Jinger Duggar Vuolo is getting candid about her people-pleasing tendencies. The 19 Kids and Counting star is reflecting on how self-doubt during her childhood triggered her to become a people-pleaser in her latest book, People Pleaser: Breaking Free from the Burden of Imaginary Expectations, which will be released on January 14, 2025. In an exclusive interview with PEOPLE on January 8, 2024, Jinger Duggar Vuolo shared how she had an innate need to get along with everyone when she was a child. The former reality TV star would try her best not to “ruffle anyone's feathers,” even within the family, and wanted to keep everyone happy all the time.
Duggar Vuolo shared that this quality of hers gained prominence in her teenage years as she believes that one starts to process a lot more at that age. She also stated how these tendencies worsened due to the teachings of her minister, Bill Gothard, at her former ultra-conservative church, the Institute in Basic Life Principles (IBLP). Duggar Vuolo shared how there were so many messed-up concepts that were drilled into her at the time, which included pleasing one’s husband. She said:
“It was all so focused on, 'Do this, do this, do this,' otherwise, you're not going to be enough for him.”
Duggar Vuolo credits her husband, Jeremy Vuolo, with helping her dismantle her deep feelings of worthlessness. He challenged her to be herself, which gave her immense freedom to open up.
Jinger Duggar Vuolo’s Loved Ones Were Unkind When She Exposed Her Church
In another interview with PEOPLE last year, Duggar Vuolo opened up about how some of her “loved ones” were extremely unkind after the release of her 2023 memoir Becoming Free Indeed: My Story of Disentangling Faith from Fear, which criticized her family’s ultra-conservative church the IBLP.
Duggar Vuolo and her 18 siblings were raised to follow the IBLP by their parents, Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar. The reality TV star acknowledged that people had strong and harsh opinions on her book. She stated that it wasn’t easy for her to deal with their unkind words, but she firmly believes that sharing the truth was the best thing that she could’ve done.
The Counting On star believes that speaking her truth via the book was a freeing experience. She felt it was imperative to stand up for others who were vulnerable and expressed that the only reason she held back from doing so in the past was due to her "people-pleasing before would never have allowed me to do that."
19 Kids and Counting ran for ten seasons before getting cancelled in 2015. You can stream all seasons of the show on Apple TV+.
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A reality show that follows the Duggar family, showcasing the experiences of parents Jim Bob and Michelle and their 19 children. The series documents their everyday life, from managing household chores and homeschooling to celebrating milestones and navigating the complexities of a large family. Viewers are given an intimate look at their close-knit family relationships and the principles that guide their lives, emphasizing their commitment to faith and family values.
Release Date September 29, 2008
Finale Year November 30, 2014
Cast Jim Bob Duggar , Michelle Duggar , Jill Dillard , Josh Duggar , Jinger Vuolo
Seasons 15
Character(s) Self , Himself
Producers Sean Overbeeke , Alon Orstein , Kirk Streb , Bill Hayes
IMDb ID tt1307083
Network TLC
TMDB User Rating 5 .9
English (US) ·