Joy-Anna Duggar is opening up about one of the most talked-about aspects of her marriage: the age difference between her and her husband, Austin Forsyth.
During an August 19, 2026, appearance on the Jinger & Jeremy Podcast, hosted by her sister Jinger Duggar Vuolo and brother-in-law Jeremy Vuolo, the 19 Kids and Counting alum reflected on how she and Forsyth first met as young children, how she developed a crush on him as a teenager, and what their four-year age gap has meant over the years. She told People in a related interview that she has no regrets about marrying young, saying she “would have married him from day one.”
For fans who have followed the couple since their Counting On days, the conversation offered a fresh look at a relationship that has now lasted nearly a decade. So how old is Austin Forsyth, and what do we know about him beyond his marriage to a Duggar? Here is a full breakdown.
How Old Is Austin Forsyth?
Austin Forsyth is 32 years old. He was 23 when he married Joy-Anna Duggar in May 2017.
His full name is Austin Martyn Forsyth. He and Joy-Anna, who is currently 28, have a four-year age gap. When the couple wed, she was 19 and he was 23, which made them, at the time, one of the younger married couples in the extended Duggar family circle.
To put the age gap in context across their relationship:
- When they first met: Joy-Anna was 4, Austin was 8
- When Joy-Anna developed a crush on him: she was 14, he was 18
- When they began courting: she was 18, he was 22
- When they married: she was 19, he was 23
- Today: she is 28, he is 32
Who Is Austin Forsyth?
Austin Forsyth is best known publicly as the husband of Joy-Anna Duggar, but he had a life well outside the spotlight before and during their marriage.
Family background
Austin grew up in a devout Christian family. His parents, Terry and Roxanne Forsyth, owned and operated Fort Rock Christian Family Camp and Retreat Center in Arkansas, a camp offering outdoor activities like horseback riding and archery. The Forsyth family was no stranger to television before Joy-Anna: they were featured as a host family on an episode of CMT’s reality series World’s Strictest Parents back in 2009.
The Forsyths and the Duggars crossed paths through church. According to Joy-Anna, Austin’s family moved up from Texas and attended the same church community, which is how the two families first became connected when both were young children.
Career and interests
Away from reality TV, Austin has built a hands-on career. He works as a contractor and, over the past several years, has shifted his business from renovating and flipping houses toward building new homes from the ground up.
Construction is not his only skill set. Joy-Anna has described him as a genuine jack-of-all-trades. On the Duggar family website, she once wrote that when he is not doing construction work or spending time with family, he can usually be found on the farm baling hay or putting to use one of his many skills as a pilot or EMT and firefighter. His personal hobbies include long-range shooting, four-wheeling, and camping.
Joy-Anna has also noted that Austin has a passion for mentoring young men, passing along the same skills his own father taught him.
What Joy-Anna Said About Their Age Gap
On the Jinger & Jeremy Podcast, Joy-Anna walked through the full arc of her relationship with Austin, beginning with their earliest memories.
“We actually met when we were really young,” she said. “I was four and he was eight when they moved up from Texas.” She has acknowledged in the past, however, that she does not actually remember him from that young age, since their families did not see each other often in the years that followed.
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The two reconnected as she got older. Joy-Anna candidly admitted that she had been “crushing hard” on Austin when she was 14 and he was 18, a feeling that developed after he shared his personal faith testimony with her family during a visit to their home. Despite the early crush, the two did not begin talking in a serious way until 2015, and their courtship did not officially begin until 2016, when Joy-Anna was 18.
Reflecting on marrying at 19, Joy-Anna expressed no regret. She told People that, knowing what she knows now, she “would have married him from day one,” a comment underscoring how settled she feels in the relationship years later.
