‘Counting On’: Jinger Duggar’s Husband Jeremy Vuolo Begs Forgiveness After Insensitive Joke Related to Grandma Mary’s Death

Counting On star Jeremy Vuolo asked the family of his wife, Jinger Duggar Vuolo, for forgiveness after he retweeted a nature video about a grasshopper drowning in a pool. Vuolo later realized that was insensitive, as Jinger’s grandmother, Mary Duggar, died from accidental drowning. Duggar died on June 9 in Springdale, Arkansas at age 78.

Vuolo shared a video of a dog trying to rescue a grasshopper that had fallen into a pool. “Would you rather: a) Drown in a swimming pool; or b) Be crushed by the jaws and teeth of a massive dog-like creature that is 4000x bigger than you. I know, it’s a tough one,” the caption accompanying the video read. Vuolo removed the retweet after fans noted that the video could be seen as insensitive, reports InTouch Weekly.

“Yesterday, I retweeted a nature video & made a comment about a grasshopper drowning in a pool,” Vuolo tweeted on Thursday. “I was not thinking about what happened last Summer and, as soon as I realized how insensitive it was, I took it down. I asked my wife & in-laws to forgive me & I hope you will, as well!”

Many of Vuolo’s family’s praised him for the tweet, saying the apology was the right course of action. “I dont think anyone made that connection but if family did, then this was the loving course of action,” one person wrote. “We have ALL stumbled with our words and been insensitive, whether intentional or not. It shows strength of character to address it and apologize,” another added.

Following Duggar’s death, the family confirmed that she suffered two strokes prior to her fall. She “slipped and fallen and passed by the time her daughter found her in the pool,” a representative for the family said last year. “We’ve been really touched by the outpouring of support and more than a thousand people referred to her as America’s grandma which is a title we hadn’t even given her.”

In the year since Duggar’s death, her family has frequently paid tribute to her. In December, Anna Duggar, the wife of Josh Duggar, shared a heartbreaking tribute to mark the family’s first Christmas without Duggar. “We reflected on last year when Great-Grandma Mary Duggar was here with us and all the precious memories we made then,” Anna wrote on Instagram, comparing a photo from their 2018 Christmas to 2019. “A great reminder that we don’t always know what a year may hold…so cherish every moment this CHRISTmas season!”