More details about Jill Duggar's fallout from her family have been unearthed, court documents show.
On May 12, E! News obtained previously sealed court documents which included quotes the Counting On alum gave to a psychologist as part of her 2017 lawsuit against the City of Springdale and Washington County officials in Arkansas. In the November 2021 filing, Jill was quoted saying that her relationship with her father Jim Bob Duggar "got pretty toxic" after she and her husband, Derick Dillard, began making family decisions that did not necessarily align with the 19 Kids and Counting patriarch's views.
"I saw a whole new side to my dad once my husband and I started making decision that were best for our family, but not in his best interest," Jill told the psychologist, according to the filing. "Sadly, I realized he had become pretty controlling, fearful and reactionary."
Alleging that Jim Bob was "verbally abusive" at times, Jill was quoted in describing their relationship as "not good."
"We occasionally text on a family group thread, but I don't feel comfortable being around him and just hanging out," the documents read. "He was verbally abusive. It isn't good for my mental health right now."
The legal filing also stated that Jill's claims were supported by Derick, who had said in a deposition that Jim Bob did not approve of his daughter having a nose ring, drinking alcohol or wearing pants.
E! News has reached out to Jim Bob's rep for comment and hasn't heard back.
Jill first filed the lawsuit against Springdale in 2017 with her sisters Jessa, Jinger and Joy-Anna Duggar, claiming they suffered emotional distress when police records alleging their older brother Josh Duggar had inappropriately touched five underage girls were shared with the public in 2015. Following the records' release, Jill and Jessa stepped forward as two of his alleged victims.
The Duggar sister's lawsuit was dismissed by a judge this February, per the Arkansas Democrat Gazette.
Back in 2015, after the police report surfaced, Josh told People in a statement, "Twelve years ago, as a young teenager, I acted inexcusably for which I am extremely sorry and deeply regret." He said he had "confessed my wrongdoing" to authorities.
In the past, Jill has been open about her strained relationship with certain members of her family. She revealed in 2020 that she had been "distancing" herself from the clan, sharing that she and Derick were "not on the best terms with some of my family" after having "some disagreements."
Jill later said she hadn't visited to the Duggar family home in "a couple years," explaining that she and her husband instead decided to "prioritize our mental, emotional health and all of that."
She added, "Our threshold—we like to call it—is just a little bit lower in this season of life for us, with a lot going on in our own lives."