TLC Says Derick Dillard Was Fired From ‘Counting On,’ Likely Due to His Comments About Transgender Reality Star Jazz Jennings

“Well, crap. What am I supposed to do now, get a JOB!? Geez.”

TLC has given yet another Duggar family member the boot from its programming!

The network issued a statement on Saturday to let viewers know that Derick Dillard, the husband of Duggar daughter Jill, will no longer be featured on Counting On, most likely due to numerous social media attacks on Jazz Jennings, the transgender teen star of TLC’s I Am Jazz.

Derick unleashed another Twitter attack on Jazz on Friday night, stating that he pitied Jazz, and that he felt Jazz’s parents were taking advantage of “him.” (Derick has refused to use female pronouns to describe Jazz.)

(Click here to read some of Derick’s recent comments about Jazz.)

Derick’s recent comments were similar to those he made about Jazz in August, where Derick said he had nothing against “him” (meaning Jazz) but that “transgender is a myth.”

“You just couldn’t keep your mouth shut, could you Derick?”

In August, TLC issued a short statement that said Derick’s “personal statements” did not “represent the views of TLC.” After Derick’s second attack on Jazz, however, the network stepped it up and issued a full statement letting viewers know that the Duggar son-in-law had been given the boot from the network a while ago.

“We want to let viewers know that Derick Dillard has not participated in ‘Counting On’ for months and the network has no plans to feature him in the future,” TLC’s statement read. “We want to reiterate that Derick’s personal statements do not reflect the views of the network. TLC is proud to share the story of Jazz Jennings and her family and will continue to do so.”

Of course, Derick is not the only member of the Duggar family to get banned from TLC. In 2015, the network made a statement to inform viewers that eldest son Josh Duggar would no longer be featured on the network, after the news broke that he had molested four of his sisters and another young girl while he was in his teens. Since then, Josh’s mug has not been seen on ‘Counting On’ or any other TLC show.

It is not yet known if Derick’s banning will affect Jill and their children Israel and Samuel from appearing.

Eagle-eyed viewers noticed that Derick and Jill have not been used in any recent promo photos for ‘Counting On,’ and that Derick was seated far away from his fellow Duggar sons-in-law Austin Forsyth, Ben Seewald and Jeremy Vuolo during the Joseph Duggar wedding special. While the other guys were shown in the crowd during the wedding, Derick was not.

Jill and Derick also did not participate in a special filmed this summer that featured the older Duggar kids.

Derick and Jill have not commented on Derick’s excommunication from TLC. They did, however, reveal on Saturday that Derick is (once again) begging fans for money. The Dillards posted a link to a GoFundMe page Derick started to get donations to help pay for him to attend Cross Church School of Ministry, a one-year ministry and residency experience.

“I believe [this] will be a key asset in not only my vocational ministry, but also in my personal development,” Derick wrote in the post. (Only two donations have been made since the page went up on Friday.)

Although the Duggar family has not commented on Derick’s firing or his tweets, Jazz did post a tweet on Saturday that seemed to be aimed at Derick and his comments about her.

“In the face of constant ignorance and hatred I prefer to disregard negative opinions and continue moving forward with love,” she wrote.

(Photos: TLC)

 

 

 

 

66 Comments

  1. I’m a supporter of lgbt , but also 1st ammnedment rights. Liberals in Berkeley need to stop refusing to allow mid to right wing speakers from attending speaking engagement because they don’t have similar views. This banning people because of not agreeing with liberal view is a slippery slope and detrimental to society and freedom . By the way, the Supreme Court ruled hate speech is allowed under the 1st amendment.


  2. So he said what they’ve all been saying right along (remember Michelle’s robo calls?) but he gets fired? You can’t have it both ways TLC. I just feel sorry for Jazz in that her flaky parents started the transition so young and now she has to have her colon for a vagina. They should go to jail for child abuse!


