How Does Fired ‘Counting On’ Cast Member Derick Dillard Make His Money?

Since his firing from TLC after making repeated transphobic comments, fans have been wondering how Counting On alum Derick Dillard has been helping to support his family.

Dillard was fired earlier this month after making bullying comments about transgender teenager Jazz Jennings, who stars in the TLC show I Am Jazz. Dillard had been chastised by the network in the past after making comments calling the teen a “non-reality,” but crossed the line in a rant in which he accused her of being part of a “propaganda” campaign.

Dillard, whose LinkedIn profile lists his profession as a “missionary,” previously worked as a substitute teacher briefly, but his job now is organizing Duggar-sanctioned missions work for his church. He regularly asks his social media followers to donate to his missions work, but the family appears to subsist mostly off of the money they’ve been paid by TLC.

“I started a fundraiser on gofundme to raise the funding I need for various missions opportunities I will have throughout the year,” he wrote on his GoFundMe campaign. “I have a donations goal of $10,000. This will enable me to fulfill my specific calling to ministry this year, including trips for Gospel-advancement and humanitarian work in Northwest Arkansas, North America, and abroad.”

Dillard has been criticized in the past for his missions work by people who don’t think his trips to Central America and cities such as Washington D.C. are funded transparently. Some followers even gone so far as to accuse him of blocking them on Twitter when they ask where donations have gone.

Dillard has defended his actions, saying that his missionary work is legitimate.

“I have a job,” he responded to one follower telling him he needed to “pay his own way” earlier this month.