Jessa Duggar

Jessa Duggar Seewald

Seewald in 2007
Born Jessa Lauren Duggar
(1992-11-04) November 4, 1992
Tontitown, Arkansas, U.S.
Occupation Television personality
Years active 2004–present
Religion Christianity[1]
Spouse(s) Ben Seewald (m. 2014)[2]
Children Spurgeon Elliot (born 11.5.15)
Parent(s) Jim Bob Duggar
Michelle (Ruark) Duggar
Relatives 18 siblings including Jill Dillard and Josh Duggar

Jessa Lauren Seewald (née Duggar; born November 4, 1992)[3] is an American television personality. She is known for being part of the cast of TLC's reality show 19 Kids and Counting. She co-authored Growing Up Duggar: It's All About Relationships with her sisters Jana, Jill and Jinger .[4]

Early life

Duggar was born in Tontitown, Arkansas,[5] the fifth child of Jim Bob and Michelle (Ruark) Duggar.[6] She has 4 older siblings and 14 younger siblings, including Josh and Jill. Duggar was homeschooled as a child.[7]

Career

Television

Duggar began her public life as a member of the family featured in the documentary 14 Children and Pregnant Again (2004) which talks about daily life of the family from the "time they wake up" to the "time they go to sleep". The documentary aired on the Discovery Health Channel. Another documentary, Raising 16 Children was produced on the same channel in 2006, when Duggar's sister Johannah was born. This was followed by another feature, On the Road with 16 Children about family cross-country trip.[8][9][10]

On September 29, 2008, 19 Kids and Counting (formerly 18 Kids and Counting and 17 Kids and Counting) began as a regular series based on the Duggar family.[11] The show's final episode aired May 19, 2015 and was formally cancelled on July 16, 2015.[12] Another series, Jill & Jessa: Counting On, featuring Duggar and her sister Jill, premiered on December 13, 2015.[13][14]

Book

With three of her sisters, Duggar co-wrote Growing up Duggar, a book published by Howard Books, in 2014. The book describes growing up in the Duggar home, social relationships, and their religious beliefs.[4][15]

Personal life

Marriage and family

On September 16, 2013, a courtship between Duggar and Ben Seewald was made public via an announcement on the family's website.[16] The couple met through their church. On August 15, 2014, the couple announced their engagement[17] and they were married on November 1, 2014.[18] On November 5, 2015, she gave birth to their first child, a boy named Spurgeon Elliot Seewald (named after Baptist preacher Charles Spurgeon and Christian missionary Jim Elliot), weighing in at 9 lbs. 11 oz and 21 1/4" long.[19][20][21] Upon being asked about the name, Ben Seewald stated that Spurgeon and Elliot were an influential figure in their lives.[22][23]

Victim of sexual abuse

In a June 2015 interview on The Kelly File, Seewald identified herself as one of the girls sexually abused by her oldest brother, Josh Duggar, when he was a teenager. She described the abuse as "mild inappropriate touching", saying it occurred while she was sleeping and was "fully clothed". Seewald further stated she became aware of the abuse after her parents told her what had occurred following her brother's confession. Describing the abuse as "very wrong", she decried those referring to her brother as a "child molester or a pedophile or a rapist...that is so overboard and a lie really". Regarding the police reports describing the abuse while she was a minor being released to the media, Seewald said, "the system that was set up to protect kids...it's greatly failed."[24][25][26]

References

  1. ↑ "Duggar Family Blog:Updates and Pictures Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar 19 kids and Counting:FAQs". Duggarfamilyblog.com. Retrieved 1 March 2015.
  2. ↑ Alicia C. Dennis. "Jessa Duggar marries Ben Seewald". People.com. Retrieved 7 February 2015.
  3. ↑ "Family Scrapbook- The Girls". The Duggar Family (official website). Retrieved April 21, 2015.
  4. 1 2 Susan Pierce. "In new book, Duggar daughters discuss relationships". Timesfreepress.com. Retrieved 7 February 2015.
  5. ↑ "Jessa Seewald description". Hollywoodlife.com. Retrieved 7 February 2015.
  6. ↑ "Duggar Family". encyclopediaofarkansas.nett. Anastasia Teske. Retrieved 9 June 2015.
  7. ↑ "What Do The Duggars Do All Day? They Have To Do Something Besides '19 Kids & Counting'". Bustle. Casey Rackham. Retrieved 29 June 2015.
  8. ↑ "14 children and pregnant again". figure8films.com. Retrieved March 1, 2015.
  9. ↑ "Raising 16 children". figure8films.com. Retrieved March 1, 2015.
  10. ↑ "On the road with 16 children". figure8films.com. Retrieved March 1, 2015.
  11. ↑ "19 kids and counting". tv.com. Retrieved March 1, 2015.
  12. ↑ Rothman, Michelle and Messer, Lesley (July 16, 2015). ""19 Kids and Counting" Cancelled: The Duggars Speak Out". ABC News. Retrieved November 17, 2015.
  13. ↑ "Welcome Back Jill & Jessa". TLC. October 18, 2015. Retrieved November 17, 2015.
  14. ↑ Eglash, Joanne (November 17, 2015). "Jessa Duggar Uses Jana Duggar as Babysitter, but did Jana Act as Babysitter in Risky Home Birth?". Inquisitr. Retrieved November 17, 2015.
  15. ↑ "Interview With Jill Duggar Prior To The Publishing Of The Duggar Girls' Book, "Growing Up Duggar"". CrossMap. Retrieved 19 June 2015.
  16. ↑ "Jessa Duggar Courtship!". DuggarFamilyBlog.com. Retrieved 22 March 2015.
  17. ↑ "Jessa Duggar Engaged!". UsMagazine.com. Allison Takeda. Retrieved 29 March 2015.
  18. ↑ "Jessa Duggar and Ben Seewald Reveal Wedding Date – and She Has a Dress!". People. Alicia C. Dennis. Retrieved 31 March 2015.
  19. ↑ "Jessa (Duggar) Seewald and Ben Seewald Welcome First Child – It's a Boy!". People. Retrieved 6 November 2015.
  20. ↑ "Jessa Duggar Seewald is pregnant". Msn. Jessica Wedemeyer. Retrieved 21 April 2015.
  21. ↑ "Duggar Daughter Gives Son Unique Name". E! News. Retrieved November 17, 2015.
  22. ↑ Bertsche, Rachel (November 12, 2015). "Meaning Behind Jessa Duggar's Unusual Baby Name". Yahoo. Retrieved November 17, 2015.
  23. ↑ Corriston, Michelle (November 16, 2015). "Smiling Spurgeon! Jessa (Duggar) Seewald Shares Bedtime Photo of Baby Boy". People. Retrieved November 17, 2015.
  24. ↑ "Exclusive: Duggar sisters want to 'set the record straight'". Fox News. 5 June 2015. Retrieved 9 June 2015.
  25. ↑ Caitlin Keating (June 3, 2015). "Jill Dillard Speaks Out: Jessa and I 'Are Victims' of Molestation". People Magazine. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  26. ↑ Abby Ohlheiser (June 3, 2015). "Josh Duggar molested four of his sisters and a babysitter, parents tell Fox News". Washington Post blog. Retrieved June 4, 2015.

External links


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