Jill Duggar Reveals Infuriatingly Low Pay for 'Counting On', Puts Her Dad Jim Bob on Blast

Jill Duggar Dillard is opening up about the shocking lack of compensation she received for filming her family's reality shows 19 Kids and Counting and Counting On. The 32-year-old former TLC star claims in her recently-released memoir Counting the Cost that she wasn't paid at all to film for her family's shows, which she told PEOPLE took around 20 hours a week if not more.

The person who was being paid for all of the family's filming was Jill's father, Jim Bob Duggar, who handled all of the financials and negotiations, and whom Jill estimates after looking at his original contract with TLC earned about $8 million for nearly 10 years of filming. As for Jill and her siblings, they didn't question what they were told by their parents.

"I think I was so conditioned to this belief that we were benefitting from it, from going on this trip or that trip or whatever," she told PEOPLE. "It was like, well we can buy frozen pizzas instead of beans and rice now because [TLC] is covering these things. It was literally so ingrained in me to be grateful." It was only when she married her husband Derick Dillard and began exploring supporting their family that she realized that not being paid for filming was "not normal."

"It makes sense that somebody would want to push that narrative [of staying grateful], because they're the ones seeing the greater benefits," Jill explained, referring to her father. Jill's relationship with her parents quickly grew tense, as she asked Jim Bob for payment and was offered a check for $80,000 alongside the other grown children. Jill and Derick rejected the offer after getting a better look at the original contracts her father signed in 2014, and the couple would eventually accept a check for $175,000 after getting an attorney.

Her relationship with her parents only worsened when she learned Jim Bob had tricked her into signing a contract saying she would fulfill various filming obligations for the next five years without her knowledge. Counting On was canceled in 2021 after Jill's older brother, Josh Duggar, was indicted on two counts of child pornography. Josh was later convicted and sentenced to 12.5 years in prison.

Ahead of the release of Counting the Cost, Jim Bob and his wife Michelle Duggar told PEOPLE in a statement, "We love all of our children very much. As with any family, few things are more painful than conflicts or problems among those you love. We've aimed to deal honorably with our children, our finances, and our other endeavors. While imperfect, it is our intent and desire to live a life that honors Christ."

The statement continued, "We do not believe the best way to resolve conflicts, facilitate forgiveness and reconciliation, or to communicate through difficulties is through the media or in a public forum so we will not comment. As the future unfolds, we will continue to love our family, pray for them, and enjoy every moment gifted to us to be parents and grandparents."