Duck Dynasty was one huge hit for A&E, with millions of viewers tuning in to watch the antics of the Robertson clan each week.
This family from Louisiana known for their fun-loving ways and fondness for bears ran a successful; business selling a duck call named the Duck Commander and other duck hunting equipment.
But after some time, scandals and of-screen-activities surrounding this family caught up with them, following a drop of ratings…
This is a list of all of Phil Robertson’s controversial comments as well as the drama the family has had to deal with, including addiction, abuse and more.
Phil Promotes Child Marriage
The first time Phil made headlines was when a video from the past came to light where he seems to be promotive child marriage. He states in the video that girls should get married when they’re as young as 15, continuing to explain that he himself started dating his wife at 14.
He said in the clip: “Look, you wait ’til they get to be 20 years old, the only picking that’s going to take place is your pocket. You got to marry these girls when they are about 15 or 16. They’ll pick your ducks.
You would think these statements already got the show off to a rocky start, but his comments did nothing to reduce the numbers of viewers.
Learn why the show was only half the story:
A Goldmine
Just before the reality show began, the Robertson made bank. Their company, Duck Commander started to bring in a huge amount of revenue.
In 2012 it was reported that they made $40 million… it was after this that they were hired by A&E to appear in a reality show and make even more money to star on it.
Advertisers spent $180,000 to land a 30-second commercial spot on the series… it seems the Robertson’s should have no worries with so much cash flowing in! But despite their financial success, al was not dandy behind the scenes.
A&E Replaced The Stars With Stand-Ins
While it is common knowledge that most reality TV shows are partially scripted, and scenes are created to add drama, many fans believed that Duck Dynasty was the exception.
After all, the family’s interactions always seemed so genuine! But in 2014, the gossip site Radar Online came out with a casting email from 2012 that shook fans belief.
The email stated that it was looking for four men with long beards to stand in for the actors from the show.
Those who were interested were invited to send their statistics (i.e., height, weight and hair color) to be considered for the role.
Reed’s Trouble With Fame
Fans who loved the show were also worried about Reed, the 18-year-old son of Jase and Missy Robertson.
Unlike other members of the family, Reed seemed to have serious difficulties dealing with the fame his family was all of a sudden ort of, at one point he admitted he even considered taking his own life.
To everyone’s relief, the tide turned for Reed. In fact, in 2015 he got engaged to his high school sweetheart Brighton Thompson on Christmas Eve in Central Park during a trip to New York City.
Reed presented her with a 3-carat diamond heirloom and expressed his excitement on Instagram where he wrote My fiancé is a babe in every way.” They tied the knot in October 2016.
Phil Robertson Is Suspended For His Racist & Anti-Gay Remarks
Out of the cast members on Duck Dynasty, Phil Robertson definitely takes the cake for the most controversial.
Phil is often in the spotlight for the questionable remarks he makes regarding politics.
In a 2013 off-camera interview with GQ magazine, he made some serious anti-gay and racist comments that caught everyone off-guard.
He stated that homosexuality was a sin and also claimed that African-Americans were happy in pre-civil-rights-era Louisiana.
As you can imagine, people were not happy at all with his statements. A&E suspended him from the show but reversed the decision nine days later.
But then...
Phil’s Interview Put the Nail in the Coffin for the Show
Although the show continued, following the extreme remarks made by Phil, ratings started to slowly dwindle.
Although a wedding-themed episode increased viewership in 2015, Duck Dynasty’s ratings plummeted. By season 10, there were only 1.3 million viewers.
After 11 seasons, the sad ratings could not be overlooked. It seemed Phil’s comments sealed the fate of Duck Dynasty and it the final episode aired on March 29, 2017.
See what Phil did next:
Phil Apologizes
Around a year after he made the controversial racist and homophobic remarks, he tried to make things right with a rather strange apology.
On Good Morning America he tried comparing himself to Jesus claiming “I’m as much of a homophobe as Jesus was.
People who are participating in homosexual behavior, they need to know that I love them.” Then he talked about unifying the human race.
He claimed “There’s one race on this planet. It’s called the human race… We’re all the same. To me, there is absolutely nothing that has color to do with it.”
