In the three years since Derick Dillard married Jill Duggar, the couple has seemed to build a life and start a family together with remarkable ease.
But now it seems that the road traveled by the Dillard family hasn’t been as smooth as we were led to believe.
If you’re a fan of all things Duggar, then you’re likely aware that Jill and Derick have spent much of their life as a married couple performing missionary work in Central America.
But while their intentions may have been honorable, the couple’s time in El Salvador has generated a fair amount of controversy, much of it having to do with the fact that Jill and Derick are not licensed missionaries.
As a result, they’re not sponsored by any church or recognized by any regulatory body, and they’ve been forced to rely on dubious means such as solicited donations from fans in order to fund their trips.
Worse, the Dillards dishonesty on the matter may be putting the health and welfare of others at stake.
Despite previous claims to the contrary, Jill is not a certified midwife, and Derick never completed the necessary certification work required by the Southern Baptist Convention or the International Missions Board.
Now, an insider who was formerly close to several members of the Duggar family exclusively tells The Hollywood Gossip that the Dillards’ deceptions are no secret within their inner circle, and many who know them best are highly suspicious of their motives.
“They go on a mission, they’re not sponsored by any church whatsoever, and they go, and they solicit money from people, they ask for donations,” our source says.
“Of course, they have money coming from Counting On, but Derick, to my knowledge, has never had a job.”
The insider goes on to say that he harbors doubts about the Dillards’ intentions, as well as with regard to who’s really funding their time in Central America:
“[Derick] is not an ordained missionary. They more or less just go over there on their own, and I’m wondering if TLC isn’t footing the bill just for coverage. Just so they have something to sell,” he adds.
“I just wonder what the reasoning for it is. Are they doing it for capital gain? Ever since I’ve learned so much about Jim Bob and how he truly is, I second guess everything.”
Our source adds that his questions about Derick’s motives in performing unlicensed missionary work have led him to wonder if the father of two is an opportunist who’s seeking to take advantage of the Duggars’ wealth and fame.
Describing Dillard as a “mooch” who seems to have no interest in full-time employment, the insider says that Derick seems to have no trouble with the perception that he’s freeloading on his in-laws
“Derick is just hanging on to someone’s shirttails,” the tipster says.
“Disgusts me. They used to be pretty well thought of.”
Coming on the heels of yesterday’s report about Jim Bob Duggar clashing with his other sons-in-law, the news about Derick seems to indicate that internal strife within the Duggar family is more widespread than initially thought.
Currently, the Dillards are at home in Arkansas, as Jill welcomed her second child just last month.
They say they have no immediate plans to return to Central America, but have every intention of continuing to perform missionary work abroad.
The couple has yet to publicly address the controversy over their lack of proper training.
Watch Counting On online for more from reality TV’s most controversial family.
