Joy-Anna Duggar and Austin Forsyth have a lot in common, considering they were both raised in strict religious households. However, we’re not sure if Joy experienced quite as rigid an upbringing as Austin, whose parents appeared on CMT’s “World’s Strictest Parents” in 2009. Austin and his sister were featured on the show, which documented them working long hours at their family’s camp. “The biblical principle of not having idle mind and idle time is really important,” the Forsyths’ father said on their episode. The children also didn’t get much freedom during their homeschooling. The dad said that after creating boundaries for the children, “Bad behavior is gonna reap a consequence.”
Viewers shared their opinions in the comment section under the YouTube clip of the episode. “This isn’t a family it’s a cult,” one user wrote. According to In Touch, the kids were not allowed to close doors in the house. The magazine revealed that the parents also forced a Jewish guest to attend a Christian service with them during the episode. “If you want to be a part of my family and don’t want to go to church, then you’re not part of my family,” Austin’s father said on the show.
Sketchiness and strictness aside, Austin comes from a fascinating family. In a video for his and Joy’s YouTube channel, he is seen tinkering with one of their vehicles in need of repairs. Explaining his DIY endeavor, Austin shared: “My great-grandad was a nuclear physicist for NASA. … If I can’t take two bolts out and replace this, we’re in trouble.”