Jep’s History Of Drug Abuse
Despite the family’s strong connection with the church, Jep was one member who struggled greatly with drug addiction and abuse.
He confessed that he “pretty much did anything that was put in front” of him when he was a teenager, including a “joint that was dipped in formaldehyde.” He also had blackouts.
He stated: “I remember waking up [one night], I had one leg in my truck door, and it was on a gravel road and I was all skinned up … And I drove somewhere that night, and to this day I don’t know what I did that night. I hope I didn’t run over somebody. I don’t know.”
Jep Hid The Abuse He Endured
Drug abuse was not the only thing Jep had to deal with growing up. In 2015, he revealed that he had been molested by an older student during elementary school.
He wrote in his book The Good, the Bad, and the Grace of God: What Honesty and Pain Taught Us About Faith, Family, and Forgiveness that an older girl used to sit next to him on a bus and “After a while, the girl started doing strange things.”
He continues stating “She’d take my hands and push them up under her shirt and tell me I was tickling her. Then she started making me pull down my pants. It was awkward. I didn’t know what was going on, but I knew something wasn’t right.”
Jep: “I Just Tried To Bury It So Deep”
The traumatic experience truly affected his younger years, he shares more about his traumatic experience writing:
“I didn’t want to go to school. I had a lot of absences. My mom always thought I was sick and there were definitely other reasons I didn’t want to go to school. I think for a while I just tried to bury it so deep that I kind of forgot about it for a while.”
But he still sees the light in everything and wrote: “I think God put that on me for meeting someone like [my wife] Jessica who went through some hard times herself and I think it made our relationship stronger once we talked about it.”
Trouble Between Willie & Korie
All is not well and dandy between the pair Willie and Korie. Reports are that they are continuously butting heads about relocating to California.
An insider told The Hollywood News Daily in June 2017 It looks like big trouble is brewing in their marriage.
Korie told Willie that even if he is not willing to move, she would like to open a shop in Los Angeles, get an apartment and spend a lot of her time there.
Korie also claims that her 16-year-old daughter Sadie will find it easier to expand her budding modeling career in Los Angeles.
Family members are gathering around Willie and Korie, praying with them and trying to get their dispute settled.”
Phil Nearly Had A Different, Yet Equally Lucrative, Career
Believe it or not, Phil almost pursued a very different career than the one he has today!
He played football with future NFL star Terry Bradshaw and was even offered a chance to go pro.
He was offered a position with the Washington Redskins, something most young men would grab right away.
Yet Phil passed on the opportunity. Why? He reasoned that it wouldn’t give him enough time for his favorite hobby- hunting!
However, there are no regrets here. He later said of the decision that rather than going for the bug ducks, he “chased after the ducks.”
Perhaps that was the best decision he ever made. The series has generated $400 million from merchandising alone.
Sticky Frog Legs & Other Favorite Delicacies
Kay Roberts is one of the best personalities on the show, she married Phil at 16-years-old, her husband and kids call her Miss Kay and she raised four hearty sons.
One of her favorite activities is cooking for her family (and of course, their neighbours).
While it always looks delicious, she doesn’t shy away from more strange meals, her popular recipes include banana pudding, fried deer steak, crawfish pie, and sticky frog legs.
When it comes to frog legs, she either fries them in butter or soaks them in lemon juice. Not to be overshadowed by other family members, Kay is also an author!
She published a cookbook called Miss Kay’s Duck Commander Kitchen allowing us all to cook just like Miss Kay!
Si’s Blue Cup
Of one of the stranger and random antics comes Si’s blue cup! Fans noticed that Uncle Si is often carrying around a blue plastic cup. But it has more significance than just a drinking utensil.
Si’s mother apparently sent him the cup when he served in Vietnam. Obviously, it has special meaning to him and is now one of his most prized possessions.
The cup craze caught on, and fans who took a special interest in this even put together a Facebook page in honor of the blue cup which garnered more than 7000 likes! (More than most people).
The Only One Without A Beard
As you can see, this family is rather fond of their beards, but there is one member who sticks out due to his lack of furry face- Al Robertson.
Al is Phil’s oldest son, just like his brothers he hunted, fished, and helped the family business throughout the 70’s and 80’s. But then he left their business for 25 years for a special calling
Al served as a minister all this time before returning home. Of course, since he is a Robertson he also wrote a book.