  3. jazz will never be able to have kids. he wont be able to enjoy sex. his growth is stunted. he is going to have hormone problems for the rest of her life. its not about gender for me its about health. that child isn’t healthy. hopefully the person will continue to pay for him and he wont end up on Medicaid.


  4. He needs to grow up. Now he’s complaining about being persecuted in the name of Christ. You can’t bait and bully people and them claim you are being persecuted because of your religion. That’s not how that works. You’re being “persecuted” because you’re a butthole. Jesus or no Jesus.

    He could have picked any number of people affiliated with TLC to pick on, and have scriptures that could be used to plead his case:

    Sister Wives – polygamy is a no-no
    My 600 Lb Life- “greed” and “gluttony” are no-no’s
    Hoarders- filth isn’t godly- no-no
    Long Island Medium- conversing with the dead- huge no-no in Christianity.

    I could go on- but point is, he chose to pick on a minor who didn’t even provoke him. That’s not Christian. That’s being a butthole. He deserved to be fired. True Christians know when to hold their tongue.


  5. The thing is, all the Duggars and their respective spouses feel the same way. Derick was not savvy enough to hide it. Eventually the whole family will be booted off after some more of their “beliefs” slip out. I also think Derick developed a drug problem after all his surgeries, he’s definitely not the same person when he first came on the scene.


  6. Does anyone else notice all the comments by “non-Duggar” family members floating through here?
    We see you Derek! Go away now. No one wants to give you any money here!!


  7. its about time for this to be cancelled it should have never been brought back. How do ou cancel honey boo boo for less and keep the family with a child molester stay


    1. So you think it’s perfectly fine for a grown man to bully a child?

      In what world is that okay? Certainly not a world I want to live in.


      1. “In what world is that okay?”

        The same world that says it is perfectly normal and acceptable to give children growth stunting hormones so they will become sterile and ignore every possible negative that comes with it.

        The same world that has made it trendy to abuse your own children for the sake of being “progressive”

        What is worse? Telling children a truth they may not want to accept or going along with (encouraging even) delusions that will permanently damage them both mentally and physically?


  8. Just get rid of the show instead of plucking them off one by one. They have call expressed narrow minded beliefs at some point.


  9. It sounds like he has a raging boner for this Jazz person, and he’s praying hard to the baby Jesus to make the tinglings go away. These people are always perves. Their whole religion is based on sex and trying to suppress natural desires. I’m willing to bet he will eventually be caught red handed with a shemale prostitute, IF he can raise the funds to solicit one?


  10. Ha!
    I️ am very excited that they fired him, he’s disgusting. It seems like they fired him after the first time he said crap about Jazz, I️ wonder why TLC didn’t say anything then? Were they giving him a chance to redeem himself? A “trial firing” or some such.

    It seems so stupid for TLC to have a show about the duggars, a super conservative, narrow minded, religious family, and then get upset when they spout their conservative, narrow minded views. Like what did they expect? It’s hypocritical to say “we support your views on women, marriage, courting, baby making, birth control, clothing, and covering for child molesters… and we will pay you lots of money to show your misogynistic world view on national television, but we don’t support your other narrow minded views.” They shouldn’t support this family at all!


    1. My phone is changing certain letters to an exclamation point and square for some reason. “Eye” was attempting to use the homonyn of “eye” in those cases.


    2. True. I don’t know why TLC ever thought it was a good idea to have these Duggar freaks on TV in the first place, but they came along at a time when the network really had a thing for clown car vaginas (Jon and Kate + 8), and they thought viewers were be just as fascinated. I guess they were right, because years later they are still on TV, despite Brother Bad Touch and all of his scandals.


  11. Derek is right about Jazz being exploited by HIS parents! HE’S way too young to be making such life-changing decisions about HIS body. I watched 10 minutes of HIS show once and his surgeon (?) was discussing removing part of his colon or anus and creating a fake vagina out of it. This shouldn’t even be a decision a kid should make and it’s absolutely idiotic of HIS fame whore parents to allow it to be on national TV. Thumb down my comment all you want, I don’t give a flying f-ck. I’m right about this one. This country has gone insane!


