Jill Duggar Dillard Seen Mingling with Estranged Dad Jim Bob in Christmas Photographs

Jill Duggar Dillard and her estranged father, Jim Bob Duggar, appeared to spend some uncommon time collectively in the course of the Christmas season.

In an Instagram carousel shared by brother James Duggar on Christmas Day, Jill, 33, and husband Derick, 35, are seen chatting with the Duggar patriarch, 59, on a brown sofa as fellow members of the family opened items. 

“The most effective time of the 12 months!!!” James captioned the festive put up, which additionally included snaps of Jessa Duggar and husband Ben Seewald, John Duggar and spouse Abbie’s son Charlie, Jason Duggar and Jeremiah Duggar.

Through the years, Jill — certainly one of Jim Bob and Michelle’s 19 kids — has been open about her disdain for her upbringing and her dad and mom’ involvement within the spiritual group Institute in Fundamental Life Ideas.

The fact TV alum informed PEOPLE in an unique interview timed to the September 2023 launch of her e-book Counting the Price that she considers the group, based by minister Invoice Gothard, to be a “cult.”

“My dad even mentioned considerably just lately on a household group textual content, he was like, ‘You owe your life to Mr. Gothard,’ ” she informed PEOPLE. “I am like, ‘No,’ I feel that you simply simply should not have a look at the sugarcoating, or no matter. They try to gloss it up and repackage it. However it’s a must to have a look at the lengthy haul, the way it actually flushed out. What do these rules seem like.”

Jill additionally shared that filming her household’s actuality reveals — 19 Children and Counting and its spinoff Counting On — took a toll on her relationship with Derick as she struggled to say “no” to her father and the filming calls for.

“It positively bought between us,” she mentioned of how she and Derick started preventing over the present. “Regardless of your age, you’re to obey your dad and mom’ needs and also you even should ask them for his or her blessing for any main second in your life. That could possibly be shopping for a home, shifting to a unique state, the place to go to high school. We have been coping with this lots after we have been making an attempt to make selections for our household, and we have been actually wrestling forwards and backwards with it.”

Derick added that Jim Bob would “weaponize the connection and say, ‘Is that this you, Jill, or is that this you, Derick? Are you main your spouse astray and doing issues that aren’t supportive of marriage?’ ”

Jill and Derick bought married in 2014 and share three kids: Israel David, Samuel Scott and Frederick Michael.

In January 2024, Jill mentioned on the Unplanned Podcast that she couldn’t keep in mind the final time she noticed her dad and mom, though they’ve spoken because the launch of her 2023 tell-all e-book.

When requested in the event that they’ve learn it, she mentioned, “I’ve heard that they did … They, like, listened to it on an audiobook or one thing.”

“They’re my dad and mom. I am gonna tread evenly. I additionally do not need to create extra controversy,” she added. “It is type of like if you get collectively on the vacations, and there are specific issues that you do not need to simply deliver up. It is most likely a sore topic.”

Jill and Derick tried to recollect after they final noticed Jim Bob and Michelle in particular person.

The daughter insisted that it was someday after the delivery of their youngest son in July 2022.

“We noticed them at a birthday celebration … Pleasure and Austin’s like, certainly one of their child’s birthday factor or one thing. Or a child announcement or one thing, I do not know, some type of household perform.”