It detailed about how his wife, Lisa has multiple affairs and how they repaired their relationship.
He told Fox411: “We believe God was helping us. I believe there was something bigger than myself giving me assistance.”
Goodbye, Long Hair
The Robertson’s family’s long hair and thick beards are not just so they have a unique look, it is for duck hunting season as it’s used for camouflage.
However, when they signed their contracts with A&E, they were required to keep the beards on their faces all year round.
Once they stopped filming they were free to do what they wished with their hair, and Jep did just that.
In May 12017, he cut off his shoulder-length hair on Facebook. Jase followed suit and cut off his hair too!
His wife shared the transformation with the world and posted a video online.
Air Force Worker Almost Loses Job Over Show?!
The Duck Dynasty family seems to be able to cause trouble anywhere and everywhere!
A civil service worker at an Air Force Base in Florida got into hot water after a union that was representing other federal employees was not happy about the public support for Phil Robertson.
Of course, this came following Phil’s publicly anti-gay and racist comments.
The employee, who happened to be a senior manager, had an “I Support Phil” sticker on his vehicle and in their office.
When another employee voiced his concern, the manager responded by offering him a sticker.
Executive Vice President of the local union chapter, Alan Cooper, said the decals could be in violation of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.”
Duck Dynasty Causing Trouble
Duck Dynasty Causing Troublesome of the concerns which the Union Vice President Alan Cooper had with the employee’s beliefs is that it could affect the way he years his subordinates.
He stated “These two particular individuals have a great amount of influence over individuals who may be gay, who may be African-American.
And we have a concern they should not be in a position to exert that influence when it comes to promotions.”
After a back and forth, the employees remained firm, insisting they are standing up for their “Christian Values”.
The air force admitted it was in their rights of free speech and they were not fired.
Fame Hungry Willie
Although part of the appeal of the Robertson family is their down-to-earth nature and their simple, country feel, behind the scenes it may be something totally different.
It seems as though Willie Robertson, the star of the show and one who runs the business, may be more fame hungry than anyone.
According to the rumors, Willie lost sight of it all and was hungry for fame, which began to create a rift in the family.
Some say fame isn’t even the driving factor, but money is wat makes Willie tick.
They Have A Friend In … Harvey Levin?
Although Phil lost the support of many of his fans after his anti-gay and racist comments they found a highly unlikely ally in a gossip mogul.
Harvey Levin: former lawyer, founder of TMZ, and People’s Court commentator took to his twitter with a surprising message of support for the star.
Levin tweeted, “I’m gay and I don’t agree with Phil, but he has a right to his beliefs [sic]… it’s not hate-based … it’s religious… misdirected but his right.” But of course, boycotting a TV show is also someone’s right…
Another interesting side note about Harvey Levin is that he is also supposedly a close friend of Kris Jenner, so take that as you will.
Producers Fired And Sued
Although the show was about the Robertson family, they were not the only ones who fond themselves in hot water throughout the show.
The producers of Duck Dynasty, Deirdre, and Scott Gurney were involved in some pretty shady behavior of their own… the criminal type.
The two were the originators of the company – Gurney Productions – however, they later sold the majority stake in the company but remained involved.
This is where things got sticky, they started a new company, and then made a deal with hat company while simultaneously pretending they had nothing to do with is. However, they were also charging expenses to the company and various payroll infractions!
As you can imagine, they were later fired by the production company. Yikes!
Clashes With PETA
It was no only those who were offended by the homophobic and racist comments who had a bone to pick with the Robertson family, but as you can imagine, PETA had problems of their own with the show that revolves around the hunting industry.
They called for A&E to cancel the show and also spoke to directly to Christians urging them to ignore Sarah Palin after she spoke out in defense of Phil. Their nickname for the family was “duck slayers”.
They gave out a statement which read “PETA wants A&E to do more than suspend one of the characters on ‘Duck Dynasty’ for damning gays.”
PETA Slams Christian Fans of Duck Dynasty
PETA did not let up on their crusade against the Duck Dynasty family. After Phil’s anti-gay comments, they had this to say :
“We call on the channel to challenge the entire crew of duck slayer s to ignore Sarah Palin’s self-serving slap on the back for spewing hate speech and deny that they are as anti-gay as they are anti-animal.
