It’s been quite an interesting few months in the life of Derick Dillard.
It all started, of course, when Derick got fired by TLC after harassing transgender teen and fellow network star Jazz Jennings in a bizarre Twitter tirade.
Derick issued an explanation for his remarks that he probably thinks qualifies as an apology, but fans weren’t buying it, and most seemed happy to see him go.
Earlier this week, Derick doubled down on his homophobia by promoting a speaking engagement by a pastor who became famous for his support of the abhorrent practice of conversion therapy.
It briefly seemed that Derick had taken an “in for a penny, in for a pound” approach to his own bigotry and decided that since he’d already been fired from TLC, the time was right to rebrand himself as a far-right firebrand.
Today, however, something interesting occurred on Derick’s Twitter page.
“I want to personally invite any LGBTQ person & anyone else who would like to come with my family and me to church next Sunday. See you there!” Derick tweeted.
These days, it seems that Derick is supporting his family almost entirely through monetary donations from fans, so many were suspicious that the tweet was simply a publicity stunt or part of an effort to rebuild his image.
But some expressed an interest in taking him up on the invitation.
One woman identified herself as an atheist and asked if it was okay for her to attend services with Derick and his family.
The former reality star astonished many Duggar fans when he responded, “Absolutely!”
Some expressed outright shock that Derick would invite someone whose beliefs are so different from his own into his house of worship.
The mini-controversy comes on the heels of reports that Derick’s wife, Jill Duggar, had turned her back on her beliefs due to an Instagram post in which she revealed that she’s reading a book with sections addressed to those who are questioning their faith in God.
In the end, however, it turned out there was really nothing to either scandal.
Jill was simply offering support to those whose belief had wavered, while Derick is apparently hoping to convert some non-believers, which is actually one of the expressed duties of Independent Baptists.
Oh, well. We’re sure a legitimate Derick scandal will pop up soon enough.
In the meantime, watch Counting On online for more from reality TV’s most controversial family.
