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Duck Dynastystar Phil Robertson learned about a daughter from an affair he had in the ’70s only in 2020. He reunited with his daughter Phyllis when she reached out to the Robertson family after finding out the truth. Robertson has been married to high school sweetheart Miss Kay, aka Kay Robertson since 1966, but their marriage hit a rocky patch in the ’70s due to his troubled lifestyle.
However, Robertson claimed that he later found the path of God and maintained a rock-solid marriage with his wife. They had four sons – Alan, Jase, Willie, and Jep. Phil became famous among the American television audience through his A&E seriesDuck Dynasty, which portrays the family’s livelihood through their business, Duck Commander.
Phil Robertson Found Out About Daughter Phyllis Robertson Only In 2020
Phil Robertson revealed about his daughter for the first time in May 2020. In a statement to USA Today, he shared that he was not proud of his past, but added that it was amazing to see what God had brought out of his mess. He shared (via Distractify):
I’ve been very open about my past. It’s not something I’m proud of. I was in a dark place, but God brought me to the light. It is amazing to see what beauty God can bring out of our messes. He makes wonderful things out of the ashes. My daughter is a living testimony of that.
Robertson alongside his sons Alan, Jase, Willie, and Jep discussed the revelation during the95th episodeof their podcast,Unashamed with Phil Robertson. The sons shared that they and their mother Miss Kay had suffered from the family patriarch’s unholy lifestyle in the early days of his marriage. However, they had no issues in welcoming the ‘new’ daughter, who was a product of these past deeds of Robertson.
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According to the Robertsons, Phyllis first approached her brothers Al and Jase in 2020, three months before the podcast went live. She sent them letters explaining how she could be Robertson’s daughter and wanted to do a DNA test proving the same. When the sons approached their father, he immediately agreed to do the test. The DNA test was a match and the Duck Commander founder was eager to see her,“I’m like, bring her on down.”
Jase revealed on the podcast that Phyllis was nervous about how Miss Kay would react to the news. Jase told her,“I’m not worried. She’s pretty much been the best of us since day one.”Robertson revealed that his wife had kind of predicted this outcome from his troubled past life. He shared on the podcast:
Miss Kay warned me: ‘Someone will come out of your past… I think it will be a son,’ but in this case she said, ‘I’m so glad it’s a girl. I always wanted a daughter.’
Phyllis made an appearance on the96th episodeof the podcast to explain her side of things. Phyllis revealed that she had discovered the truth about her father only when her son did a commercial DNA test to learn about their ancestry. When the results came back, Phyllis and her son were in for a surprise.
She then did DNA tests along with her siblings and found out that they were her half-siblings. Phyllis shared in the podcast that she did some research with the help of her husband. She shared:
A little digging, internet searches, looking through the site, and put together a family tree, so to speak. My husband helped me with it. We filled in a lot of blanks. […] I think I know who this might be.
She shared in the podcast that she then visited the Robertsons’ church and saw her dad for the first time. When she saw him, Roberston was preaching the gospel. When she first got to meet him in person, he told her,“Girl, you’re the best thing that ever came out of my past.”She shared that even though there was a surprise element of meeting her birth father, there wasn’t any awkwardness between them.
Phyllis shared that she had never watchedDuck Dynastybefore meeting them. She shared,“I had no preconceived ideas, really. I tried to watch a couple episodes … it felt like, you know, that’s not what I want my first impression to be.”Phyllis is also a devout Christian like her father.
The Robertson Family Immediately Accepted Phyllis Into Their Family
Phil Robertson was happy to meet his daughter. During her podcast appearance, he told her,“Phyllis, all I can tell you is, I’m glad you found me. I’m glad I found you. All I have to say is, welcome aboard.”The rest of the family was as welcoming of Phyllis, her husband, and their children as Phil.
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Jep recalled talking to Phyllis on the phone and sharing how he always wanted a big sister. He shared on the podcast,“I told her on the phone I always wanted a big sister. I was so excited. To me, it was like a dream come true.”Jase was particularly happy when the DNA result came out to be a match. After meeting Phyllis for the first time, he told his wife Missy,“I really like her.”
