Amy Duggar Dillon, 35, is a happy mom to son Daxton, 2, and wife to Dillon King, and after posting a cryptic message on social media about cutting toxic family out of her life, she has no regrets. “I 100% stand for that message,” Amy told HollywoodLife EXCLUSIVELY on Oct. 4. “I have created those boundaries in our life to protect Daxton and to protect myself.”
The protection Amy seems to be referring to right now comes after cousin Josh Duggar‘s April 2021 arrest for suspicion of child pornography charges with a trial now set for this November, and this isn’t the first time he’s faced such accusations, either. Niece of Josh’s dad, Jim Bob Duggar, Amy has slowly distanced herself from her very conservative reality TV family. Fans of TLC’s 19 Kids & Counting and Counting On have seen Amy appear several times over the year, even getting a rebellious title for her living what many would call a “normal” lifestyle by doing simple things like kissing boys before marriage. She still maintains a relationship with one family member though, cousin Jill Duggar Dillard, 30, who’s also estranged from the famous family.
Writing in the post that, “it’s not easy, but necessary” to distance from the ones who you share blood with, Amy has advice for others who may be in her shoes. “I would say if there is anyone in your family, anyone, who lies to you,” Amy shared. “Not even just family, but, that is a toxic family quote, if anyone lies to you, if anyone covers up things, if anyone acts a certain way or treats you differently, kind of rejects you, anyone that makes you feel less than. Those people don’t truly love you and accept you for you and that’s OK to eliminate them from your life if all they’re going to do is bring you down and make you feel like you’re a terrible person for no reason.”
Amy is glad that she’s able to show off another side of her with opening successful business’ with her husband, like her 3130 brick and mortar clothing company. “I would say that I’m not a black sheep,” Amy said. “And I think that is well known now that I’m not, but I’m also a firecracker and I’m OK to be a little rattlesnake and to just be who I am. It’s OK to be outspoken. I think that I was surrounded by people that were soft spoken and so of course I looked a lot louder than I honestly really am, but, I am not afraid to speak the truth and I’m not afraid to use my voice for good.”
And her experience with her family hasn’t totally shut down thoughts of appearing on reality TV again, either! After appearing with her husband on Marriage Bootcamp, the couple would happily appear again or even do their own reality show if done right. “I would be open to it, but it would have to be done our way and it would have to be real and just blunt with what it is,” Dillon said. “We don’t sugar coat anything,” Amy added. “We’re kind of like the Kardashians. We don’t hide anything. What you see is what you get and we don’t hide. We’re not perfect and we don’t want to be perfect because that’s not real. If there’s one thing that I know and I’ve learned it’s that it’s not real.”
