Everyone wants as much information on the Duggars as possible, including myself. What religion are they? Why are they so strict? And have any of them done something their parents don't approve of?
Well, I mean, we know Josh did. Although Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar seemed all too quick to forgive him, as did the sisters he molested.
That was a really public scandal, even if the family didn't want it to be, but there are some other stories that fans want answers to.
One of the big stories was based around Jinger and her husband, Jeremy. The couple got married in 2016, and fans assumed that soon after they would be announcing their pregnancy. As is tradition with most Duggar marriages, kids come pretty soon after the wedding ceremony. But for Jinger and Jeremy, a year went by without a pregnancy announcement, which was considered a bit odd. One theory was that Jinger decided she didn't want to have kids, but a few months ago she announced she was expecting her first child, so that mystery was solved.
The other big questions a lot of fans had, was why Joy-Anna Duggar's wedding to Austin Forsyth was moved up. Originally scheduled for October of 2017, it was quickly moved to May with no explanation. There was no real reason given, as to why the wedding needed to be moved so soon, but three months after her wedding, Joy-Anna posted a picture of a baby bump which seemed too far along to be three months.
Of course, having sex out of wedlock is on the big ol' list of Duggar Don'ts, so everyone figured the likelihood of that actually being the reason was slim.
But then, Austin admitted to breaking courtship rules in a super scandalous way. Okay, so not really. But in the Duggar world, it's a big deal.
"The only time that I can think of when I overstepped my bounds with my future father-in-law was probably staying up talking past curfew," he lamented in an interview. "Just letting time slip past you and being in a good conversation...it's really easy to do. That and probably going over the three-second hug. That's easy to do."
Okay, so they held hands. Not really a big deal, right? Well, according to a former employee on 19 Kids And Counting, Joy-Anna and Austin have a lot more to hide than we thought.
The Smooching
The source, who spoke anonymously with The Hollywood Gossip, recalled certain times that Joy-Anna and Austin were alone. The source claims he walked in on them multiple times before they were married, doing things that Jim-Bob would not approve of.
"She'd been alone with him several times. They got caught several times," he says. "I caught them kissing outside the garage door one night. They were standing in this little area where the cameras weren't. She went up and kissed him. I yelled out, 'What's going on over there?' I mean to tell you, they ran like scared rabbits."
Instead of the letting the situation slide, Austin confronted the tipster about what he saw.
"About an hour later I was in the garage," he says, "and Austin came up to me and said, 'We're only human, you know.' I said, 'I know you're human. But when you make rules, you need to follow them.'"
The source also had an opinion on why the wedding was moved up, and it seems to confirm the biggest fan theory.
"[She and Austin] may have had sex before they were married," the source confides. "She ain't no sexpot, don't get me wrong. But she was ready to be married."
The Abuse
Another big issue with Joy-Anna and Austin, is that fans are convinced he is emotionally and mentally abusing her, even if the family can't see it.
During episodes of their show Counting On, Austin comes off as extremely cold, and it often seems like Joy-Anna looks for his permission to do anything.
"I think Austin is a creep. I really think he is at the very least emotionally abusive," writes one viewer. "He seems super controlling and Joy just looks to him for answers to everything. She is so used to obeying her parents without question, and being so young and brainwashed makes her so vulnerable to domestic abuse."
Other fans echoed this sentiment.
"I personally don't believe he would ever hit Joy, but I definitely can see him belittling/talking down to her if he gets annoyed or she does something he doesn't like," one user wrote.
"She was so indecisive with wedding details and seems like a really naive little girl," another noted. "Austin just gives off dark vibes to me on the YouTube clips."
Of course, this is all speculation, but according to the Duggar insider, the way Austin was brought up might have something to do with it.
The Upbringing
Terry Forsyth, Austin's father, is a bit of a troublemaker himself, according to the source.
"You can't be an officer in the church if you've been divorced," the source says. "Terry, he's on his second marriage, and I still haven't figured this one out yet, he's an officer in Paul [Caldwell]'s church."
Terry also took full control of Austin's life, giving him a challenge before he was allowed to start courting.
"His father governs everything that he does, from cutting cows to doing whatever," the source reveals. "He couldn't date Joy-Anna until he flipped five houses. Austin had to flip and sell five houses before he'd be allowed to date. He went to his dad, and he said, 'What do I need to do?' and his dad said, 'You need to flip five houses before you can court.'"
Because of his upbringing, the source really does believe that Joy-Anna is trapped in her marriage to Austin.
"Austin is a prime candidate for mental abuse, because I'm sure he's been totally mentally browbeat," the insider says. "I guarantee [Joy] is at his beck and call. To me, she really has no life with Austin. She's just gonna be a baby factory."
The good news, however, is that if things start to get bad, Joy-Anna will have the backing of her entire town. She is so beloved that anything that happens to her will be met with outrage.
"If he does abuse her in any way, there won't be nowhere he can hide," the insider admitted.
As for Austin in general, the insider doesn't see a whole lot in the guy.
"[He] doesn't have a backbone," the source said. "He doesn't have a whole lot of common sense."
If that's true, he'll probably get along great with his brother-in-law Derick.
