Jinger Duggar Explains Why She Didn't Participate in the 'Duggar Family Secrets' Docuseries

Jinger Duggar Vuolo is well aware of the new Prime Video docuseries about her family, Shiny Happy People: Duggar Family Secrets. However, the 29-year-old daughter of Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar didn't feel the need to participate in the show, despite her sister, Jill Duggar Dillard, and cousin Amy Duggar King's involvement.

In January, Jinger released her memoir, Becoming Free Indeed, in which she opened up about her faith journey and her complicated relationship with the Institute in Basic Life Principles (IBLP) that her parents taught herself and her siblings growing up.

But though she's been outspoken against the practices, Jinger opted to not appear in the Duggar Family Secrets docuseries.

"I was actually approached and asked to participate in the docuseries, but I thought that from my perspective, I really wanted to make sure that I was able to share my story in my own words and in my own timing," Jinger tells People. "So that's why I wrote Becoming Free Indeed, was to share more of my journey out of IBLP's teachings. I wanted to be able to share it in a way that was, like, God-honoring and hopefully sharing my story in a balanced way."

Jinger shares that she's spoken with her sister, Jill, "a little bit" about the series, and notes that Jill "has her voice" as well when it comes to sharing her side of the story.

"I am excited to hear what she has to say, even in this documentary," Jinger says.

Jinger also weighs in on how she thinks her family, who first rose to fame on the TLC series 19 Kids and Counting, will react to the docuseries.

"I think we'll wait and see," she notes. "I think everyone will have their own responses and their own timing, and that's just part of how we process. It'll be interesting to see the outcome of it."

Without going into detail, the former reality star says she thinks there "will be a variety of responses, for sure."

Meanwhile, Jim Bob and Michelle have already spoken out against Duggar Family Secrets in a statement on their website.

"The recent 'documentary' that talks about our family is sad because in it we see the media and those with ill intentions hurting people we love," reads the statement in part. "Like other families, ours too has experienced the joys and heartbreaks of life, just in a very public format."

Meanwhile, Jinger's book, Becoming Free Indeed, co-written by Corey Williams, is an exploration of her faith journey over the last seven years as she's worked to "disentangle" herself from her ultra-conservative upbringing following the rules of the IBLP, an organization which espouses modest dress, female subservience, homeschooling, and large families, among other conservative lifestyle practices.

"When I was writing this book as well, I reached out to my family and told them that I was writing this book," Jinger told ET in January. "I was very clear that it's not a tell-all about my family. I love my family. I'm so thankful for how they sacrificed so much for me. This story is my faith journey and how I wanted to share this story, and I feel a responsibility to it as well, because I promoted those [IBLP] teachings, so that's what I shared with my family."

With so many siblings and extended family members, there are bound to be some mixed reactions, and Jinger admitted, "It's interesting, different [family members] are still in that setting, so some were more excited for me to share this story, while others may agree to disagree because they have their own opinions."

Ahead of the release of the Duggar Family Secrets docuseries, Jill announced that she planned to write a tell-all memoir, Counting the Cost, about her childhood growing up in the Duggar family.

"Jill Duggar and her husband Derick are finally ready to share their story, revealing the secrets, manipulation, and intimidation behind the show that remained hidden from their fans,"the official description of the book reads.

Shiny Happy People: Duggar Family Secrets is currently streaming on Prime Video, while Jinger's book, Becoming Free Indeed, is available wherever books are sold.

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