Hey, here's a change of pace -- a story that might actually involve some good news for the Duggar family!
If you're a Counting On fan, you're probably already aware of the intense feud between Derick Dillard and Jim Bob Duggar that's been raging for weeks.
The feud hasn't been featured on the family's reality show, and it almost certainly never will be.
But it's been everywhere on social media, and the people who inhabit the more Duggar-obsessed corners of the internet simply can't get enough.
Basically, Derick says Jim Bob is an awful father who has effectively ruined his kids' lives and financial prospects.
Specifically, he claims Jim Bob has stolen from his kids by pocketing their TLC earnings.
For obvious reasons, this has created something of a rift between the Dillards and the Duggars.
Derick was fired from Counting On back in 2017, and his wife, Jill Duggar, quit the show shortly thereafter as a gesture of solidarity.
But these days the Dillard-Duggar divide is greater than ever, and insiders have indicated that the two families have little contact with one another,
So it came as a bit of a surprise this week when the Duggars took to Instagram to wish Derick a happy birthday.
The above photo appeared on the account run by Jim Bob and Michelle this week.
“Happy birthday, Derick!” the Duggars wrote.
“We’re so thankful for you! You’re a loving husband to our sweet Jill, and a wonderful daddy to your boys. May God bless you in this new year!!”
As In Touch Weekly points out, fans were quick to express their astonishment in the comments section.
“Whoa! Didn’t expect that,” one follower remarked.
“I’m very surprised that you posted about Derick,” added another.
“I am glad they can put it all behind them to wish their son-in-law a happy birthday,” a third chimed in.
Given the severity of the bad blood between Derick and his father-in-law, it's certainly not hard to see why so many would be taken aback.
The last time Derick mentioned the beef on Twitter (as he's done several times in recent months), he threatened to write a memoir exposing the Duggars as frauds.
So either this is an act of appeasement, or Derick and Jim Bob have finally settled their differences behind closed doors.
Either way, happy birthday to Derick, who turned 31 on Monday,
He's done a lot of horrific things in his time, but he's made up for a lot of them by calling out Jim Bob!
