When the Duggar family first appeared on reality TV, viewers got to know some of their friends, too. The Bates family became recurring cast members on 19 Kids and Counting, and since the Bates had nearly as many kids as the Duggars, many of the kids formed lasting friendships with those around their ages.
Joy-Anna Duggar bonded with Carlin Bates, and the two formed a friendship that viewers hoped would last. But after the Duggars fell from grace not only on the national stage but within their closer circles as well, fans might wonder whether Joy and Carlin are still friends today.
Are The Duggars And Bates Still Friends?
There was some question of whether the Bates and Duggar families were still friendly, given what Josh Duggar did to his siblings, when the scandal went down. Although patriarch Gil Bates may have subtly shaded Jim Bob Duggar and his family, the grown-up Duggar and Bates kids still get to pick their friends.
And it seems that Joy-Anna and Carlin continue to pick one another, despite not living near each other anymore.
Joy-Anna Duggar Became Friends With Carlin Bates Years Ago
Like all other friendships in the Duggar household, Joy-Anna's bond with Carlin Bates was clearly supported by Jim Bob Duggar in the family's early days on TLC. At one point, the Duggars traveled to the Bates' home to help them with renovations to accommodate their growing family.
Like her now-husband Austin Forsyth, Joy-Anna's friend Carlin spent a lot of time with the family. Despite being labeled a tomboy, who Austin never really looked at romantically until she was older (leading some to suggest she was his last choice), Joy and Carlin bonded.
As they grew older, the two remained involved in one another's lives; Joy-Anna had Carlin Bates serve as her bridesmaid in her 2017 wedding. Two years later, Joy was Carlin's bridesmaid as she married Evan Stewart. Despite the wedding taking place in Tennessee, Joy traveled there from Arkansas to support her friend.
Where Does Carlin Bates Live Now?
Carlin Bates grew up with her family in Tennessee, while Joy-Anna grew up in Arkansas. The families got together when either the Bates or Duggars took road trips, though it's likely they also visited at conferences and other events tied to either their lifestyle or religion.
In 2022, Carlin and her husband Evan purchased their first home in Tennessee, moving out of a rental owned by a family friend (Carlin's brother Trace and his wife Lydia were going to move into the vacated rental).
At the time, Carlin was dealing with severe health issues, including seizures, following the birth of the couple's second child, a son named Zade (the two also share a daughter named Layla).
In her walkthrough video of the new (and vacant, at the time) house, Carlin explained that she and Evan weren't sure they would ever be able to buy a house.
She elaborated, "I literally get choked up talking about it because I literally walked in, like, crying. Like tears were streaming down my face because all the memories were going through my mind of actually being here in this place. We never thought we’d be buying a house."
Her experience seems to directly contrast that of Joy-Anna and Austin, who have been in the renovation business for a while and didn't seem to mind living in an RV with their kids while working on their dream home.
But it appears the two still have plenty in common and are still friends today.
Are Joy-Anna Duggar Forsyth And Carlin Bates Stewart Still Friends?
Looking at Joy-Anna Forsyth and Carlin Stewart's social media activity, fans can easily spot the pair's friendship on their pages. Though Joy doesn't often comment on her friend's posts, Carlin often drops by to show Joy some love on pics of her kids and everything else.
Plus, when Joy-Anna announced her fourth pregnancy (after her third ended in a loss), she and Carlin got together for a photo shoot to share the news. Carlin captioned the images, "Did a little photo shoot for my bestie’s exciting BABY news 👶🏼 We are SO thrilled for for [sic] you, @joy4site and we can’t wait to meet the new little crew member ✨ ily."
For her part, Joy replied to the comment thanking her BFF and also commented on some of Carlin's family photos. But if the social media love is somewhat lacking these days between Carlin and Joy, there's good reason for it.
Joy-Anna welcomed her third child, Gunner James, in May 2023, so while Carlin seemed to be feeling better after her health issues, Joy hasn't been posting quite as much on socials since her little bundle arrived.
That doesn't mean the pair's friendship has waned, however. They may not post to gush about one another often, but it's clear that Carlin's 2020 post praising her friend, which read, "Because of you, I laugh a little harder, cry a little less, and smile a lot more. Love you foreverrr!," is still true today.
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