Reality TV

It’s Official! ‘Counting On’ Star John David Duggar Is Courting Abbie Grace Burnett

Carly Sitzer

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Josh duggar then and now
TLC, Instagram

It looks like another Duggar will soon be off the market! The TLC family announced this afternoon that their second oldest son — and single Jana's twinJohn David is courting.

JD and his girlfriend, Abbie Grace Burnett, confirmed the news to Us Weekly. "Abbie and I are just so excited, we've known of each other for several years," he told the mag. "We fell in love very quickly… It's been a wonderful journey thus far."

The pair met when John David flew in for a church event in Oklahoma, where Abbie is from. "We really got connected then," she said.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BkfnVlHF0UI/

Yet this is hardly a surprise. Back in March, a report revealed that another Duggar relationship would be revealed on the upcoming season of Counting On, and all signs pointed to the 28-year-old!

In an interview with TLC earlier this year, the reality star opened up about what he's looking for in a wife. "One day, you know, the Lord will bring the right one along and then I'll start a family and hopefully be able to invest in their lives and raise up a generation that will be great people for this society."

When asked if John had someone special in his life, he paused for a long time before adding, "I don't have anybody right now, but I am praying about it. One day, one day. Just keep watching." Hmm — we were onto you, John! Not to mention, Ben Seewald's smirk felt like a dead giveaway that there was something he wasn't telling us.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bf86fJOh5_A/

In the Duggar household, "courting" is defined as dating with the intention of marrying, and it occurs once a relationship turns serious — but before the man is ready to get down on one knee and pop the question. Like a marriage proposal, the men must ask the girl's father for permission before entering a courtship — and even when a couple is courting, they must follow strict guidelines that fall in line with the Duggars' conservative Christian values.

Some of the rules for courting couples include no physical contact besides side hugs — even hand-holding is forbidden and no unsupervised dates or text messages; chaperones must be present on all dates and parents must be included on all text messages between two people who are courting.

As Duggar family patriarch Jim Bob has explained, courting is different from dating because it gives the young couples a chance to figure out if they are compatible for marriage. He said, "Courtship is really waiting for the one God has for you and praying through the whole process." His wife, Michelle, added, "It's really examining the person and considering, 'Would this be the guy I want to be the father of my kids?'"

Of the Duggars' 19 children, five of them — Josh, Jill, Jessa, Jinger, Joy, and Joseph — are married and one, 21-year-old son Josiah Duggar, is currently engaged to Lauren Swanson. Prior to his engagement, Josiah was in a courtship with Marjorie Jackson but later called it off — which is widely considered taboo in the Duggars' culture.

Love the Duggars? Be sure to join our Duggars Facebook group to chat about all the latest updates and juicy gossip!

Scroll through the gallery to see all the Duggars — then vs. now!

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