Fans Think They’ve Uncovered The Reason The Duggar’s Oldest Daughter, Jana, Hasn’t Married Yet
She's 32 and single.
Fans of the reality TV show “19 Kids and Counting” continue to speculate why Jana Duggar, the family’s eldest daughter, is not yet married.
Jana Duggar starred alongside her parents and 18 siblings in the hit reality show, which aired for 15 seasons from 2008 to 2015. “Counting On,” another show starring the devout Christian family, began airing in 2015 and continued until 2021.
The reason why Jana Duggar, 32, isn’t married yet remains a mystery among fans. Many of her siblings wed in their early 20s, with some marrying even earlier. She also continued living with her parents, unlike her siblings who moved out soon after being wed.
Why is Jana Duggar single?
Duggar spoke about her dating life in a 2020 Daily Mail article. She claimed that the reason she isn’t married yet is because it isn’t “God’s timing.”
“Because if the right one had come along, I would have been married a long time ago,” Duggar said. “But I just don't think that it's been God's timing yet, and I've been able to accomplish a lot of other things that maybe I wouldn't have, had I been married.”
She added that she loosened her requirements for a potential partner. She initially only wanted to date someone from her home state of Arkansas, but is now willing to branch out.
“So when he comes, he doesn't have to stay in Arkansas,” Duggar said. “It's just, I gotta love you so much that I will go with you.”
Fans have their own theories about Jana Duggar's dating life.
One fan on the subreddit r/DuggarsSnark, a forum dedicated to poking fun at the family, posted a theory on why Duggar is still single. The fan says it’s not because her father wants her to remain single, or a secret fear of men, or any other conspiracy theory.
“Her sanctimonious, holier-than-thou 'personality' (or lack thereof), has made her as interesting as a slice of white bread on a white paper place,” the fan wrote.
“She's boring and judgemental, and after a few years of being passed up by more interesting or pleasant sisters, quickly became an ‘old maid’, and then fell deeper and deeper into her ‘perfect Christian lady’ schtick to ever claw her way out. And now we're at an impasse, where the only unwed men who are available at her age range in her community are probably really defective, hence why they haven't found a match yet, either.”
Other fans disagreed with the original poster's arguments. Some suggested that Duggar’s parents, Jim Bob and Michelle, are preventing her from marrying. They argued that she helps take care of her younger siblings so much, and the parents don’t want to lose that luxury.
“My suspicion is that when Jana was of marriageable age in her circle, JB and Meech refused to let her court because they were still having babies and had too many little kids at home, and didn’t want to lose Jana’s services,” one commenter said.
“Once they realized Jana and the other older girls may lose their chance to marry at all, Jill, Jessa and Jinger managed to find husbands but just barely made it within their window, and to guys outside their immediate circle. But for Jana, she just missed the window.”
Jonathan Alfano is a writer who focuses on news and entertainment topics. Follow him on Twitter to keep up with his content.