    1. Regardless of your, his, or anyone else’s beliefs when it comes to people being transgender(note I said people, not just adults here). There is NO reason, whatsoever, for a grown ass man to bully a child. And THAT is what this is about, not one’s personal feelings on transgender, or whether or not a child can be.

      Also, you should know if you live in the US, that the US is far more critical of people being transgender(people of ALL ages) than most other developed countries around the world. So, unless you believe the exact opposite of what you typed here, the “insane” comment, makes absolutely no sense. Other countries are far more accepting and have been, since long before either one of us was born.


      1. A child should not be discussing altering his sexual organs on TV for the world to see. (That is INSANE!) Jazz is not immune to sexual predators. He may someday regret sharing so much and parents should know better.


        1. What does any of that have to do with a grown adult that enjoys bullying children?

          We could him and haw all day long about what we “feel” or “believe” is right, regarding transgender, whether or not Jazz should be on tv, etc.etc..We’d be going round and round for days, if not weeks. People have their opinions, and whether or not I agree with them, I do agree they have the right to have them.

          What I don’t get, is why everyone is turning this into a discussion about transgender, or even Jazz and her journey(on and off tv) for that matter..when it is about a grown man that lost the only job he had, because he bullies children.


          1. You are spot on in saying the bottom line is an adult harassed a child and he rightfully lost his job. You are also right that this discussion could go on for a very long time, but I take that as a good thing. I like hearing different opinions too, and to me, the fact that so many people are concerned about Jazz’s safety and well being regardless of their opinion about her transitioning is a good sign.

            The reason exploitation comes into the discussion is because Derick is only one of many, many adults who have harassed and threatened Jazz. If we are bothered by Derick harassing Jazz, why shouldn’t we be concerned about the many other folks who target Jazz on a regular basis simply because she’s a transgender public figure? She is bombarded on social media with hurtful comments and people who only want to harass. So I think looking at what role her celebrity status has played in making her a target for hate and predators is important.

            If our primary concern is protecting a child from an adult bully, then why should the discussion stop at Derick?


      2. I completely agree that Derick shouldn’t have addressed Jazz at all and it was morally wrong of him to do so. He was right to be fired because he harassed Jazz, who is a child.

        Having said that, I really do think Jazz is being exploited by her parents. Like the OP mentioned, there are some EXTREMELY personal conversations and medical decisions being broadcast to the world. Being a teenager is a stressful time, and she is transitioning…AND has a television series…I don’t know what her parents are thinking.

        No matter how educational the show may be, it shouldn’t be done at the expense of Jazz. Her parents have made her a target of threats and hate at a crucial point in her emotional and psychological development. On the show they play phone messages from a man threatening their family. More than once Jazz’s mother has had her ‘debating’ adults about transgender issues. There is no way that amount of stress is healthy for ANY child.


  12. Aside from the point that this family needs to work real jobs to take care of themselves, this “school” isn’t accredited so that means FAFSA and traditional financial aid are not options. Why should anyone donate to a made up program instead of helping those who truly need it-like people in Puerto Rico?


    1. He is allowed. And TLC (his employer) is allowed to hire and fire at will. No one is being arrested or put to death. That’s freedom of speech.


    2. How you say what you want to say, is just as important as the words you choose to use.

      THAT is why TLC fired him-and they have that right. If you’re going to spout off about freedom of speech, you also need to acknowledge that A-it doesn’t apply when it comes to a private company, and B-freedom of speech doesn’t equal freedom from consequences. Our words always have consequences, not wanting to accept them doesn’t mean they disappear.
      He’s been milking this TLC tit long enough.


    3. “Freedom of speech” does NOT equal “freedom of consequences of your speech.”

      You can’t start touting things like that without understanding what you’re saying, bless your heart.


