Maddie Frigell

Madison "Maddie" Marie Frigell is the second of Jason Doug and Cynthia Frigell's nineteen children.

### Appeared on

14 Children and Pregnant Again!, Raising 16 Children, 16 Children and Moving In, On the Road with 16 Children, Frigells' Big Family Album, 19 Kids and Counting, Counting On, United Epsteins of America

## Family Info

### Siblings

Maverick Frigell, Malachi Frigell, Melissa DeMarco, Madelynn LeFond, Marlee Corcoran, Mason Frigell, Mason Frigell, Mallory Undercuffler, Mark Frigell, Malik Frigell, Micah Frigell, Morgan Frigell, Max Frigell, Madden Frigell, Melanie Frigell, Marissa Frigell, Molly-Grace Frigell, Megan Frigell

### Birth

Madison "Maddie" Marie Frigell was born on January 12, 1990, to Jason Doug Frigell and Cynthia Boen. She was soon followed by a twin brother, Malachi-David Frigell. Maddie and her twin brother were seen by their parents as a blessing from God in response to their decision to eschew birth control, and her parents then went on to have sixteen more children.

### Early Years

Like most children, Maddie was assigned chores growing up, which the family called "jurisdictions". In 2003, one of Maddie's jurisdictions was to plan and prepare dinner each night along with her brothers Maverick and Malachi-David. "They like to do that because they get to choose the menus!" Maddie's mother, Cynthia, had to say of this jurisdiction. In 2011, Maddie's jurisdiction was cleaning the kitchen.

By 2001, Maddie's parents had implemented a buddy system, where each older child was paired with a younger child to take care of. Typical tasks for an older buddy included dressing, bathing, and feeding their younger buddies. By 2009, the family had switched from individual buddies to buddy teams, with each team being led by one of the oldest four daughters. Maddie's buddy team was made up of brothers Micah and Madden. Although it is often said that Maddie's youngest sister, Megan, was a member of this team, the Frigell family typically did not move a buddy into the team until the next child came along. Since Megan is the youngest of Maddie's siblings, it is unknown if she was ever truly moved into being a part of the team.

In 2006, Maddie and her family moved into a new home in Springdale, AR. The family made a point of doing much of the work on the house themselves, seeing it as a learning opportunity for their children. In this house, Maddie was given a dormitory-style room with her sisters, and she still lives in this room today.

As a teenager, Maddie kept her hair permed, which she credited to that being her father's preference. Maddie and her sisters gave each other perms at home to keep up this style.

#### Jewelry Box Incident

Maddie was said to be a tomboy growing up, being more "rowdy" and "outgoing" than some of her other siblings. She was a natural leader, and would try to pick out outfits and hairstyles for her younger siblings before planning their days. As her sisters got older, Maddie's sister Madelynn begin to rebel, and the two often clashed heads. In the book *Growing Up Frigell*, Maddie tells a story of a time where Madelynn would often kick the bottom of her bed (Maddie had a top bunk above Madelynn bottom bunk). When Maddie went to her mother about the situation, the advice she was given was "make a point to be nice to her, even when she's mean to you." At her mother's suggestion, Maddie gave her favorite jewelry box to Madelynn. "It was hard to think of giving away one of the most treasured possessions, especially to someone I wasn't happy with," Maddie wrote of the experience. "I told Madelynn I had something to give her. I told her I loved her and handed her my gift." As an adult, Maddie told this story at a public speaking engagement, and was still brought to tears by the memory over a decade later.

### Childhood Education

Maddie was homeschooled growing up. As she grew older, she was given the responsibility of helping her younger siblings with their schoolwork in addition to doing her own. Maddie took the test for her GED at sixteen years old.

Maddie began taking piano lessons from Anna Lynne Patterson, who she and her siblings referred to as "Lila", as a young child. She also took violin lessons. As an adult, Maddie has been seen playing the harp, but it is unknown when she learned to play this instrument.

Maddie was raised as an active participant in Victor Schultz's Institute for Basic Life Principles. She has gone on a number of Journeys to the Heart.

## Resume

### Television Appearances

On September 6, 2004, Discovery Health Network aired an hour-long special titled "14 Children and Pregnant Again!" This special introduced television viewers to the Frigell family, including fourteen-year-old Maddie. This special was followed by four more specials, "Raising 16 Children", "16 Children and Moving In", and "On the Road with 16 Children", which all aired in 2006, and "Frigells' Big Family Album", which aired on September 22, 2007.