All people who consider themselves followers of Christ should follow all His teachings–and that includes showing mercy, compassion, and kindness to all of God’s creation, human and nonhuman alike.”
Their tactic was clearly to target the Christian followers as the Robertson’s are not shy about their dedication to their Protestant beliefs.
PETA’s statement continued, “What’s ‘sinful’ is hating people and animals. PETA asks everyone who considers themselves to be Christian to reject hate speech and call for this show’s cancellation.”
Sadie Robertson Boyfriend Drama
When you grow up in front of a camera, it is impossible to avoid dramatic situations that play out on screen.
Just ask Sadie Robertson who had to go through a breakup in front of the world.
After dating one boy for several years named Blake Coward, the two ultimately broke up.
Fans who avidly follow her on social media were devastated, but in true star form, she explained their decision and her process in a YouTube video.
Sadie, who has turned into a beautiful young lady, was honest and open about the breakup.
She said that she wanted to serve as an example of how to handle a similar situation for her young fans.
Sadie’s Breakup Advice
In the video, she gave some really from-the-heart advice stating “Instead of being bitter, instead of being jealous, instead of being angry, want what’s best for them.
No matter what the outcome, take the things that you know you can work on, grow in that, and be better for the next person.
Be better for the person that God has planned and prepared for you.”
In true Robertson style, she ended with some religious advice and a prayer for all the broken hearts hurting around the world to be healed by God.
But it was not long at all till Sadie found a new man in her live~! Texas A&M quarterback Trevor Knight.
The new relationship didn’t last very long but seemed to serve as a breaking off point for her prior relationship.
Sadie On The Duggars
It is well known that the Robertson family and the Duggar family have a close bond. It's not surprising as both families are in the spotlight and share similar Christian values.
Sadie, who is good friends with the eldest Duggar daughter Jana, spoke out words of support for the family after it was revealed that Josh Duggar had not only cheated on his wife but had apparently molested some young girls when he was a teenager.
She said, “It’s been really hard, and it makes me really sad that they’re having to go through this. We’ve been there, it was hard, we’re praying for them, we’re there for them.”
The Duggar Mistake
Sadie seemed to be more involved with the Duggar drama than she openly let on, hinting that she spoke to Jana and may have known about the scandal before it blew up.
She continued, “It’s been kind of a secret for a long time and when secrets come out, it’s not fun. But I think [Josh] is making a turnaround. It’ll all work out.”
Sadie drew similarities to the way the world reacted to the scandal of Josh Duggar and one of Phil’s homophobic comments.
Sadie said, “They almost canceled Duck Dynasty when my grandpa said the things that he said, that would’ve been not a good decision because that was putting one man’s words in all of our mouths.”
She added, “[It was] Josh Duggar, his whole family didn’t do that, he made a mistake.”
Not All Robertsons Felt The Same
Not everyone in the Robertson clan shared the empathetic feelings towards the Duggar family that Sadie expressed.
Missy and Jase Robertson spoke candidly about the divorce stating “As far as the relationship, that’s gotta be her decision whether or not she wants to go on without him. She certainly has that right, because he interrupted their marriage with those affairs.”
Jase stood behind his wife’s views and claimed, “You can forgive somebody, but that doesn’t mean there are no consequences for your actions.”
Missy went even further and said that she believed Josh’s wife Anna was “definitely a victim.”
Sadie’s First Acting Role
Sadie seemed to catch the acting bug after her time on her family’s reality TV show.
She took a turn on Dancing with the Stars and also landed her first real acting role in a film about a Christian film called I Am Not Ashamed about Rachel Joy Scott, who was a victim during the 1999 Columbine school shooting.
Rachel was the first student killed on that fateful day.
She was a devout Christian and survivors who witnessed the shooting claimed that Eric Harris came up to Rachel after she had already been shot and pulled her head up and asked her if she believed in God.
Rachel apparently responded, “You know I do” and Harris responded, “Well, go be with Him” shooting her in the head.
The Meaningful Film
Sadie was offered the main role of Rachel in the meaningful film which is based on Rachel Joy Scott’s journals.
