We’re less than a week away from the release of Jinger Duggar’s memoir.
And insiders say it’s a tense time for members of the famous author’s family.
Jinger’s parents are reportedly estranged from her (again), while her siblings are said to be estranged over her scandalous affair.
Perhaps, some of Jinger’s brothers liked the book, but some saw it as treason.
And then there is Jessa Duggar who seems to be caught in the middle, divided by her pride for her sister, and the feeling that she has been dragged into the middle of an ugly conflict.
In interviews and leaked excerpts, Jinger shared that Jessa’s husband, Ben Seewald, was her spiritual mentor during one of the darkest times of her life.
In the book, he recalls going to Seewald’s church and deciding to leave his parents’ faith in favor of a more compassionate and inclusive brand of Christianity.
Now, fans are speculating that by sharing the story, Jinger may have inadvertently alienated her sister from being a convert.
“I’m starting to wonder if there’s a chance that after Jinger started coming out with her story, Jessa had a similar crisis of faith, and that’s why we barely hear from her,” one person wrote on Reddit, according to British tabloid The Sun.
“That could also explain why he hasn’t come out and supported Jinger with his book.
“Maybe he feels confused by what Jinger is doing, but that part feels right,” this person said.
“We already know that Ben is the BIL who encouraged Jinger to see IBLP before she became the new head, so that kind of idea is already in Jessa’s head. What do you think?”
“I definitely think he’s going through some kind of life crisis right now. But I’m thinking more of some kind of marriage/family crisis,” wrote another.
“I can’t believe Ben and her are happy together, they seem more like friends/roommates who have kids together than a real romantic couple,” this person continued.
This person further theorized that Jessa’s loneliness may have more to do with their marriage than with her sister’s controversy:
“I also think that being a mother is not what she wants and she may feel that she has lost her identity and passion,” she wrote.
“If you look back at old videos of when they were married or when Spurgeon was younger, they look happier than they do now.”
“I think he has a feeling that he’s just been repressed a lot,” said another.
“This is very common in conservative/strict families, emotions should not be expressed and the only emotion that is acceptable in many homes is anger, at least by parents, children are not allowed either,” he said.
Others speculated that Jinger and Jessa may have faced the same conflict, but that they handled it differently.
“Jinger’s feelings seem in anxiety, Jessa’s seem in control,” one redditor suggested.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if there is a fallout (now),” added another.
“It’s not like ‘I won’t talk again’, it’s more like, ‘I’ll only talk to him out of obligation.'”
Obviously, we don’t know what happened to Jessa.
But we’ll find out — Jinger’s book comes out on Tuesday, which could make it difficult for Jessa to keep her mouth shut.