SEAGOVILLE, TEXAS: In an upcoming documentary titled 'Shiny Happy People: Duggar Family Secrets', the spotlight will once again be on the embattled Duggar family. As the title suggests viewers will see the filmmakers delve into the controversies that have surrounded the family in recent years.
One individual who has played a pivotal role in navigating the family through these trying times is Chad Gallagher. Read on to find out more about this crisis manager and seasoned public relations expert.
Who is Chad Gallagher?
Gallagher serves as the manager for Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar and is also the head of Legacy Consulting, a prominent firm based in Arkansas. Not only does he advise the Duggars, but he is also a political adviser to Mike Huckabee, the former governor of Arkansas and a 2016 presidential candidate, per Newsweek.
Having graduated from Ouachita Baptist University, Gallagher embarked on a successful career in public relations, political consulting, and business development. His expertise has made him a trusted advisor to governors, CEOs, and foreign dignitaries. Notably, in 1998, Gallagher made history as the youngest mayor in the nation when he was elected mayor of DeQueen, Arkansas. After an unsuccessful re-election campaign, he transitioned into the field of consulting.
Despite his high-profile career, Gallagher tends to keep a low profile himself, keeping his personal life private and away from the public eye. However, his influence within the Duggar family cannot be overlooked.
Comments by Jill Duggar and her husband Derick Dillard
In a notable interview in 2015, Jill Duggar and her sister Jessa spoke with Megyn Kelly about the abuse committed by their brother Josh Duggar. During the interview, the sisters downplayed the severity of the abuse and defended their brother's actions. It has now come to light that it was Chad Gallagher who orchestrated the interview. "I think in the case of what Josh did, it was very wrong. I'm not going to justify anything that he did or say it was okay. It's not permissible. But I do want to speak up in his defense against people who are calling him a child molester or a pedophile or a rapist," Jessa told Us Weekly at the time. "That is so overboard and a lie, really."
Jill and her husband, Derick Dillard, have since provided insight into the circumstances surrounding the interview. In a sneak peek of the documentary, Jill revealed that Gallagher, due to his association with Mike Huckabee, was instrumental in setting up the Megyn Kelly interview to ensure the continuation of the family's show on TLC. "So Chad was the one who was setting up the Megyn Kelly [interview] to try and like get it to where TLC would be cool with like moving forward with the show," Jill explained.
However, both Jill and Derick expressed regret and disillusionment with their participation in the interview. "In hindsight, I wouldn’t have done the Megyn Kelly stuff. I felt like I was in a place again of like bearing the burden and the weight of just — even though you volunteer, it’s like you feel obligated to help." Dillard chimed in, "I would not call [the interview] voluntary," he said, before calling it a "suicide mission."
Speaking to the Los Angeles Times, Jill said, "It’s not something that I’m proud of. If I hadn’t felt obligated to like, one, do it for the sake of the show and two, do it for the sake of my parents, I wouldn’t have done it." She added, “Yes, we were taken advantage of."