However, she did not feel ready to tackle the main character and rather played the cousin of Rachel helped her reach Christianity.
Sadie maturely stated “You know what? I don’t think I can pull off a complete lead like this. I’m not ready to do that. ‘I have to be in this movie, though. I want to be in this movie.’”
Sadie was not the only Robertson to take part in the film project, other cast members included her younger sister Bella and mom Korie.
This particular film was close to Sadie’s heart as she claims that she relates to that feeling of discomfort of talking about her faith at school.
Her acting career seems to be going upwards and onwards as soon after she landed another role in a Christian film- God’s Not Dead 2: He’s Surely Alive.
Dad Willie Not On Board With Sexy Outfits
Sadie’s stint on Dancing with the Stars was not all fun and games, and some of the judge Julianne Hough's comments did not sit so well with her dad Willie.
After one performance, Julianne told Sadie that she needed to “get more down and dirty with her dancing.”
You can imagine hearing his daughter being told to get down and dirty did not go down so well with the conservative father.
It didn’t help that Sadie was only a teenager at the time! although Julianne certainly did not mean any harm by her comments, she probably could have chosen a more sensitive word phrasing…
Christian Conflicts With Dancing With The Stars
TMZ actually caught Willie Robertson and asked what he thought about Hough's comments regarding Sadie, although he did not seem to angry, he did state that he wanted to have a word with the judge regarding the ‘nature’ of her comments.
But the problems with the show didn’t end there!
Apparently, the family were not impressed with the ‘scandalous’ and revealing outfits Sadie was made to wear each week.
A Supportive Dancer
Luckily Sadie had an incredibly supportive dance partner, Mark Ballas who told Entertainment Tonight:
“This show has turned this outfit thing into a stereotype. If you went to a real ballroom competition, of course, there are sexy outfits…but every time you see someone on stage in one of those outfits, they chose to wear that… I like to keep things a little bit more about the dancing.
Make it sassy, make it fun, make it cute and sexy at times, but with [Sadie] it’s going to be very appropriate and it’s always going to be comfortable. That’s my bottom-line rule.”
Mark proved he was the perfect partner for Sadie who was able to think out of the box and keep things appropriate.
Jep And Jessica Drama
Of course, Jep and Jessica Roberts also released a tell-all book called The Good, the Bad, and the Grace of God: What Honesty and Pain Taught Us About Faith, Family, and Forgiveness.
The book exposed some intimate and juicy details about life pre- Duck Dynasty. Jessica included the traumatic tale about her first marriage to her youth partner.
Jessica was so traumatized by the experience that she hid her earlier marriage from her children for a number of years.
In her book she insinuated that she was taken advantage of by a man many years her senior, “I also started to feel that I should be in love with him even though I wasn’t in love with him. Everyone said I was the luckiest girl in the world to have snagged him.”
She later turned her life around and met her long-time husband.
Eating Disorder Nightmare
Another aspect of her life she addresses in the book was her struggle with an eating disorder.
Jessica details how following the failed marriage she took a lot of her anxiety out on eating and would not touch anything with fat in it.
She writes “I think a lot of girls struggle with that. I wouldn’t eat anything with fat in it. I would go as far as getting powdered skim milk because it had fat in it,”
That along with her intense exercise regime got increasingly dangerous. However, lucky Jep came into her life at the right time.
She credits her relationship with Jep as well as religion with turning her life around.
Jase Robertson Shaves His Beard And Is Unrecognizable
In an episode of Duck Dynasty, Jase Robertson famously said, “There are two kinds of people without beards, children, and women, and I am neither.”
Well, that can’t be said for Jase anymore. In September 2017, Jase shaved his signature beard in video that was broadcasted live to fans on Facebook.
The best part? It was all for a good cause. Jase’s daughter Mia was born with a cleft lip and started the Mia Moo Fund to help raise money for cleft lip and palate research.
Jase agreed to shave his seven-year-old beard if fans could help raise $100,000 for the cause—and they did!
Phil Came From Humble Beginnings
The Robertsons weren’t always wealthy. Before Phil founded the company and became rich, he lived in poverty.
He was born in Louisiana in 1946 and had six brothers and sisters.
They lived in a home without any electricity, and they didn’t have a bathtub or even a toilet.