  13. I’m sorry but there was nothing wrong with what he said. He was simply stating his beliefs. If you don’t agree with him then don’t read anything he writes. Simple as that. Fact of the matter is, Jazz was born MALE. So he has every right to point that out, seeing as everybody wants to ignore that. And you can say whatever you want about me for saying this, but I completely agree with everything he said. If God wanted to make him female he would have. And no child truly knows what they want to be. When I was younger I wanted to be a lawyer, now at age 22 I want to do other things. Just get off the guys back for being brave enough to speak out against what he sees.


    1. What he said is backwards and disgusting. Society is moving towards being more inclusive, less misogynistic, less religiously conservative, and more accepting of all people regardless of gender identity, sexual orientation, etc. You personally may not have found anything wrong with what he said, you may have agreed, but his employer is allowed to make rules about what is and is not okay to say publically when he is representing the channel. He could’ve said these things privately during a private conversation about gender identity, but he chose to say them publically. He is harassing this teenage girl online, who is one of his “coworkers,” as they both work for TLC. If they both worked in an office job, he wouldn’t be allowed to make up flyers with his views and paste them around the office. He is publically harassing someone. He has a legal right to do so, the government does not have a right to censor him or to arrest him for saying these things (THAT is what the first amendment freedom of speech means), but his employer has a right to fire him for not complying with company policy, and society has a right to condemn him for his hateful views. Freedom of speech does not mean freedom from all consequences of speech.


      1. I think the entire situation (Derick’s behavior and TLC’s response) is very bizarre. TLC had two successful series exploring two very different types of life experiences and beliefs with the Duggars and Jennings. Both shows were catalysts to spark discussions about day to day issues and how different people define themselves through religion, family, gender, etc..

        Derick shouldn’t have said anything to Jazz first and foremost because she is a child. As smart and mature as Jazz may be…she’s still just a kid. Secondly, he had a warning and he should have taken it. Having said that, I don’t think it’s wrong for someone to have their own opinion on the topic in general and respectfully voice it. That’s how we learn and connect as humans.

        At the end of the day it’s a lot easier to connect with someone of a different race/gender/sexuality than it is to take the time to connect with someone who *thinks* differently than you. So while I agree with TLC for firing Derick, I think it’s hypocritical to say being an inclusive person means not including religious conservatives because that’s the way society is moving. Liberals and conservatives need one another because it provides balance. Is it important to respect a child’s feelings and independence? Yes. Is it important to discuss the medical and psychological ramifications of transitioning especially in children? Yes. Was it right for Derick to direct any comments towards Jazz? NO.


    2. Sienna, do you realize that God doesn’t assign gender?? Biology does and sometimes biology “screws up.” That’s why we have people born with birth defects and sometimes people are even born with both sex organs (hermaphrodite). Sometimes people are literally born in the wrong body and just because you don’t understand how this works doesn’t mean it doesn’t happen.


  14. I am just utterly amazed at how dumb, I mean literally how stupid and clearly uneducated the kids really are! Whenever the producers ask them common questions they have no egging clue! They’re dumber than bricks. Seriously. Even the boys. They’ve been cheated out of a real education. Duggar mom is NOT qualified to be teaching. It’s sad. They probably don’t even know how to tie their shoes. And really, what do they eat because it seems like none of them know how to cook. And I’m sure Mama Duggar doesn’t do it. She is too busy giving Jim Blob blow jobs and sex.


  15. Sadly the whole family probably shares the same views they have just been on tv for so long that they have been programmed to only act “sweet” in public. Can’t imagine that Jill wouldn’t go along with her husband’s hate speak and defend him. What is the point of eliminating one family member at a time from appearing on this show. Time to pull off the band-aid and get rid of them all!


    1. Michelle did a robocall a few years back in relation to the transgender bathroom debate and likened trans people to pedophiles.


        1. The worst part is that she KNEW her son was a pedophile when she recorded those calls. She scaremongered about trans people being child molesters while allowing her son to be out in public spaces and around other little girls. She is vile.


  16. JUSTICE HAS BEEN SERVED! Now back to work for you, DD! How will you help your prob ever growing family otherwise? *gasps* Will you let your wife work, you lazy piece of sh*t?!

