Politics
‘Duck Dynasty’ Patriarch Phil Robertson Dies At 79
“Duck Dynasty” star Phil Robertson passed away on Sunday at the age of 79, his family announced in a statement.
The reality television star’s daughter-in-law Korie Robertson announced the news in an Instagram on Sunday. The outspoken family patriarch had been battling Alzheimer’s disease for the last several months.
“We celebrate today that our father, husband, and grandfather, Phil Robertson, is now with the Lord,” the post read. “He reminded us often of the words of Paul, ‘you do not grieve like those who have no hope. For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him.”
The post added, “Thank you for the love and prayers of so many whose lives have been impacted by his life saved by grace, his bold faith, and by his desire to tell everyone who would listen the Good News of Jesus. We are grateful for his life on earth and will continue the legacy of love for God and love for others until we see him again.”
Phil Robertson speaks at CPAC in 2015
Robertson, also known as “The Duck Commander,” emerged as the most popular and visible star of the highly regarded A&E reality series from 2012 through 2017. The series followed the lives of the Robertson family from their family-operates business, The Duck Commander, which primarily focuses on duck hunting and trapping.
The show quickly became one of the most popular reality television shows of all time after it took the country by storm not long after its premiere. The show’s fourth season premiere, “Till Duck Do Us Part” drew 11.8 million viewers, making it the most-watched nonfiction cable episode of all time.
It also remains the most highly-rated A&E telecast of all time with a perfect 5.0 rating.
Decades prior to his television career, Robertson played football at Louisana Tech. He was a starting quarterback for the program while NFL legend Terry Bradshaw was his backup.
A devout Christian and staunch conservative, Robertson was never afraid to firmly stand by his beliefs. Robertson was suspended by A&E in 2013 for stating that LGBT people would go to hell if they didn’t change their ways in an interview with GQ magazine.
The decision to suspend who was the network’s most popular personality at the time ignited a firestorm, with Robertson’s supporters threatening to boycott the network for censoring his views. Phil was eventually reinstated by the network.
Robertson frequently advocated for Christian values in conservative political circles as well. He spoke at numerous conservative conventions, including CPAC, and was a regular on Fox News.
In 2022, Phil released his book, Uncancelled: Finding Meaning And Peace In A Culture Of Accusations, Shame, And Condemnation. The book detailed how the modern cancel culture comment presents challenges for people advocating for a true Christian lifestyle and belief system.
The beloved Robertson family patriarch had been battling Alzheimer’s disease in recent months. Phil’s son, Jase, revealed during an episode of the “Unashamed With The Robertson Family” podcast last year that his father was dealing with an unidentified blood disease and was displaying early signs of Alzheimer’s.
“Phil’s not doing well,” Jase explained. “I think I spoke on the 1,000th podcast, we were kind of trying to figure out the diagnosis, but according to the doctors, they’re sure that he has some sort of blood disease that’s causing all kinds of problems.”
Back in April, the Robertson family announced a bit of touching news amidst the rehabilitating illness, as Phil and Miss Kay Robertson, his wife of 60 years, had been reunited in a care facility. “We now have Phil and Kay back together. It has been fantastic,” Jase said at the time.
“Please join me in praying for Miss Kay and all of the Robertson family as Phil Robertson has passed away. Now he is in the presence of his Lord and Savior,” said Franklin Graham, the president of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, after Robertson’s death was announced.
“I always appreciated that Phil stood firm with the Word of God and took every opportunity to talk about his faith in Jesus Christ.”
