Jase Robertson, son of “Duck Dynasty” patriarch Phil Robertson, announced Friday (December 6) that the elder Robertson is dealing with some health issues, including Alzheimer’s disease.
Jase Robertson and his brother Al opened up about their dad’s health in a new episode of their podcast, Unashamed. Jason shared that he had visited Phil that morning after a duck hunt and that “he’s not doing well.”
“According to the doctors, they’re sure he has some sort of blood disease that’s causing all kinds of problems,” Jase said. Al added that Phil, 78, had been dealing with this issue for several years but that it had progressively gotten worse.
“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 just not doing well. He’s really struggling,” said Jase.
According to Jase and Al, Phil has hopes of returning to host the Unashamed podcast that he started in 2019. But, he is currently unable to “walk without crying out in pain” and his “memory is not what it once was.”
“He is literally, and I think he would agree, unable to just sit down and have a conversation,” Jase shared.
Al added that Phil has good days and bad days with Alzheimer’s. “There are some days he’ll be a little more with it, and other days not so much.”
The Robertson family is working closely with doctors to make Phil comfortable and work on his memory.
“Outside of some supernatural intervention, which I don’t doubt … there’s no curing what he has. What do you do? We’re trying to make him a little more comfortable,” Jase said.
The brothers told listeners that they knew Phil wasn’t doing well when he joined them on a hunt during opening day of duck season. According to Jase, it was one of the most successful opening days they’ve ever had, but Phil didn’t fire his gun or say much that day.
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Jase recalled his conversation with Phil after returning from the hunt. “After the hunt he said, ‘Jase, I was miserable.’ He was just hurting and couldn’t do anything. He said, ‘Y’all don’t call me. I’ll call you when I’m ready to go back.’ … If he’s unable to go duck hunting that pretty much tells you everything you need to know.”
About Phil Robertson
Phil Robertson was an avid hunter and sportsman since childhood. In 1972, he turned that love into a business that would change his life.
Unhappy with duck calls that were on the market, Robertson created his own, obtained a patent, and started Duck Commander a year later. Phil’s wife Kay and their four sons helped package and ship the duck calls in the early years while also fishing and selling fish to bring in more income.
The business grew into a multi-million dollar company and a media franchise, thanks to the family’s A&E show “Duck Dynasty.”
The Blind, a movie about Phil Robertson’s life, was released in 2023. The movie details Phil’s life before fame and his before becoming a Christian.
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Hear Jase and Al Robertson talk about their dad’s health struggles in the video below.