Duggar family slammed for 'tacky and distasteful' COVID joke in pregnancy announcement

On Tuesday, People Magazine reported that Jed Duggar and his wife Katey are under fire for posting a COVID joke while announcing their pregnancy.

"Jed, 22, and Katey announced on Instagram Monday that they're expecting their first child together. As the couple kissed in their announcement photo, Katey held up a sign that read: 'And then there were 3. Baby Duggar. Spring '22,'" reported Dory Jackson. "Jed used a winky face emoji as he wrote alongside the post: 'She tested positive, but not for Covid.'"

Several users expressed offense, with one noting "Arkansas is facing some of the worst with Covid right now due to low vaccination rates," and another saying, "Having 2 family members pass from COVID, I find this very tasteless and insensitive. I hate this. It's so tacky and distasteful. People are dying."

The Duggars, a God-fearing reality show family based in Arkansas, is embroiled in controversy due to Jed's brother Josh being arrested on child pornography charges earlier this year. Jed himself ran a self-described "pro-life, pro-Second Amendment" campaign for the Arkansas state legislature in 2019.