Jessa Seewald

Jessa Lauren Seewald (née Duggar; born November 4, 1992)^[2] is an American television personality. She is known for being part of the cast of TLC's reality shows 19 Kids and Counting (2008–2015) and Counting On (2015–2021). She also co-authored a book with her sisters Jana, Jill and Jinger titled Growing Up Duggar: It's All About Relationships.^[3]

Jessa Seewald
Seewald in 2007
Born	Jessa Lauren Duggar (1992-11-04) November 4, 1992 (age 31) Tontitown, Arkansas, U.S.
Occupation	Television personality
Years active	2004–2021
Spouse	Benjamin Seewald ​ ​ (m. 2014)​ ^[1]
Children	5
Parent	Jim Bob Duggar (father)
Relatives	18 siblings including Josh, Jana, Jill, Jinger, and Joy-Anna

Career

Television

Seewald 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 her sister Johannah was born. This was followed by another feature, On the Road with 16 Children about a family cross-country trip.^[4][5][6]

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.^[7] The series was cancelled in 2015 due to her brother Josh's scandals.^[8] Another series, Jill & Jessa: Counting On, starring Seewald and her sister Jill, premiered later in 2015.^[9][10] The series was cancelled in 2021 due to Josh Duggar's arrest.

Book

With three of her sisters, Seewald 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.^[11][12]

Personal life

Seewald was born in Tontitown, Arkansas, as the fifth child and the third daughter of Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar's 19 children. She married rapper and Pastor Benjamin Seewald on November 1, 2014. Together, the couple have five children: Spurgeon, Henry, Ivy, Fern and George^[13][14] In 2023, she revealed she had a miscarriage in December 2022.^[15]

Advocate

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 fully clothed. Seewald further stated she became aware of the abuse after her parents told her what had occurred following her brother's confession. While Seewald described the abuse as "very wrong," she decried those referring to her brother as a "child molester" or a "pedophile" or a "rapist", saying, "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."^[16][17][18]

References

1. Alicia C. Dennis. "Jessa marries Ben Seewald". People.com. from the original on November 2, 2014. Retrieved February 7, 2015.
2. "Family Scrapbook- The Girls". The Duggar Family (official website). from the original on March 18, 2015. Retrieved April 21, 2015.
3. Messer, Lesley. "Inside the Duggars' Relationship Advice Book", ABC News, February 20, 2014.
4. "14 children and pregnant again". figure8films.com. from the original on February 25, 2015. Retrieved March 1, 2015.
5. "Raising 16 children". figure8films.com. from the original on February 26, 2015. Retrieved March 1, 2015.
6. "On the road with 16 children". figure8films.com. from the original on February 26, 2015. Retrieved March 1, 2015.
7. "19 kids and counting". tv.com. from the original on March 2, 2015. Retrieved March 1, 2015.
8. Rothman, Michelle; Messer, Lesley (July 16, 2015). ""19 Kids and Counting" Cancelled: The Duggars Speak Out". ABC News. Retrieved November 17, 2015.
9. "Welcome Back Jill & Jessa". TLC. October 18, 2015. from the original on November 19, 2015. Retrieved November 17, 2015.
10. Eglash, Joanne (November 17, 2015). "Jessa Duggar Uses Jana Duggar as Babysitter, but did Jana Act as Babysitter in Risky Home Birth?". Inquisitr. from the original on November 18, 2015. Retrieved November 17, 2015.
11. Susan Pierce (March 17, 2014). "In new book, Duggar daughters discuss relationships". Timesfreepress.com. from the original on February 7, 2015. Retrieved February 7, 2015.
12. "Interview With Jill Duggar Prior To The Publishing Of The Duggar Girls' Book, "Growing Up Duggar"". CrossMap. Retrieved June 19, 2015.
13. Calvario, Liz (February 18, 2021). "Jessa Duggar and Husband Ben Seewald Expecting Baby No. 4 (Exclusive)". ET Online.
14. Speakman, Kimberlee (December 23, 2023). "Jessa Duggar Welcomes Baby No. 5, a Boy: 'There Were So Many Emotions'". People.
15. Speakman, Kimberlee. "Jessa Duggar Reveals She Suffered a Miscarriage: 'I Just Immediately Started Crying'". People. Dotdash Meredith. Retrieved February 26, 2023.
16. "Exclusive: Duggar sisters want to 'set the record straight'". Fox News. June 5, 2015. from the original on June 8, 2015. Retrieved June 9, 2015.
17. Caitlin Keating (June 3, 2015). "Jill Dillard Speaks Out: Jessa and I 'Are Victims' of Molestation". People Magazine. from the original on June 5, 2015. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
18. Abby Ohlheiser (June 3, 2015). "Josh Duggar molested four of his sisters and a babysitter, parents tell Fox News". Washington Post blog. from the original on June 4, 2015. Retrieved June 4, 2015.

External links

• Jessa & Ben's Love story