If you’re a longtime Counting On viewer, then you’re probably familiar with Jana Duggar’s longtime friend Laura DeMasie.
Laura and Jana have an unusually close relationship, as DeMasie assists her BFF with homeschooling of the younger Duggars, as well as the many other chores that have been Jana’s responsibility for the entirety of her adult life.
Not surprisingly, the situation has led to rumors that Jana and Laura are dating.
We may never know if that’s really the case, as coming out as gay would be enough to get Jana permanently disowned by her parents.
Whatever the case, it seems Laura is definitely one of the most important people in Jana’s life.
The 33-year-old not only helps out around the compound, she’s also a VIP guest at events that are otherwise Duggar-only.
For example, when Jinger Duggar welcomed her first child back in February, only a select few immediate family members were on hand.
But despite the fact that Jinger didn’t even invite all of her siblings, there was Laura, standing right by Jana’s side as usual.
Laura was also on hand for several other recent events as well, including Jinger’s gender reveal party.
Duggars rarely allow outsiders in their midst, so some fans have been confused by the sight of a non-relative at so many private events.
“Like really… who is she? Why is she around? Why is she STILL around!?” one fan recently commented on a Duggar-themed Reddit board.
“Why did she go to Jinger’s birth?”
Several other fans echoed the sentiment, and while the exact nature of Jana and Laura’s relationship might forever remain a mystery, we do have a goods idea of who DeMasie is and where she came from.
Laura is a 33-year-old Arkansas native, who is currently employed in the media department of the Institute in Basic Life Principles (IBLP).
The IBLP is an important part of the Duggars’ lives and the source of many of the family’s most controversial beliefs.
So it’s safe to say that Jana and Laura first crossed paths as a result of their shared involvement with the organization.
As for why Laura is suddenly everywhere — well, that’s more of a mystery.
It’s not hard to see why so many fans suspect that she and Jana are more than friends, but thus far, there’s no clear indication of any romantic involvement.
Now that Jana’s twin, John David Duggar, is courting Abbie Burnett, Jana is officially the only single Duggar over the age of 20.
So it’s possible that she and Laura are simply kindred spirits who find comfort in one another in a desolate place where they’re already considered old maids.
