Jana Duggar Almost Courted By Zach Bates, '19 Kids And Counting' Star Reportedly Turned Down Family Friend

Jana Duggar is rumored to have quite the busy dating life behind the scenes of her family’s hit reality TV series, “19 Kids and Counting.” Following a report that claimed that Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar’s eldest daughter Jana, 25, was pursued by at least two men but has refused to enter a courtship, one report is now suggesting she once shot down a family friend, Zach Bates.

According to a report from Radar Online, Zach, 26, whose family recently joined the reality TV scene with their series “Bringing Up Bates,” once tried to court Jana. After Zach went on “secret chaperoned dates” with Jana and asked Jim Bob for permission to officially court her, the Duggar patriarch reportedly turned him down.

“Jana just wasn’t interested,” a source revealed. “She wasn’t attracted to him and just didn’t see it working out.”

Fortunately for Zach, he soon found Whitney Perkins. They wed in 2013 and welcomed their first son, Bradley, on Oct. 29. Whitney’s pregnancy is currently a story line on Season 1 of “Bringing Up Bates.” The Up network program also follows the lives of Zach’s 18 siblings and his parents, Gil and Kelly Jo Bates.

Last year, Jana was linked to former NFL quarterback Tim Tebow. After rumors of a courtship circulated, a rep for Tebow, 27, confirmed that his client had never even met the reality star. Nevertheless, tabloids continued to speculate that the devout Christians were an item.

In December, Jana’s cousin Amy Duggar, 28, called the rumors of Jana's romance and reports she was trying to steal the athlete away ridiculous. “Jana and I laughed so hard about this,” Amy said of the allegations on Instagram. “We’ve never even met Tim Tebow.”

So will Jana ever find love? While her sisters Jessa, 22, and Jill, 23, already have tied the knot, Radar Online claims that the midwife and pianist is simply more choosy when it comes to picking a partner to court.

“Jana has been pursued by several guys. ... The problem is that Jana’s extremely picky. She wants the real deal and won’t settle for less,” an insider said. “She’s more goal-oriented than some of her siblings. For her, it’s not just about being married.”

“19 Kids and Counting” returns to TLC on Tuesday, Feb. 17, for Season 9. "Bringing Up Bates" airs Thursdays at 9 p.m. EST on Up.