Over the past few weeks as Josh Duggar’s name has been all over the headlines due to child pornography charges, his wife Anna has stood by him through the tumult. It’s the Duggar way to stick with husbands through thick and thin thanks to their religious beliefs, which makes the news that Jessica Seewald and Dwight Phillips Lester are getting a divorce all the more shocking.
News broke this week that Jessica Seewald and her husband are splitting up after only two years of marriage. The couple originally wed in 2019 in a May ceremony with a dress hunting that was chronicled on Say Yes To The Dress.
Jessica Seewald, not to be confused with Jessa Seewald, is the sister of Jessa’s husband, Ben. She reportedly has had a bit of a rocky relationship with Jessa over the years, dating back to at least when she was trying on wedding dresses, some of which Jessa found to be “a little low.” There was tension when Jessica was looking at a dress that really didn’t align with the Duggar way of modestly dressing -- in fact Jessa only recently got into wearing pants at home -- which led Jessica to say at the time:
I think we may have some slightly different convictions as far as what women should wear and what they shouldn't wear.
Jessica Seewald has always done things a little differently than her clan and her in-laws’ clan. She holds down a job as a police officer and has been unafraid to try new fashion looks (even when they are low-cut). She also frequently shares those looks to her personal Instagram, including looks with shorts, a big no-no in the world of Counting On. That Instagram account also recently changed its handle back to Jessica’s maiden name.
Without A Crystal Ball was the first to note the news of the divorce, with The Sun confirming that Jessica Seewald had, in fact, filed for divorce on May 21. Jessa Duggar Seewald and Ben Seewald have not commented about the divorce (though they did officially comment on the Josh Duggar news a few weeks ago). The news stands out because it is rare for those with such fervent religious beliefs such as the Duggars and Seewalds have to break the "covenant with God" that marriage is seen as. Even Anna Duggar, who is currently pregnant with her seventh child, has stood by Josh Duggar through multiple scandals, including child molestation report reveals, the recent child pornography charges and the eldest Duggar son spending time on a cheating website called Ashley Madison.
While all of this has gone on over the past few weeks, the Seewalds have spent a lot of time together, picking strawberries and celebrating dad Ben’s birthday with a sweet recommitment to family post. Still, at some point it's likely these family issues will at least need to be touched on on TLC or elsewhere and we'll keep you updated every step of the way.
