Is this Duggar PDA that we see? Josiah Duggar was spotted hugging and possibly kissing his new girlfriend less than a week after announcing their courtship, blatantly breaking the religious family’s strict rules.
The 21-year-old Counting On cast member and girlfriend Lauren Swanson recently documented their trip to New Zealand on Instagram, but photos obtained by Radar, seen here, show them getting a little cozier than dad Jim Bob and mom Michelle Duggar would probably approve of. One shows Josiah grabbing his girlfriend by the side of her chest to help her off an Army Museum exhibit, another depicts Swanson resting her head on her beau’s shoulder and a third appears to capture a kiss on the lips while the couple sat by the waterside.
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All of this is normal dating behavior, but not for the Duggars, who ban chest-to-chest contact, kissing and anything more than a quick side hug before marriage. Hand-holding is saved for engagement.
Josiah announced last week that he was courting the 18-year-old friend of the family after his first courtship with Marjorie Jackson ended after four months in late 2015, early 2016.
“We are overjoyed to begin this new phase of our lives together. Through the years our families’ friendship has allowed us to get to know one another as friends. I can definitely say I have found a great friend … even better than I could have hoped for or imagined,” Duggar told PEOPLE following the news of their courtship.
“I so appreciate Lauren’s Christlike character and tender heart toward others. She brings sunshine into the room and encourages everyone around her,” he continued. “It’s always stood out to me that in every situation, she looks for the one who appears to be sad or lonely and quickly can brighten their day by sharing words of hope, an encouraging scripture, a prayer or even a simple smile with them.”
Duggar added that the new couple is already “praying together toward our future” as they get to know each other better. They recently returned from a trip to Australia and New Zealand, the location the photos were allegedly taken, where they traveled to attend Institute in Basic Life Principles conferences with the Duggar family.
“We are thankful to God and our families for the love and support we’ve received in starting this new chapter of life and look forward to sharing it with others as the future unfolds,” Duggar said.
In other exciting Duggar news, three of Jim Bob and Michelle’s kids are expecting their first children in the coming months — Joy-Anna and Austin Forsyth, Kendra and Joseph Duggar, and Jinger and Jeremy Vuolo.
Photo credit: Instagram / @siduggar
