Jill Duggar and Husband Derick Dillard Break Silence on ‘Counting On’ Cancellation

Jill (Duggar) Dillard and her husband Derick have spoken out, one week after her family’s TLC show, Counting On, was canceled.

Jill, 30, and Derick, 32, had not been featured on Counting On for the past four years, though several of Jill’s siblings remained on the popular series. The couple’s exit in 2017 came as Derick faced backlash for expressing transphobic sentiments online.

In a statement posted on their website Monday, they began, “Our statement about the cancellation of ‘Counting On’ is a little late because we just learned the news with the rest of the world last Tuesday + this season of life is quite busy for us. We first heard of the cancellation when both a friend & a cousin each texted us after seeing TLC’s statement online. We do not know how long the cancellation had been planned.”

They continued, “It’s been over 4 years now since we chose to step away from the show, and, although we were initially barred from sharing our decision to leave the show, we have opened up a little more recently on our social media.”

Jill and Derick, who share sons Israel David, 6, and Samuel Scott, 3, went on to say that they left the show to seek greater “freedom and authenticity” in their lives.

“During our years on the show, we had many great experiences with the network, and several of the crew members have even become like family to us!” they said. “However, we also faced many pressures and some unexpected challenges which forced us to step away from the show in an effort to gain more control over our own lives and to do what was best for our family.”

“The pursuit of freedom and authenticity has been a growing theme in our lives. Our story is still being written, and this event is just one more step forward toward that goal. Our family’s departure from 19 Kids & Counting and Counting On has allowed us to make our own decisions, including the ability to have a choice in what we share. For now, we will move forward on our own terms, and we look forward to whatever opportunities the future holds,” it concluded.

Counting On premiered on TLC in 2015. The series was a spinoff of 19 Kids and Counting, which followed Michelle and Jim Bob Duggar and their 19 children and ran from 2008 to 2015.