“Duck Dynasty” Star Announces Tragic Diagnosis

Jase Robertson revealed the heartbreaking news on the 1,000th episode of the “Unashamed with the Robertson Family” podcast on Friday.

Phil Robertson is struggling with a blood disease, on top of the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease.

An outpouring of support quickly sprung up online, with many — including Franklin Graham — calling for prayers on behalf of the Robertson patriarch.

Would you join me in praying for Phil Robertson, his wife Miss Kay, and their family? Phil is having serious health issues. I’ve appreciated Phil’s bold faith in Jesus Christ and the way he points to God’s Word.
https://t.co/wBvXgw7Nl6

— Franklin Graham (@Franklin_Graham) December 8, 2024

According to Jase Robertson, his dad really isn’t doing well at all.

He made it clear on Friday’s podcast that Phil Robertson hadn’t been making appearances on the podcast or doing the things he usually enjoys because of the constant pain associated with his health diagnosis.

Family reveals on podcast that ‘Duck Dynasty’ star Phil Robertson has early stages of Alzheimer’s pic.twitter.com/O97me8e9YY

— New York Post (@nypost) December 7, 2024

Phil was originally a large part of the “Unashamed” podcast stemming from his pushback against the attempt to cancel him several years ago simply for daring to speak up from a Biblical worldview.

In short, Phil Robertson refused to deny Christ… and when asked about the experience, he simply stated, “I’m unashamed, how about you?”

And a podcast that has reached millions was born.

But now, Phil is struggling to the point that he is unable to sit and have a normal conversation, according to a Fox News story.

On Friday’s episode of “Unashamed with the Robertson Family” podcast, Phil’s son Jase revealed the diagnosis.

“Phil’s not doing well. I think I spoke on the 1,000th podcast, we were trying to figure out the diagnosis, but according to the doctors, he has some sort of blood disease causing all kinds of problems,” Jase said.

“It’s like accelerated, and it’s causing problems with his entire body. And he has early stages of Alzheimer’s. So, if you put those things together, he’s really not doing well. He’s struggling,” he continued.

Phil was a big part of the “Unashamed” podcast, but due to the decline in his health, he is literally “unable to sit down and have a conversation,” Jase revealed. He also noted that these days, his dad can barely walk around without “crying out in pain.”

“He misses it. He misses the stories we tell,” Jase said of the podcast.

The “Unashamed with the Robertson Family” included Phil, Jase, Phil’s son, Alan, and Phil’s nephew, Zach Dasher.

Jase noted that the team of doctors told him and his family that “there’s no curing what” Phil has.

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“We’re trying to make him a little more comfortable,” he noted.

In the podcast episode, Jase noted that the Robertson family is very appreciative of the prayers and support being sent Phil’s way.

Support and prayers have been pouring in to the Robertson clan as a result of making Phil’s health update known.

🚨 I just received word from Louisiana that one of America’s GREATS— Phil Robertson, has been diagnosed with early stage Alzheimer’s disease.

Additionally, a blood disease that he’s had for several years has also worsened causing him to be in much pain.

I’m very saddened to… pic.twitter.com/fr5uzHt663

— Allen Mashburn (@Mashburn4NC) December 7, 2024

Phil has consistently stated that he wants to get back to the podcast, but according to local NBC affiliate KSDK, he simply can’t stand the exertion.

According to Al Robertson, the ‘Duck Dynasty’ patriarch has had the blood disease for a couple years, but it has recently worsened.

But despite the health issues, Jase said Phil has been adamant about returning to the family’s podcast and “misses it.”

“He keeps saying ‘I’m going to get back to the podcast,’ and I’m like, ‘well Phil, you can barely walk around without crying out in pain, and your memory is not what it once was,'” Jase said. “So he is literally unable to — I think he would agree — to just sit down and have a conversation.”

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Check out this short history of Phil’s life, career, and faith put together by Country Cast.

Phil went into detail about the cornerstone of his life in his 2022 book, “Uncanceled: Finding Meaning and Peace in a Culture of Accusations, Shame, and Condemnation.”

In it, he wrote about the simplicity of simply sticking to God’s Word in determining how you approach life, according to the Fox News story referenced earlier.

“The ones who attacked me, I didn’t hold it against them,” Robertson told Fox News Digital at the time. “They asked me a question about a particular sin, homosexual behavior. And they asked if I believed it was a sin. I thought to myself, that’s a weird question to ask someone, but I just quoted a Bible verse… I quoted what God had to say about that sin and nine other sins, but it was in the list of sins. . . . As we were doing ‘Duck Dynasty,’ the upper crowd at A&E decided to drop the axe on me without first looking into what went down.”

“They put me on what they called an indefinite hiatus,” Robertson explained. “I said, ‘I think I may be getting fired, right?’ Hiatus says you’re not part of the program anymore. After nine days they reinstated me, but we had all kinds of sponsors that just took off. They had made a mockery of what I said. All I did was quote a Bible verse. And as a result, they tried to cancel me. But it didn’t cancel me at all. I still love them. I don’t hate anyone.”

“The Bible teaches us to love thy neighbor, even with their mistakes,” he shared.

Robertson said he has no regrets about doing the GQ interview.

“No regrets at all – none,” he said. “I just went on. I never called A&E and said, ‘What are you doing?’ I never said a word when they came to visit me about 10 days after this all went down. I said, ‘Guys, did y’all ever hear from me with some kind of irate phone call? ‘Cause you were firing me?’ They said, ‘Mr. Robertson, you never said a word.’ . . . I quoted a Bible verse that dealt with homosexual behavior.

“I just quoted the Bible verse that God had written through Paul the Apostle by the power of the Holy Spirit . . . I didn’t dream it off the top of my head. It didn’t go any further than that,” Phil said.

The world that tried to cancel Phil Robertson hasn’t gone away.

No political victory will make it so.

But I hope you’ll join with me in praying for Phil and the Robertson clan — not because they “made it”, or because you like their show or podcast — but because that’s what you do when people are suffering.

As I said, we live in a culture that now throws parties and has “murderer look-a-like” contests when someone we don’t like is hurt or killed.

We live in a culture that has grown cold.  The “love of many” has certainly taken a hit.  We no longer HURT… when others hurt.

At least, not like we used to.

I don’t think that’s going to change.  In terms of the culture… I don’t expect it to change, except to get worse.  It’s simply a sign of the times.

But you and I don’t have to go along with it.  And in the exercising of our intentional empathy, in praying for those who hurt, and specifically in blessing those who stand for God and His ways — there is tremendous blessing that comes back to us.

But there is also the chance that God, in his wisdom and mercy, may hear our prayers, and HEAL.

God does not lead and teach us to pray for those who are sick to make the one praying feel better; He does so that we might become fellow workers with Him… as he HEALS.

I pray that God blesses you even as you pray with me for Phil Robertson — for renewed strength, for revived memory and focus, for a lessening of the pain, and for the ability to continue to serve God in every capacity while there is yet breath in his lungs and a heartbeat in his chest.  In the precious name of Jesus — Amen.