Suzette Keller, Anna had a strict, religious childhood similar to that of the Duggars. “Her parents are even a little more extreme,” the source told PEOPLE of the Kellers. “Anna and her siblings were always taught that if you follow these 10 steps or whatever, God would bless you.”
When Anna, now 27, met Josh at a Christian homeschooling convention back in 2006 when she was a teen, she wasn’t allowed to gush about him to her siblings. “That’s not something that’s shared amongst siblings,” says the source. “They always got 15-minute, one-on-one sessions with their mom every week. That was the time to share their feelings, but other than that they had to keep their feelings to themselves.”
Anna was particularly close to her youngest sister Susanna. “Growing up, they were attached at the hip,” says the source. “They did everything together.”
Despite her rigid upbringing, Anna still had spunk. Says the source, “She’s really fun. She was always the bossy sister, but in a fun way. If she and her siblings were playing a game, she would make sure they were doing it exactly by the rules. They always had a good time together.”
Now, a source close to Josh’s family says Anna is isolated and has changed drastically. “Ever since she met [the Duggars] she has acted more like Michelle,” says the other source. “She talks like her, real soft. She, like, whispers.”
While some of her siblings have been outspoken about wanting her to leave Josh, the source close to Anna says that thanks to the brand of patriarchal Christianity that her in-laws and parents prescribe to, divorce is highly unlikely.
“I don’t think her parents ever thought they would ever come to a situation like this,” says the source, revealing that Anna’s sister Rebecca is going through her own divorce right now. “They just don’t know what to do,” the source says of Anna’s parents. “They always taught their kids that divorce was never an option. They never even thought about cheating. But that’s not how life works.”
Oh, that’s really interesting – Anna’s sister is going through a divorce right now? And Anna’s brother (allegedly) wants Anna to leave Josh? So there are some outlets, some precedent for Anna leaving. That being said, I TOTALLY believe that at this point, Anna is like the Duggars’ prisoner. I believe they’re controlling access to her and Jim-Bob is probably reprogramming her as we speak. Also: you’re only allowed to share your feelings with your mother for 15 minutes a week? OMG. “I don’t want to know if you’re happy, sad, tired or hungry, save it for the Feelings Discussion Time on Monday.”
Photos courtesy of Duggars’ social media.
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