Here’s What We Know, So Far.

Well, it’s official… Justin + Claire are the Quarantine Courtship. Justin Duggar, 17, is apparently in a courtship with Claire Spivey, 19, of Cresson, TX. Justin + Claire shared the news on September 21, 2020 via Us Weekly (Exclusive).

Justin Samuel Duggar is the 14th Child of Jim Bob + Michelle (Ruark) Duggar. Currently, he is 17 Years Old; however, his 18th Birthday is soon (November 15, 2020). Like all the Duggars, Justin was homeschooled from kindergarten up to high school. As of September 2020, little is known about Justin’s career plans, vocational training, or notable skills. Duggar Data checked and confirmed that, as of now, he isn’t licensed in any of the “typical” Duggar trades—construction, aviation, or realty. Justin might be working at Build Master Construction, which is owned by his + 2 Older Brother, Jason.

Claire Yvonne Spivey, 19 (DOB February 27, 2001), is the Firstborn of Hilary (Atherton) + Robert Spivey’s 6 Children (3 Daughters, 3 Sons). She graduated—probably from homeschool—back in April 2018. Essentially nothing is known about her career plans or vocational training, if any, or her notable skills or interests.

Meet The Spiveys

Claire’s Father is Robert Tarver Spivey, Jr. (b. 1973). Rob is one of 4 Children born to Robert Tarver Spivey, Sr. + Shirley Lynn (Long) Spivey (1957–2012), of Little Rock, AR. He has 2 Brothers (Jesse and Jeremy), and 1 Sister (Shelley). Rob is a contractor by trade. He owns Spivey Construction—an LLC based in Fort Worth, TX, which does “residential and light commercial remodeling.” He started his business in 2006, when Claire was ~5 Years Old.

Claire’s Mother is Hilary Yvonne (Atherton) Spivey, 42 (DOB March 19, 1978). She is the first of Gary Marvin Atherton (1951–2019) + Peggy Yvonne Weaver’s (b. 1949) 4 Children. Her siblings include 2 Sisters—Gari–Anne (b. 1980) and Jackie Leigh (b. 1989)—and a brother, Ross Earl (b. 1984). Growing up, Hilary was homeschooled, along with her siblings. The Athertons appear to hail from Texas, and most—if not all—of them still live there.

Hilary + Robert married in Tarrant County, TX on September 18, 1999. He was 25 or 26, and she was 21. Thus far, they have 6 Children—Claire (b. 2–27–01), Robbie (b. 11–20–03), Paige (b. 6–29–06), Wyatt Slade (9–5–10), Taylor (b. 11–11–12), and Carson Lynn (b. 6–22–16). The Spivey–Athertons seem to affiliate with the Institute in Basic Life Principles (IBLP) and Advanced Training Institute (ATI): In October 2019, they attended ATI’s ALERT Family Camp—and, it looks like that wasn’t their first time attending. With their ATI affiliations, the Spiveys probably homeschool; however, thus far, Duggar Data hasn’t been able to find definitive proof of that. (Stay tuned!)

About Justin + Claire

Apparently, Jim Bob + Michelle Duggar have known Hilary + Robert Spivey for >20 Years. (See Also.) As for how their children got romantically involved, Us Weekly and TLC provided different, but not necessarily contradictory, accounts. Per Us Weekly, which exclusively announced the romance, Justin + Claire “got connected” in 2019. Justin added that he met Claire “at a family conference,” and he got permission to court her “several months after.” Meanwhile, TLC’s article states that Justin + Claire “first met in Spring 2019.” Elaborating, TLC stated—

“After dining out with a group of friends near Claire’s hometown in Texas, the two got to know each other when Justin came over to spend time with the family. The visits increased and they were quickly drawn to one another.”



Assuming both accounts are correct, it appears Justin + Claire met for the first time in Spring 2019, at a family conference in Texas. (Probably the ATI Annual Homeschooling Conference in Big Sandy, held annually in April.) They started getting to know each other, then Claire’s Father approved an official courtship “several months” later. (Possibly in October 2019 at the ALERT Family Camp, which the Duggars and Spiveys both attended. And Hilary said on Instagram that the Spiveys spent time with Justin on his 17th Birthday [November 2019]. Maybe not, though. Maybe they were still pre–courting, at that point, since it looks like they didn’t actually start courting until COVID–19 set in…) While we aren’t 100% sure of the timeline, it appears that they’ve known each other for >1 Year, were pre–courting by Fall 2019, and have been courting since March (or April) 2020.

More details to follow, I’m sure.