    I have a feeling firing Josh and Derick is only the beginning. This family is so backwards in their beliefs that new scandals will follow. And when only one or two castmates will have a clean record, they will cancel the thing in whole.


  17. Just read his Gofund account is up to $2,700 something
    and his tweets
    He got a anonymous donation for the large amount since only 4 people have donated.
    I’m confused do you tweet insults to bring attention to yourself to get donations or is he really just a special kind of stupid?


  18. Maybe she/they will come out with their own version of the Dixie chicks song Earls gotta die lol
    or the movie Fried Green Tomatoes


  19. Maybe if mom and dad had let her date like a normal kid she could have seen his underlying issues but now according to her beliefs she will keep popping out babies babies that he will not get a job to support and she will be stuck with him for life.


    1. Okay, this is going to sound kind of warped, but part of my sick curiosity into the situation is wondering how the Duggar girls ended up with such losers? I mean, IMHO most people involved in Christian Patriarchy are losers, but I mean, like extra loser-losers. Even by their own community’s standards. I mean dudes who refuse to groom or work are an obvious by-product of uneven insular societies. I’m not surprised that some poor submissive girl was tricked into marrying them, but I guess I’m saying the Duggar girls are basically celebrities and status symbols within their community. Isn’t the whole point of semi-arranged marriage to screen out men who wouldn’t be able to take care of their families? You know, like Jinger’s husband. He has some really warped views and who knows what happens behind closed doors, but he is good looking and has a job? But he’s the exception, not this dude. What exactly is the point of obsessing over your daughter’s purity and asserting control of the decision of who to marry if this is who gets through a father’s screening?


    1. Jaw surgery. But that was long time ago. No idea why it still looks like that, prob the doctor was not qualified to perform such surgery. (or he got an infection or sth)


      1. The doctor graduated from Michelle Duggar’s Home-Schoolin’ Academy, so he didn’t have any real training. Just prayed it went well.


  20. Seriously what is wrong with his face? Not even saying that to be mean, like.. he looks like he is slowly disintegrating.


  21. This family is beyond shady TLC picks and chooses family members that we are exposed to on TV that whole family needs to go! It’s ridiculous no one has ever judged them for believing in God but the extreme they take it to and the things they’re willing to overlook are extremely disturbing and I am shocked that the whole clan of Duggers continue to profit from their family that honestly seems to be in turmoil and they do not even relize it


    1. We regret to understand that it’s us the people that choose who is on t.v. Everyone states their opinion, it’s a right we have as citizens. I truly don’t think Dillard ment to put anyone down. We as people need to stop the hate. Spread love, don’t add to the negative.


      1. Multiple verbal attacks on an individual person, is absolutely intentional. There is no way to sugar coat what he has said, what he has posted on public social media pages, and pretend the intent was “not to put anyone down”. They were ALL personal attacks, period.

        I commend Jazz on her ability to rise up, when a grown man(and everyone around him) can’t help but stoop as low as possible. If anyone in this scenario is Christ-like, it is Jazz.


        1. “If anyone in this scenario is Christ-like, it is Jazz.” Yaaaas- being a backwards wife-oppressing hater is far from being Christ-like. Jesus would be disgusted by Derek’s behavior but would support Jazz as she’s been oppressed and works to help those who face similar oppression. Hyper-religious folks (and this goes beyond Christianity but impacts many religions) can be the biggest hypocrites.

          Maybe Derek is gender-confused? Often those who are most outspoken are in fact suppressing their true feelings.


      2. Um, how exactly is a grown man bullying a child not putting anyone down? He has a right to voice his opinion, but the people have a right to take away his larger platform to do so, and i applaud the decision. He doesn’t deserve to have an audience.


      3. Ok, stop the hate—but what about the hypocrisy? Derrick is a freeloading all knowing butthead that chose to bash the Jennings family, TLC produces an oxymoron according to him and he never even met Jazz. Those who live in glass houses

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