Earlier this week, we learned that Derick Dillard had been fired by TLC due to his continued harassment of transgender teen Jazz Jennings.
For most, the only thing surprising about the situation is that it took the network that long to give Jill Duggar’s husband the axe.
After all, most employers don’t look kindly on publicly bullying children, and in Derick’s case, the behavior was even more troubling for his bosses, as Jazz is also the star of a TLC reality series.
So for once, a group of powerful men in the entertainment industry made the right decision.
Derick is now unemployed, but don’t waste any tears on the volatile father of two.
He’s been jobless most of his life, and his wife pulls in enough
(But you might want to dole out some sympathy for the poor souls who are being suckered in by Dillard’s pleas for cash. They could certainly use your pity.)
Anyway, the reaction from the world at large was not one of tremendous shock.
Within the Duggar compound, however, the response has been quite different.
Derick’s famous in-laws are reportedly appalled by his firing and divided on the question of who to blame.
“There’s a lot of outrage between increasingly divided factions,” a source close to the Counting On clan tells Radar Online.
The issue, it seems, is that the Duggars try to maintain a united front at all times, but Jill’s parents and siblings can’t being pissed at Derick for forcing them to deal with yet another scandal.
“Derick is really having a hard time,” says one insider.
“They are extremely careful to not criticize each other. He wasn’t trying to hurt Jazz. She just conflicted with his belief system and he reacted without thinking it through.”
Jill Duggar is apparently attributing her husband’s insensitivity to the fact that the Dillards have spent much of the past two years living in Central America:
“A lot of times when you live apart from the people you love it takes time to adjust back to your original lifestyle,” the insider says, adding:
“Including family.”
Well, we suppose if you spend enough time in El Selvador, we suppose it’s natural to adopt some of the local customs, such as … hatred of teenage reality stars?
We’re gonna go out on a limb and assume that’s not really a thing.
Watch Counting On online for more from reality TV’s most controversial family.
