Phil Robertson, the patriarch of Duck Dynasty, died on May 25, 2025, at 79, only one week earlier than the premiere of Duck Dynasty: The Revival. His absence from the extremely anticipated reboot, nonetheless, may not simply be a easy results of his declining well being, and the rationale why the community didn’t push the household too onerous for it may be a bit extra multifaceted.
The late patriarch was the sort of man who constructed his household enterprise from nothing to a multimillion-dollar empire, after which gave them some extra by TV. He was precisely that — a conventional patriarch — and with that got here a sequence of firmly held political, non secular, and private beliefs. Whereas that’s revered by an enormous variety of folks, on the time the unique present was airing, his views landed him in hassle greater than as soon as.
Phil Robertson Was Reportedly Taken Off-Air for His Views
In December 2013, A&E suspended Phil Robertson from Duck Dynasty following remarks made in a GQ interview. Robertson had equated homosexual behavior with bestiality and adultery, citing biblical passages to help his views. He explicitly said that “gay offenders” and “the grasping, the drunkards, the slanderers, the swindlers” wouldn’t “inherit the dominion of God.” He additional steered that Black People had been happier through the Jim Crow period, referencing his personal experiences with out acknowledgment of systemic racism. All these remarks shortly led to widespread media protection and public criticism.
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Phil Robertson will eternally be remembered by this quote.
In 2014, Robertson doubled down on his positions. Throughout a church look, he claimed that his critics attacked him for merely talking biblical reality, as per EW. The next 12 months, at a prayer breakfast, as per EW, he shared a graphic hypothetical about an atheist household being raped and murdered, concluding that with no perception in God, there was no ethical accountability. These statements, made publicly and unapologetically, cemented his popularity as an unfiltered and controversial determine and whereas lots of people maintain comparable views to this date, on the time, the media inclination was shifting and views and opinions that weren’t precisely filtered by a selected lens, had been deemed insensitive.
He Was Later Reinstated After a 9-Day Suspension
Following the GQ interview, A&E suspended Robertson from Duck Dynasty for 9 days in December 2013. The suspension, nonetheless, confronted important pushback from followers and conservative teams, who rallied behind Robertson, arguing that his feedback had been an expression of spiritual freedom. The community, dealing with mounting public strain and potential monetary fallout, reinstated him to the present with few adjustments to its manufacturing construction.
Though reinstated, Robertson’s media interactions had been noticeably curtailed. A&E reportedly restricted his public appearances and interviews, possible as a threat administration measure. Whereas Duck Dynasty continued till 2017, his on-screen position turned much less central. The community balanced his connection to the model with the potential for additional controversy, and saved him concerned however considerably distanced in a risk-free method, simply to fulfill folks sitting on each ends of the spectrum. Although not publicly confirmed, fan hypothesis suggests this technique — and the shift in his presence over time appears to help it.
Phil Robertson Will not Be Showing Posthumously in ‘Duck Dynasty: The Revival’
Phil Robertson’s absence from Duck Dynasty: The Revival, due to this fact, may not be simply due to his well being points, although they performed a major position. In December 2024, his household revealed on their Unashamed podcast that Phil had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, accompanied by a uncommon blood dysfunction that difficult his well being additional. Jase Robertson then later additionally shared in April 2025 that Phil’s situation had worsened, saying bluntly, “It hasn’t been good.”
Nevertheless, even with out these well being challenges, it’s possible that A&E most popular to keep away from reigniting the controversies that when surrounded him. The community has not commented publicly on his absence, however the resolution possible displays each respect for his household and a strategic transfer to distance the reboot from previous public relations challenges. The Revival will give attention to different members of the family, together with Willie, Korie, Miss Kay, Uncle Si, and the subsequent technology of Robertsons, whereas possible paying tribute to Phil’s position because the household’s foundational determine. These keen on Robertson family patriarch life story can even watch The Blind, a 2023 movie that circles his life story and the way he arrange his empire.
Duck Dynasty: The Revival will premiere June 1, 2025, on A&E and focuses on Willie and Korie Robertson passing down the torch. The unique present can be out there to stream on the identical platform.
