TLC may not be able to count on the presence of Jinger Duggar and husband Jeremy Vuolo for much longer.
The couple, who are parents to a two-year old named Felicity and a newborn named Evangeline, have been mainstays on this cable network for years.
First, they were priimary cast members on 19 Kids and Counting... until that show was canceled amid Josh Duggar admitting he had molested his sisters as a teenager.
Now, for the past few years, Jinger and Jeremy have helped anchor the spinoff Counting On.
But the parents of two have given fans some reasons of late to think they may be done with reality television.
First, Duggar and Vuolo did NOT go through TLC in order to announce they were expecting for a second time.
Typically, when it comes pregnancy news or engagement news, members of this famous family record a video that gets released through the official TLC YouTube page and/or website in order to alert viewers.
Jinger did not do this in early 2020, however.
Could folks be reading too much into this snub?
Not necessarily.
Asked if the rumors about the husband and wife quitting the series are true, an insider told The Sun:
"Yes. It's not definite yet, but they are having deep conversations about quitting."
Why would Jinger and Jeremy walk away from such a platform?
"The contracts with the network are a bit crazy, they are very locked in and it stops them from making money in many other ways," claims this same insider to this same publication.
The issue of Counting On contracts and how restrictive they can be is not new.
For several months now, Derick Dillard and his wife, Jill Duggar, have been saying the same thing.
In an interview with People Magazine, Jill came right out and said she was estranged from her parents because they were simply too controlling.
Jill cited the limited opportunities afforded to her and Derick as a result of their terrible contract with TLC as the main example of this control.
"Our control to choose what jobs we were allowed to accept and even where we were allowed to live was taken away from us," Jill candidly told the aforementioned outlet, explaining that she and Dillard weren't even permitted to set their own goals iin life.
They barely even talk to Jim Bob and Michelle now as a result.
"The first few years of our marriage, we spent time and money working towards opportunities only to hit a dead end when we'd be told, 'Well, you're not allowed to do that,'" Derick added in this same interview.
Will Jinger and Jeremy now cut Jim Bob and Michelle out of their lives, in the same way Jill has done?
It's too early to tell.
However, their issues here sound very similar to those of Jill and Derick.
"They can't do a lot of media or appear on other TV shows, the money is controlled, it's horrible, and they are trying to build their lifestyle brand now," reports The Sun.
"They've had discussions with family members and the network about leaving, and they are unsurprisingly desperate to keep them signed on for years to come."
Just how raw is this deal?
Contracts vary, but most reality TV stars on shows such as Counting On make approximately $25,000 per episode.
"What they make an episode is also embarrassingly low, it's just over $1,500 for each of them," claims The Sun, adding:
"And there's definitely drama surrounding how the money is split up between members of the family."
Again, Jill has said she had to go the legal route to reclaim some of the money her dad took from her.
Jinger is only legally obligated to stick with TLC until 2022 -- and then she'll be a free agent.
"Jinger has grown up in front of the cameras, but she thinks it could be time to step away, especially now they've moved to LA and they're doing their own thing," the source says.
"They would also be interested in getting involved in other TV projects in the future, but right now they are prevented from doing so."