Phyllis’s Christian faith and her mission work made the family even happier, with Willie commenting,“Exactly what I would expect in this family.”Ever since reuniting with the family, Phyllis’ Instagram was filled with photos of her catching up with her biological father. In January 2021, she went to her first duck hunting with her dad (via Instagram).
She and her husband celebratedEasterwith the Robertson family, including Phil’s brother Si Robertson. She later celebrated Father’s Day, writing,“Delicious and memorable Father’s Day, the first one I’ve ever spent with him”(via Instagram).
In 2023, Robertson’s daughter-in-law Korie and granddaughter Sadie opened up about their relationship with Phyllis toE! News. Sadie shared that she had recently met Phyllis during a lunch date and had a good time with her aunt. She shared:
It was so good. I was just sitting with her like, ‘This is so crazy! I’m talking to my aunt that I didn’t know for so long, but now you’re my dad’s sister.’ It’s such a beautiful thing that we get to have this relationship.
Meanwhile, Korie credited her mother-in-law, Miss Kay, for being accepting of Phyllis. Korie shared,“Kay, from day one, just welcomed her with opened arms. She became part of the family very early on.”Sadie agreed and shared how crucial Miss Kay was to maintaining the amazing family dynamics:
If grandma Kay hadn’t forgiven Phil 40 years ago, there’s no way she could’ve welcomed Phyllis with open arms like that. She already knew everything that happened—she didn’t know there was a daughter, but she knew how bad it was—and there was a lot of confessions, repentance, forgiveness.
Phyllis’ most recentpostwith her father was on Election Day when she urged her followers to place their votes.
Phil Robertson’s Controversial Comments Once Got Him Suspended FromDuck Dynasty
Phil Robertson’s comments came under brutal criticism in 2013. When he appeared in aGQinterview, theDuck Dynastypatriarch was asked about what in his mind was sinful. Robertson replied,“Start with homosexual behavior and just morph out from there.”He further made stereotypical comments while advocating against homosexuality.
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A&E suspended him from the show, which resulted in a massive backlash from his followers. They accused the network of censoring Robertson for his faith. Robertson was later reinstated by the network. When he released his 2022 book,Uncanceled, he went back to this incident and shared how cancel culture went after his Christian beliefs.
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.
Robertson had no regrets about his comments with GQ, further sharing,“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.”The New York Timesreported a drop in the viewership of the show inSeason 5after Robertson’s remarks.
Phil Robertson Is Diagnosed With Alzheimer’s Disease
On the1000th episodeof theUnashamedpodcast released on December 3, Jase looked back at the influential life of his father while mentioning that Phil Robertson was going through some health issues. On Friday’s episode numbered1003, the family revealed the patriarch’s diagnosis.
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Jase revealed that their father had some kind of blood disease. He also revealed that Robertson has the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease. Jase shared that his father is currently struggling with these multiple health conditions. He shared:
Phil’s not doing well. I think I spoke on the 1000th 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. It’s like accelerated, and it’s causing problems with his entire body. And he has early stages of Alzheimers. So, if you put those things together, he’s really not doing well. He’s struggling.
Jase further explained his father’s absence from the podcast, sharing that he is“unable to sit down and have a conversation.”He shared that his father missed appearing on the podcast and telling all of his stories. He noted that Robertson’s condition has no apparent cure, according to his doctors. Jase shared,“We’re trying to make him a little more comfortable.”
Phil Robertson’sDuck Dynastyis available for streaming on the A&E website, Hulu, and Prime Video.
Hashim Asraff
Senior Writer
Articles Published :3017
Hashim Asraff is a Senior Entertainment Writer at FandomWire, with over 2,800 articles published on celebrity culture, comic book movies, and major TV franchises. With a background in Sociology and a keen interest in pop culture, Hashim brings a unique lens to breaking news stories, character deep-dives, film rankings, and fan-driven perspectives.His coverage often includes the MCU, DCU, hit network shows, and celebrity profiles, giving readers a rich blend of entertainment and analysis. A longtime fan of crime and investigative series, Hashim has watched thousands of episodes of NCIS, Criminal Minds, Law & Order: SVU, Bones, Blue Bloods, and The RookieA passionate storyteller and wordsmith, Hashim has also worked as a ghostwriter and managed multiple social media handles. He brought his writing expertise to FandomWire to also pursue his lifelong love for cinema and television.
