Duggar Prime Video Series ‘Shiny Happy People’ Exposes Family’s Religion

A new Prime Video documentary series plans to expose the Duggar family. And the limited series will do more than examine the clan who starred on TLC’s “19 Kids And Counting.” Producers also look at the Duggar family’s ties to a religious group, the Institute in Basic Life Principles.

Find out how the documentary will showcase the Duggars and their religion. And get new insights into the famous family’s scandals. Learn all the details below, including a sneak peek trailer.

Duggar Documentary Exposes ’19 Kids’ Clan

TLC’s “19 Kids And Counting” and its spin-off, “Counting On,” painted a portrait of the happy, clean-cut Duggar family enjoying their virtuous lives. But through the years, the clan’s hidden secrets, such as Josh Duggar molesting some of his sisters, cracked the superficial surface. And now the extent of the Duggar family’s dark side becomes clear in a new Prime Video documentary series, “Shiny Happy People: Duggar Family Secrets.” It includes the clan’s links to a religious organization, the Institute in Basic Life Principles (IBLP). And the documentary exposes how that organization impacted the family, noted People.

A trailer for the documentary series (see below) reveals some hints to what to expect. For instance, a man shares that “world domination was the goal.” And a woman claims, “The IBLP teachings aren’t Christianity. They’re something entirely different.”

However, the trailer also includes some individuals familiar to those who watched the Duggar family’s reality TV shows. For instance, Jill (Duggar) Dillard, Derick Dillard and Amy (Duggar) King became involved. And Jill reveals, “There’s a story that’s going to be told. And I would rather be the one telling it. We were part of IBLP as early as I can remember.”

Josh Duggar – Represents ‘Epitome Of Evil’

The trailer for the Duggar documentary series includes accusations about IBLP founder Bill Gothard. Gothard allegedly “turned every father into a cult leader and every home into an island.” And a woman compares her experience to Hulu’s Handmaid’s Tale series. But one claim alleges that IBLP “raises little predators.”

And that segues into a discussion about the Duggar clan’s “dark family secret” involving Jill’s brother, Josh Duggar. In December 2021, the 35-year-old received a guilty verdict of knowingly receiving and possessing child pornography. And Josh previously admitted to molesting young girls during his preteen and teen years. But two of the victims spoke out: Josh’s sisters Jill and Jessa (Duggar) Seewald. And one woman called Josh “the epitome of evil. It breaks my heart to think about the girls.”

But beyond the Duggar family, the documentary series looks at the religious organization’s impact. And one woman claims that IBLP seeks to get kids “training in political engagement” with the ultimate goal of achieving political offices. “The shiny, happy images is the sugar,” says an individual in the sneak peek. “And we’re all high on it. They were just deceiving us all.” The documentary “Shiny Happy People: Duggar Family Secrets” debuts June 2 on Prime Video.

Tell us what you think. Do you plan to watch the documentary exposing the Duggar family’s secrets? And after you share your views, check back on our site for more reality TV news.