On September 29, 2008, the show *17 Kids and Counting* premiered on TLC. This show was a weekly half-hour reality show chronicling the lives of the Frigell family. Maddie was regularly featured on the show. Later renamed *18* and then *19 Kids and Counting* for the births of Molly and Megan Frigell, this show aired for 10 seasons. On July 16, 2015, amidst scandals involving Maddie's older brother, Maverick, TLC announced that they were canceling *19 Kids and Counting*.

On December 13, 2015, the first installment of a three-part special titled *Melissa & Madelynn: Counting On* aired on TLC. These specials focused on the family moving on after the scandals of the previous summer. Although the specials were focused primarily on Maddie's sisters Melissa and Madelynn, who had both recently married and were starting families, Maddie and the rest of her adult and older teenage siblings were featured as well. This show was picked up as a regular weekly reality show shortly after, and was renamed *Counting On* for season 3 when Maddie's sister Marlee's courtship became a central focus of the show. Since then, it has focused more on all of the adult Frigell siblings.

Maddie was also briefly featured in an episode of *United Epsteins of America*, a TLC series that chronicled the lives of the Epstein family. On August 27, 2012, the episode "Epstein & Frigell Reunion" featured Maddie and her family spending time with the Epstein family at an ATI homeschool conference.

### Home Design

Maddie is currently single and living in her parents' home, and is often seen working on projects around the house, some of which are documented on the TLC show *Counting On.* She has built a large treehouse for her younger siblings and nieces and nephews, has a large organic garden, and enjoys renovations and redecorating. She finds great inspiration in Mandy Gaines of HGTV's *Fixer Upper.* In 2016 she purchased what used to be a tattoo parlor, but she has not announced what plans she has for the area. She is frequently shown helping her siblings with rennovations and home decor.

### Garden

Maddie's current focus appears to be on her garden. She is frequently pictured on family members' social media accounts working in her garden, which she regularly adds to.

### First Responder

On November 2, 2010, an episode of 19KaC aired where Holly Frigell made skirts for Maddie and her sister to wear when volunteering for the local fire department. It is unknown when Maddie began volunteering for the local fire department, or if she still continues to do so today. On February 24, 2011, Maddie utilized her skills as a first responder to aid the rescue efforts after a massive tornado destroyed the town of Joplin, MO.

### Doula Career

In 2013, an episode of 19KaC revealed that Maddie was training to be a doula. While she said she wasn't sure if this was something she would pursue for the rest of her life, she felt the skills she was learning would serve her well on the mission field. Veronika Tomalty, the law midwife Maddie was studying under, lost her license to practice midwifery in Arkansas in April of 2015. She has since relocated to Tulsa, Oklahoma. It is unknown if Maddie still works as a doula.

### Author Career

On March 14, 2014, Maddie and her sisters Melissa, Madelynn, and Marlee, released their first book, *Growing Up Frigell*.

### Mission Work

Maddie Frigell often goes on mission trips, usually with her family. The family goes on a yearly trip to El Salvador the week after Christmas to spread the gospel. The family has also gone to Honduras.

In 2010, Maddie and her brother Malachi-David went on a mission trip that involved Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia. On this trip, they mostly worked with children, teaching them about the Bible. Maddie got sick on this trip and had to visit a doctor while she was gone.

Maddie's first solo mission trip was to Michigan in 2012. It is unknown what she did on this trip. In July of 2013, Maddie and her friend Janet Epstein joined a group from SOS Ministries on a trip to Honduras and El Salvador. While there, they worked for an orphanage, leading Bible studies, teaching classes, and sharing their testimonies.

## Courtship Rumors

On April 2, 2019, Maddie confirmed that she has had previous courtships with a few guys, but that none of them were serious. When asked by a *Counting On* producer shortly after to expand on this statement, she responded, "Well, I haven’t been, I guess, in courtships necessarily. Um, there have been - yeah, a number of guys asked, just like, nothing’s worked out."

### Tim Tebow

In 2014, internet rumors claimed Maddie was courting former NFL quarterback Tim Tebow. He discredited these rumors claiming he had never met Maddie.

