Duggar sister Jill Dillard admits she drinks alcohol ‘socially’ despite her strict upbringing
Jill Duggar Dillard responded after making headlines last week for drinking an alcoholic piña colada. The reality star revealed that she drinks “socially.”
“We have boundaries,” Dillard told PEOPLE in a new interview. “In our faith, we believe like we're not supposed to get drunk. So, with drinking, it's not like we're just like going crazy.”
“It’s more socially here and there, or at home, for a date or something,” the Duggar daughter continued. “Our kids are pretty young right now, but I think it's good for them to see a healthy balance.”
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The 29-year-old was raised by her devout Baptist parents Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar. Their family life was on full display on the TLC series “19 Kids and Counting,” which documented the strict conservative upbringing of Dillard and her 18 siblings. The family became popular for their "modest" dress code and strict rules about dating.
“Growing up, the whole idea of drinking was not encouraged,” Dillard explained. “I know my parents would not be happy with it, and I know that my siblings, some more than others, would probably have an issue with it. Other ones would probably be like, 'Whatever's good for y’all, that's fine. Live your life.' So far, nobody's said anything to us about it.”
Dillard and her husband Derek Dillard first disclosed their social drinking during a Q&A series on their blog, DillardFamily.com, which runs on their YouTube channel, Dillard Family Official.
“We believe Scripture is clear that alcohol is sinful,” Derek shared in the Q&A. “Neither one of us have ever drank to drunkenness but that doesn’t mean that Jill won’t have a piña colada at dinner.”
Fans of the couple are encouraged to submit questions on the blog in the comments section and after an Instagram post showing an alcoholic beverage on their dinner table, fans wanted to know if they drink. The Dillards said they know other people struggle with alcohol so they are sensitive to that.
However, the parents of two, Israel, 5, and Samuel, 3, chose to address it publicly because they want to live “transparently.”
Dillard told PEOPLE she and her husband have changed in more ways than one recently.
“I think we've grown a lot as a couple, and I’m OK with people not being OK with it," she said. "Sometimes it's a good thing. I'm very much a people pleaser, so not doing something because I was afraid of what other people would think or keeping my opinion quiet because I don't want to have to worry about conflict.”
"The journey that we've been on as a couple, we’re being better about having boundaries and our own family life.”
The Christian couple maintained that letting people see more of their life and journey has been healthy for them.
