DERICK Dillard paid tribute to his wife Jill Duggar after the couple broke their silence about Counting On’s “control” over their family.
The dad-of-two took to his Instagram to praise his wife who had “been through so much.”
Jill, 30, and Derick, 32, have become estranged from her famous family in recent years.
He posted a photo of the couple sharing a tender moment in a field as he put his arm around her and kissed her head.
Jill is seen leaning into her husband and closing her eyes.
“I love life with my best friend. We have been through so much, but there’s nobody I would rather have by my side,” wrote Derick as her referred fans to their online statement.
Last week, The Sun exclusively revealed that Counting On had been canceled after nearly six years.
In a lengthy statement on their blog, Derick and Jill admitted they were “a little late because we just learned the news with the rest of the world last Tuesday + this season of life is quite busy for us.”
They continued: “We first heard of the cancellation when both a friend & a cousin each texted us after seeing TLC’s statement online. We do not know how long the cancellation had been planned.
“It’s been over 4 years now since we chose to step away from the show, and, although we were initially barred from sharing our decision to leave the show, we have opened up a little more recently on our social media.”
The married couple added: “However, we also faced many pressures and some unexpected challenges which forced us to step away from the show in an effort to gain more control over our own lives and to do what was best for our family. “
The statement concluded: “The pursuit of freedom and authenticity has been a growing theme in our lives.
“Our story is still being written, and this event is just one more step forward toward that goal.
“Our family’s departure from 19 Kids & Countingand Counting On has allowed us to make our own decisions, including the ability to have a choice in what we share.
“For now, we will move forward on our own terms, and we look forward to whatever opportunities the future holds.”
Back in 2017, Derick faced backlash when he criticized fellow TLC star Jazz Jennings and claimed being transgender is a “myth.”
Following the outrage, TLC tweeted: “We want to let our viewers know that Derick Dillard has not participated in Counting On for months and the network has no plans to feature him in the future.”
After his tweets went viral, Derick defended himself on Instagram by saying: “My view is no different than most Americans, but I just mentioned it…”
Since leaving Counting On, the couple has been known to go against Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar‘s strict rules by wearing less conservative clothes, sending their sons to public school, drinking alcohol and using birth control.
Jill and Derick tied the knot in 2014, while they share sons Israel, six, and Samuel, three.
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A petition calling for Counting On came after Josh Duggar’s arrest on multiple child porn charges.
“But the bottom line is, the network really wants to be on the right side of this scandal ahead of Josh’s trial. It was important for bosses to be seen to have taken action,” an insider told The Sun.
Fans had launched a petition to boycott Counting On when the horrifying details of Josh’s child pornography arrest emerged.
Josh, 33, had pleaded not guilty after being charged with two counts of receiving and possessing child pornography.