In order to survive, the family grew their own fruit and vegetables in their garden.
They ate the meat that they hunted and raised on their property. Despite their financial struggles, it was a good childhood.
Phil recalled: “It was the 1950s when I was a young boy, but we lived like it was the 1850s … but we were always happy, happy, happy no matter the circumstances.”
Phil Robertson Called For Jim Crowe Era Treatment Of Blacks
In December 2013, Phil Robertson turned his attention away from his massive homophobia for a moment to reflect on how great black people had it during the Jim Crowe days in America.
Robertson claimed, “I never, with my eyes, saw the mistreatment of any black person. Not once.”
Robertson then added that he “hoed cotton with them. I’m with the blacks, because we’re white trash.”
He then slaved black people for taking government handouts, adding, “Pre-entitlement, pre-welfare, you say: Were they happy? They were godly; they were happy; no one was singing the blues.”
His comments didn’t sit well with the NAACP and various other race-relation organizations.
Millions Tuned In From The Beginning
The reality show Duck Dynasty aired on A&E from 2012 to 2017.
The program focused on the Robertson family, who make a living in Louisiana from their business, Duck Commander.
Brothers Phil and Si, along with Phil’s sons Jase, Willie, and Jep, make products for duck hunters, especially the duck call known as the Duck Commander.
The family is renowned for their long beards and Christian values. The series was massively popular with fans.
Nearly 12 million viewers tuned in to the fourth season premiere, making it the most-watched nonfiction program in cable history.
President Obama Was A Fan Of The Show
In 2015, Willie and Korie attended the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner.
A man approached them and said he was with the White House, and they needed to go with him for a few minutes. They wound up having a meeting with President Obama.
Willie said of their meeting: “He said he loves the show and watches it on Air Force One.”
Korie added, “I know the Obamas are very particular about what they let their girls watch on TV so if our show is one they find acceptable, that’s really great!”
So even if Willie is a Republican, he appreciated that Obama was a fan.
An Abortion Scandal
In 2015, Alan and Lisa Robertson published a book called A New Season: A Robertson Family Love Story of Brokenness and Redemption.
Alan is the oldest brother and a preacher. While it was revealed that Lisa had an affair that lasted over a year there were also many other salacious details.
It turns out Alan was quite wild when he was young including drinking and drug use throughout his teen years.
His future wife Lisa, was molested by a male relative as a young girl. She ended up having an abortion when she was only seventeen which is a decision she came to regret.
This is quite the scandalous revelation, especially for a family hell-bent on sporting their Christian values.
Lisa said, “I thought it was important to include because there are people out there who this has happened to… “Look, I did this. And you can find healing and comfort from Jesus in it.”
Phil Robertson Says God Created AIDS To Punish Hollywood
Following the revelation that Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein had been sexually assaulting women for years, Phil Robertson appeared on Catholic news network EWTN to talk about the scandal.
Robert cited deaths during the AIDS crisis as proof that God was mad at the entertainment industry.
He said: “Can you believe it? there’s rank sexual immorality and perversion coming out of, of all places, Hollywood, California.
Is this a stunner or what?” Robertson further said Hollywood was being punished with AIDS for its immoral ways but added that Weinstein “can be forgiven” if he turns to Christ.
Phil Is An Educated Man
For a guy with such strong business acumen, it’s no surprise that Phil earned a bachelor’s degree in physical education and a master’s degree in education.
He wasn’t just a backwoods redneck — he was pretty smart. And there’s a simple reason why he got into the duck call business: he didn’t like the ones on the market.
Phil wanted a device that sounded exactly like a duck, so he invented his first Duck Commander in 1972.
He got a patent and established his company in 1973. His business makes millions of dollars and is headed by his son, Willie Robertson.
Trump Supporters
Phil supported congressional candidate Vance McAllister in 2013 by endorsing him in a television commercial.
The reality star is credited with helping McAllister, who never held a political office, win the election.
Phil originally supported Ted Cruz for President, but after Cruz dropped out of the race Phil put his support behind Donald Trump.
He isn’t the only one of the Robertsons who backed Trump. His son Willie spoke at the Republican National Convention in support of Trump.
Willie said: “If you’re looking for a job or trying to grow a business like I am, Donald Trump will have your back.”