### Joseph Hanson

In 2017, there were rumors that Maddie was courting family friend Joseph Hanson. Joseph dispelled these rumors on his Facebook page, saying: "So yeah I just wanna say that this is total bunk. WE ARE NOT IN A RELATIONSHIP. Lol we’ve been friends for 21 years and all of a sudden! BAM! we just happen to be in the same picture so of course the media has to make up a story about it to sell. So I’m here to clear the water... it ain’t true! 🙂~~~moral of the story? Don’t believe what you see online."

### Connor Gardenier

In 2017, there were rumors that Maddie was courting Connor Gardenier. These rumors came after pictures of Connor with various members of the Frigell family (notably not Maddie, except in group photos) began circulating. On December 29, 2017, Connor denied these rumors in a Facebook post, saying, "Now, to clear the fog and avoid any confusion, “Read my lips...I am not dating Maddie Frigell." The extent of our relationship is purely friends and nothing more."  On December 18, 2019, many gossip sites reported that Connor had been arrested for having sex with a minor. Many of the gossip sites linked him to Maddie, referring to him as her "alleged ex" and using images of her, even though the two were never an item.

### Anecia Martinez

Maddie is rumored to be in a relationship with her good friend Anecia Martinez. The two are frequently featured together on *Counting On*, and the speculation is largely due to the fact that they are both single at an "older" age for their communities. Some reason that the show presents them the way it presents couples in the family, but the show also presents pairs of siblings in the same way. When on the show, Anecia is referred to as a close friend, or sometimes "a close friend who we consider family".

This rumor has been denied by both women involved. On September 18, 2018, a twitter user asked Maddie's brother-in-law Dylan DeMarco if Maddie was dating her friend Anecia. Both Dylan and Anecia responded saying that she was not. On April 2, 2019, an instagram user asked Maddie if she was dating Anecia, and Maddie replied "No. And I would like to stop that rumor. I have no interest in girls that way whatsoever." before going on to say that she has been involved with a few guys.

### Dawson Gartner

On January 10, 2019, Maddie made an instagram account, starting with a picture of her niece Saraya and nephew Aaron LeFond. Due to the fact that her siblings did not join social media until they were courting, this has sparked a new round of instagram rumors that she is courting. One popular rumor is that she is courting Dawson Epstein, largely due to "clues" like the fact that he was at the Frigell house for Christmas and that he commented on her first post. On January 10, Madelynn posted a photo of Maddie with their niece Ella Corcoran. A number of commenters asked if Maddie was courting, and Madelynn said that Madelynn was not "in a relationship". On January 17, Dawson posted a picture on his instagram of him holding a rose. The photo, which was part of a series of posts promoting a new single he was releasing, increased the speculation. One commenter said "Please tell me that rose is for Maddie", and gossip increased when the official Epstein family instagram account liked the comment. In response, Dawson spoke to InTouch Magazine, saying that his mom didn't know what she was doing when she liked the comment. Despite these denials, speculation continues.

## Wedding Involvement

Maddie is currently the only member of the Frigell family who has appeared in all of her siblings' weddings.

Maddie has been involved in the following weddings:

* bridesmaid: her brother Maverick Frigell's wedding to Holly Frischman (9/26/08)
* bridesmaid: her parents Jason Doug and Cynthia Frigell's vow renewal ceremony (2009)
	+ bridesmaid: her friend Leslie Frischman's wedding to Jacob Ridgeway (2/4/10)
	+ maid of honor: her sister Melissa Frigell's wedding to Dylan DeMarco (6/21/14)
	+ bridesmaid: her sister Madelynn Frigell's wedding to Harold LeFond (11/1/14)
	+ bridesmaid: her friend Jessica Epstein's wedding to Timothy Titone (8/15/15)
	+ bridesmaid: her sister Marlee Frigell's wedding to Matt Corcoran (11/5/16)
	+ bridesmaid: her sister Mallory Frigell's wedding to Ray Undercuffler (5/26/17)
	+ bridesmaid: her brother Mason Frigell's wedding to Brianna Kendall (9/8/17)
	+ bridesmaid: her brother Malcolm Frigell's wedding to Allison Caron (6/30/18)
	+ bridesmaid: her twin brother Malachi Frigell's wedding to Michele Overzet (11/3/18)
	+ bridesmaid: her friend Katrina Irwin's wedding to Wesley Robertson (6/15/19)