Joy-Anna and Austin’s Relationship Timeline
| Date | Milestone |
|---|---|
| Around 2001–2002 | The families meet through church. Joy-Anna is 4, Austin is 8. |
| Around 2011 | Joy-Anna develops a crush on Austin at 14 after he shares his testimony with her family. |
| 2015 | The two begin talking more seriously. |
| January 17, 2016 | Austin asks Jim Bob Duggar for permission to court Joy-Anna. |
| March 20, 2016 | The couple officially begins courting. |
| November 15, 2016 | Joy-Anna publicly announces the courtship. |
| March 2, 2017 | Austin proposes in the Ozark National Forest. |
| May 26, 2017 | The couple marries at Cross Church in Rogers, Arkansas, with around 1,000 guests. |
| February 23, 2018 | Son Gideon Martin Forsyth is born. |
| 2019 | Joy-Anna suffers a miscarriage at 20 weeks. |
| August 21, 2020 | Daughter Evelyn Mae Forsyth is born. |
| May 17, 2023 | Son Gunner James Forsyth is born. |
| August 19, 2026 | Joy-Anna addresses their age gap on the Jinger & Jeremy Podcast. |
The Forsyth Family Today
Joy-Anna and Austin are parents to three children: Gideon, born in February 2018; Evelyn, born in August 2020; and Gunner, born in May 2023. The couple also experienced a pregnancy loss in 2019, when Joy-Anna suffered a miscarriage at 20 weeks, a loss she has spoken about publicly in the years since.
Joy-Anna has also been open about the difficult stretches of parenthood. On a previous podcast appearance, she described the period after Gunner’s birth in 2023 as one of the hardest of her life, citing significant postpartum hormone changes that coincided with a turbulent time for her extended family.
More recently, Joy-Anna stepped back from regular vlogging, announcing earlier in 2026 that she was quitting the couple’s YouTube content. The couple has continued to share occasional updates through appearances like the one on Jinger and Jeremy’s podcast, where they have also addressed and dismissed recurring online rumors about a possible fourth pregnancy.
Why the Age Gap Conversation Resonates
The Duggar family has long drawn public interest in how its members approach courtship and marriage, largely because of the family’s conservative Christian beliefs and the structured courtship process documented across 19 Kids and Counting and Counting On. Marriages within the family have tended to happen at younger ages than the national average, and couples have often married after relatively short courtships.
Because of that, when a Duggar reflects candidly on marrying young, as Joy-Anna did here, it tends to attract attention from longtime viewers who watched these relationships unfold on television. Joy-Anna’s comments are notable less for the size of the age gap itself, which is a fairly common four years, and more for her openness in discussing the timeline, including the teenage crush that preceded the relationship and her reflection that she feels she married the right person.
It is worth noting that a four-year age gap between spouses is statistically ordinary. What makes Joy-Anna and Austin’s story a topic of conversation is the broader context of the Duggar family’s approach to relationships and the fact that viewers have followed this particular couple since Joy-Anna was a teenager.
Frequently Asked Questions
How old is Austin Forsyth?
Austin Forsyth is 32 years old. He was born in 1993 and was 23 when he married Joy-Anna Duggar in 2017.
How old is Joy-Anna Duggar?
Joy-Anna Duggar is 28. She was born on October 28, 1997, in Arkansas.
What is the age gap between Joy-Anna Duggar and Austin Forsyth?
There is a four-year age gap between them. Austin is four years older than Joy-Anna.
How old were Joy-Anna and Austin when they got married?
When they married on May 26, 2017, Joy-Anna was 19 and Austin was 23.
When did Joy-Anna and Austin first meet?
They first met as young children through church, when Joy-Anna was 4 and Austin was 8, after his family moved up from Texas. Joy-Anna has said she does not actually remember him from that age.
What does Austin Forsyth do for a living?
Austin works as a contractor who builds new homes. He is also an EMT, a firefighter, and a pilot, and he helps run activities connected to his family’s background in outdoor and camp life.
How many children do Joy-Anna and Austin have?
They have three children: Gideon (born 2018), Evelyn (born 2020), and Gunner (born 2023). They also experienced a miscarriage in 2019.
What show is Joy-Anna Duggar from?
Joy-Anna appeared on TLC’s 19 Kids and Counting and its spin-off Jill & Jessa: Counting On. She is the ninth of Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar’s 19 children.
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Last Updated on August 24, 2026 by 247 News Around The World
