Podcast Summary: "How Jill and Derick Are Really Doing These Days"
The Jinger & Jeremy Podcast – Episode 78 (January 21, 2026)
Guests: Jill Dillard & Derick Dillard
Hosts: Jinger Vuolo & Jeremy Vuolo
(Timestamps included as [MM:SS])
Episode Overview
In this heartfelt episode, Jinger and Jeremy Vuolo welcome Jinger's sister, Jill Dillard, and her husband, Derick Dillard, for an in-depth, honest conversation about family, faith, seasons of hardship, and personal growth. The four share candidly about the Dillards’ recent struggles, including workplace burnout, grief after the loss of a child, navigating high-pressure careers, legal battles surrounding the Duggar family, and how their marriage, faith, and priorities have evolved as a result.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Dillards’ Current Life & Updates
[06:01 – 09:23]
- Jill and Derick are raising three sons in Arkansas and recently transitioned to homeschooling.
- There’s ongoing confusion about whether they live in Oklahoma or Arkansas; Derick worked in Oklahoma as a prosecuting attorney but the family resides just over the border in Arkansas.
- Derick discussed his career as a public servant and its challenges, with Jill emphasizing the intensity of his work and long commutes.
- The couple cherish being closer to both sides of their extended family.
Notable Quote:
“Derek is a practicing attorney, hence the sleep deprivation. ... We’ve transitioned now to homeschooling.” — Jill [06:09]
2. Family Heritage and "Co-Brothers"
[02:01 – 04:46]
- The group laughs about the south Asian concept of “co-brothers”—a term for men married to sisters, reflecting on family ties across cultures.
- Stories about thrifting and Arkansas weather bring some comic relief.
Memorable Moment:
Derick explains learning the “co-brother” term from an Indian coworker:
“In India, he would be your co-brother.” — Derick [03:12]
3. Derick’s Law Career: Motivation & Sacrifices
[12:52 – 20:31]
- The Duggars’ public legal challenges, especially Josh Duggar’s trial, motivated Derick towards law.
- Derick says his passion for justice, shaped by personal and family experiences, led him to pursue law, seeing it as “an informed passion.”
- Family balance was challenging during law school and his early law career, with Jill carrying a heavy load at home and Derick’s hours being grueling.
- Jill describes trying to make the most of what little time they had together as a family, with law school mentors encouraging Derick to keep his family a priority.
Notable Quotes:
“I had, like, a passion for something, and I needed it to be an informed passion. ... You want to...do something about it because of unjust things happening.” — Derick [13:13]
“Anytime I could, I would take the boys down to the law school... But then Covid hit and everything shut down.” — Jill [16:54]
4. Work, Burnout, and Family Crisis
[19:16 – 29:15]
- After years of balancing law, long commutes, and raising children, the Dillards hit a breaking point—especially following the loss of their daughter, Isla.
- Jill shares openly about feeling unable to cope and crying daily, while Derick describes the “fever pitch” of December as perhaps the worst in their family’s history.
- The couple realized “something’s got to change,” which resulted in Derick stepping away from his high-stress public service job after employers couldn't provide a truly sustainable schedule.
Notable Quotes:
“Last December was probably like our worst month in our family's history. And Jill was like, hey, something's gotta change.” — Derick [01:07, 18:55]
“It got to where I was crying every single day... he was stressed... I want to be there, but I don't feel like I can.” — Jill [01:14, 27:00]
5. Marriage, Therapy, and Hard Choices
[31:15 – 34:08]
- The Dillards insisted on therapy during intense seasons but faced logistical hurdles due to work in different states and virtual therapy laws.
- They credit their resilience to learning from tough seasons and eventually acting decisively when “something's got to change.”
- Jill lost Isla in her second trimester after weeks of pregnancy illness; grief compounded with burnout led to their realization they needed a new season.
Notable Quotes:
“When everything falls apart, people tell you, 'oh, you're so strong.' And you're like, I don't feel it at all.” — Jill [37:48]
“I think Derek really kind of took the reins on that whenever he could see that I was just like, something's got to change.” — Jill [34:04]
6. Public Life, Grief, and Growth
[34:08 – 39:20]
- Navigating marriage, motherhood, public attention, and deep loss has shaped Jill’s faith and resolve.
- Jill describes herself as “a lot stronger now,” attributes healing to seeking God through adversity, and shares how she uses scripture and reminders to keep perspective.
Memorable Quote:
“I would say I'm a lot stronger now as a person and individual... seeking God in everything that comes your way... there have always been moments where when everything falls apart, that you don't have the strength.” — Jill [35:47 & 37:48]
- Jill shares her practice of writing Bible verses on her hand as daily reminders:
“I like to sharpie things on my hand as I'm busy throughout the day... just so that way I can be reminded of the truth of God's word.” [38:46]
7. Hope, Perspective, and Moving Forward
[40:00 – 50:08]
- Jill and Derick express cautious optimism for the future, noting that hope is now mingled with the wisdom and wariness that come from hard experiences.
- They reflect on how marriage advice—sometimes to trivialize small annoyances—doesn’t always work, and how perspective on little things changes after loss.
- The conversation turns philosophical, discussing regret, the importance of making difficult choices for children, and loving realistically, not sentimentally.
Memorable Exchanges:
“There’s a really hopeful optimism when you’re first starting out, and it’s wonderful... But life is good, and life together is great. Like, we wouldn’t want to be doing this apart from one another.” — Jeremy [41:44]
“A lot of people think about things through the lens of regret. And my dad and I didn’t always have the best relationship. But I don’t regret the things that I did or said because they needed to be done or said.” — Derick [47:48]
Timestamps for Notable Segments
- Welcome and Arkansas visit: [01:00 – 02:31]
- Defining 'Co-Brother' and Family Culture: [02:31 – 04:46]
- Current Life Updates: [06:01 – 09:23]
- Dillard Law School & Career Motivation: [12:52 – 20:31]
- Family Crisis & Burnout: [18:55 – 29:15]
- Therapy & Making the Hard Choice: [31:15 – 34:08]
- Public Life, Challenges, and Growth: [34:08 – 39:20]
- Perspective after Grief: [44:24 – 48:32]
Tone & Style
The tone throughout is warm, honest, and often self-deprecating, with a mix of laughter and vulnerable moments as the four discuss faith, hardship, and family dynamics. The Dillard’s authenticity offers encouragement and solidarity for listeners in difficult seasons, especially around grief, professional sacrifice, and being intentional with marriage and parenting.
Summary Takeaways
- Prioritizing family over career and having the strength to make hard decisions, even when it's difficult, are recurring themes.
- Faith and seeking God remain the foundation for the Dillard and Vuolo families in navigating uncertainty, loss, and public scrutiny.
- Therapy, communication, and learning from challenges have made Jill and Derick a united front, more capable of handling future adversity with perspective and grace.
- The episode concludes with the promise for a future, follow-up conversation delving even deeper into their journey through pain, difficulty, and hope.
Closing Memorable Quotes
- “We haven’t arrived, but we’ve chosen to seek God and join forces as a couple.” — Jill [36:49]
- “When everything falls apart, that you don’t have the strength. You’re not strong. People will tell you, 'oh, you’re so strong.' And you’re like, I don’t feel it at all.” — Jill [37:48]
- “Objectivity is so helpful. What am I trampling in order to...get there on time? And we lose that objectivity all the time.” — Jeremy [46:38]