Duggar and Bates Connection After 30 Years of Friendship and Rumors

Friends and family members of the famous Bates family are hoping Erin Bates pulls through after experiencing septic shock following childbirth — and that includes the Duggars.

The Duggar and Bates families go back nearly 30 years, after Jim Bob Duggar and Michelle Duggar met Gil and Kelly Bates in 1997. The families are both members of the conservative evangelical Independent Baptists faith, which emphasizes the founding principals of Christian Fundamentalism.

The world met the Duggars in 2008 after the debut of their hit reality show 19 Kids and Counting (originally titled 17 Kids and Counting), while fans were introduced to the Bates family in 2015 thanks to their own show, Bringing Up Bates.

The two families are now seemingly coming together after Erin’s husband, Chad Paine, announced the birth of their seventh child while simultaneously revealing Erin had suffered a serious childbirth complication.

Related: Duggar Family’s Courtship Beginnings: How Each Couple Met

The Duggar family has been captivating viewers with their unique courtship process since 2008 — and have kept the tradition going strong ever since. Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar share 19 children: sons Joshua, John-David, Joseph, Josiah, Jedidiah, Jeremiah, Jason, Justin and Jackson, and daughters Jana, Jill, Jessa, Jinger, Joy-Anna, Johannah, Jennifer, Jordyn-Grace and Josie. […]

“After a long and emotional labor, our miracle arrived. Henry Blythe was born August 25th,” he wrote via Instagram on August 27, 2025. “Henry is doing wonderful, but we would so appreciate your prayers for Erin as she continues to recover from some complications. We thank the Lord for carrying us through and for the gift of this precious boy.”

Shortly after, Jinger Duggar, who has three children of her own, sent her well-wishes.

“Chad, we are upholding you all in prayer daily 🙏🏻,” she wrote. Jessa and Jill Duggar also shared that they were holding the family up in prayer, writing “Praying for you all,” and, “Praying for y’all!!” respectively.

Keep scrolling to learn more about the relationship between the Duggar and Bates families.

The Families Met Nearly 30 Years Ago

The Duggars first met the Bates at a conference attended by Jim Bob Duggar in 1997, the reality star and patriarch revealed in 2012.

Jim Bob connected with Gil and Kelly and a friendship between the two families grew.

Both Families Have Reality Shows

As fans of both families know, they each have their own reality shows.

The Duggars’ 19 Kids and Counting (originally titled 17 Kids and Counting) debuted on TLC in September 2008 and was a consistent success until it was cancelled in July 2015. The Bates’ Bringing Up Bates premiered on the same network in January 2015.

The Bates were also previously featured in the network’s United Bates of America in 2014.

They Once Launched a Music Project Together

Back in 2014, members of both families collaborated on a music project they shared via YouTube.

The since-deleted video was published by Duggar Studios on the platform and starred singer-songwriter Lawson Bates, who began the video by lip-syncing before he was joined by a combination of Duggar and Bates sons.

Jill Duggar shared the video in a since-deleted post on Instagram, writing at the time, “Everyone has to check out my brother’s YouTube channel ‘Duggar Studios’ to see their latest music video ‘Happiness’ #duggarguys #batesguys #lawbates #happiness #jillmdillard.”

The Bates Family Offered Prayers During Josh Duggar’s Sex Scandal

The Duggars’ success was threatened after a sex scandal involving Josh Duggar erupted into the public periphery in August 2015. Josh initially confessed to cheating on his wife, Anna Duggar, after an account allegedly belonging to him was leaked along with millions of Ashley Madison website users. (Ashley Madison is a dating website specifically designed to help married people cheat on their spouses.)

Rumors later surfaced that Josh had molested five girls in 2002 (when he was 14). According to a police report initially shared by InTouch in May 2015, Josh was accused of fondling the breasts and genitals of the young girls..

Josh released a statement after the rumors began to circulate. “Twelve years ago, as a young teenager, I acted inexcusably for which I am extremely sorry and deeply regret. I hurt others, including my family and close friends,” he wrote via Facebook. “I confessed this to my parents who took several steps to help me address the situation. We spoke with the authorities where I confessed my wrongdoing, and my parents arranged for me and those affected by my actions to receive counseling. I understood that if I continued down this wrong road that I would end up ruining my life.”

He added, “I would do anything to go back to those teen years and take different actions. I sought forgiveness from those I had wronged and asked Christ to forgive me and come into my life. In my life today, I am so very thankful for God’s grace, mercy and redemption.”

The Bates family released a short and pointed statement in response to the allegations at the time. “We are praying for our dear friends,” a statement by Gil and Kelly Jo Bates read. “We respect their privacy and have no further comment at this time.”

Josh ultimately sought treatment for infidelity and in 2016 he and Anna announced that his treatment program had ended and they were taking “steps toward healing.”

“Since the residential treatment program ended, we have been working with a professional marriage and family counselor to take important steps toward healing,” the pair said at the time. “As the future unfolds, we are taking one day at a time and we are grateful for your continued prayers for both of us and our sweet children.”

Josh was later the subject of multiple lawsuits, including a sexual assault lawsuit that was dismissed in 2016 and a real estate lawsuit he was ultimately dropped from. He was arrested in 2021 on child pornography charges, convicted on two counts of receiving and possessing child pornography in December 2021, and sentenced to 12.5 years in prison in May 2022. He began serving his sentence at the Federal Correctional Institute Seagoville outside Dallas in June 2022.

There Are Rumors Some of the Families’ Kids Have Dated

Though there have never been any publicly confirmed relationships between members of the families, fans have flamed rumors of a potential courtship between Jason Duggar and Josie Bates.

Jason debuted a series of photos via Instagram with a mystery woman at the beach that fueled the speculation, especially after Esther and Whitney Bates each commented on the post with a “😍” emoji. The woman was revealed to be his now-wife Maddie Grace Duggar, who Jason married in October 2024.

Related: Erin Bates and Husband Chad’s Quotes About Wanting a Big Family

Bringing Up Bates star Erin Bates and her husband, Chad Paine, have endured both crushing heartbreak and miraculous joy on their parenting journey. The Bates family found fame on their Up TV reality series, which chronicled Erin’s parents, Gil and Kelly Bates, raising 19 children. Erin and her husband, Chad, tied the knot at Clear […]

In an interview with Entertainment Tonight in 2019, Erin Bates admitted she sees a future that includes a Bates-Duggar wedding.

“I personally think, hey you have 19 kids on each side, I think it’s almost inevitable somewhere down the line,” she explained. “As much as we see each other, I think there’s going to be an attraction somewhere. I don’t know where yet, but I think it’s gonna happen.”