'19 Kids and Counting' star Joseph Duggar courting 'Bringing Up Bates' Carlin Bates?

Seems like there is a chance to see the Duggars and the Bates unite in marriage in the future, as rumors about the courtship between "19 Kids and Counting" star Joseph Duggar and Carlin Bates from "Bringing Up Bates" have begun to circulate online.

According to reports, the children from two different sets of celebrity mega-families are starting to spend more time together.

The rumors began when Duggar cousin Amy Duggar-King posted a photo on her Instagram which showed the 20-year-old son of Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar and the 17-year-old daughter of Gil and Kelly Jo sitting close to each other on a couch.

In the blurry video that also showed the other member of the Bates family while spending Christmas with the Duggars in their Arkansas home, Carlin can be seen wearing Joseph's baseball hat. Amy later deleted the video after the fans noticed the unusual closeness between the two.

Another Instagram post from a Duggar family friend Joe Donaldson showed Joseph standing behind Carlin in a photo taken during a New Year celebration.

This is not the first time that members of each family were rumored to be in the courtship stage. Joseph's sister Joy-Anna and Carlin's brother Lawson were also involved in a courtship rumor after the two were seen spending time together when they performed "Blue Christmas" during the holidays.

However, the closeness between the members of the Duggar and the Bates clans could be nothing romantic, since they have been very close from the start. They were even seen visiting each other's house during their respective reality shows.

But Carlin's mother Kelly Jo teased that one of her children could be falling in love. This was during in an interview with the International Business Times when she was promoting the upcoming season of "Bringing Up Bates."

"With four married children and five other single children that will be 18 years or older, that leaves a whole lot of opportunity for change –- whether by new romances, growing families, or other adventures!"

Is Kelly Jo referring to Carlin this time?

"Bringing Up Bates" season 3 is slated to air on Thursday, Jan. 7, on UpTV.

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