Derick Dillard just can’t seem to steer clear of conflict these days.
The 28-year-old husband of Jill Duggar has been such a burden to his in-laws’ public image lately that he’s been dubbed “the new Josh Duggar.”
Obviously, that nickname is way over the top, as it’s not like Dillard has been involved in any sort of sex scandal, but his combative persona has resulted in rumors that TLC will cancel Counting On rather than weather the storm of another Duggar scandal.
The most damaging that controversy sparked in recent weeks arose as a result of some appalling comments that Derick directed at Jazz Jennings, a fellow TLC reality star and transgender teen.
“What an oxymoron… a ‘reality’ show which follows a non-reality. ‘Transgender’ is a myth. Gender is not fluid; it’s ordained by God,” Derick tweeted in an angry response to TLC’s promotions for I Am Jazz.
In response to outraged fans demanding that Derick apologize to the 16-year-old girl, Derick replied, “I have nothing against him,” adding that “gender is ordained by God,” and cannot be changed by man.
The Duggars have yet to put that ugly episode behind them, and there are those who believe Derick’s actions will cost the family their reality show.
But far from taking a time out from social media, Derick seems to be tweeting more than ever these days.
And he’s become no less combative as a result of his latest PR crisis.
Taking advantage of Monday’s solar eclipse, Derick posted a seemingly innocuous tweet about his religious beliefs:
“On a day when so many will be looking to the sun, let’s not miss the Son. #SolarEclipse2017 #EclipseSolar #JesusChrist,” he wrote.
“The difference being that #SolarEclipse2017 is actually verifiable & #JesusChrist is not,” a fan tweeted in response.
“Do we need to have a history lesson on the FACT that Jesus of Nazareth was a historical figure?” an irate Dillard fired back.
Derick retweeted the non-believer’s response, and right on cue, dozens of his 123,000 followers pounced.
Obviously, there’s nothing surprising about Derick’s religious views, as he’s been quite open about his beliefs throughout his time in the spotlight.
But his decision to go nuclear in response to a rather civilly-worded dissenting view speaks volumes.
It’s interesting that Derick replied at all, as he chose not to respond to the many high profile figures who called him out following his tweets about Jazz Jennings.
Like the rest of the Duggar clan, Derick usually doesn’t bother arguing with fans online.
The reaction seems unnecessarily hostile (an ironic attitude to assume in a debate about Jesus), and given the recent events of his public life, we can’t help but think the pressure’s beginning to get to Derick.
Watch Counting On online for more from reality TV’s most controversial family.
