One day after Phil Robertson’s family announced that the “Duck Dynasty” patriarch was battling a blood disease and an Alzheimer’s diagnosis, his granddaughter Sadie Robertson issued a statement.
Phil Robertson, founder of the Duck Commander Company and star of the A&E reality show “Duck Dynasty,” is “really struggling” while dealing with health issues, according to his family. In a new episode of the Unashamed podcast that was released Friday (December 6), Phil’s sons Alan and Jase shared that their dad was dealing with an incurable blood disease and had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s.
“According to the doctors, they’re sure he has some sort of blood disease that’s causing all kinds of problems,”Jase said.“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.”
The brothers shared that Phil hoped to return to host the podcast that he started in 2019, but 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.
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Phil Robertson’s granddaughter and fellow “Duck Dynasty” star Sadie Robertson Huff responded to the news of his health issues being made public.
In a statement posted to social media, Sadie admitted that seeing the news articles about her grandpa’s health had “kept my tears flowing” and somehow made it “even more real.”
Sadie reflected on her grandpa’s legacy and their family’s decision to live a very public life through “Duck Dynasty” and the fame that followed.
“I’m genuinely so thankful my family chose to make our life public because of how incredible it is that so many people know my grandpa! Y’all got to see the way he lived his life! I’m so glad that so many people have been able to learn from his faith and his love for his family.”
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Sadie credited much of her ministry to her grandfather, saying that he taught her “how to love the word, honor the word, and teach the word.”
“There are a lot of people I look up to in ministry, but I wanted to post this picture of me literally looking up to Papaw Phil because as ‘impressive’ as his ministry has become in that he has spoken to millions and millions… the most impressionable thing to me was how he ministered to every single person who stepped in his door and sat on the couch beside his iconic chair.”
The WHOA! That’s Good podcast host added that she is sad but grateful for this season of life. And shared that she is rewatching Duck Dynasty for the first time and is “thankful we filmed a whole [show] together of memories.”
Phil Robertson’s diagnosis is the latest in a series of health battles facing the Robertson family.
The last year has been a challenging one for the Robertson family. In addition to Phil’s struggles, his wife, Miss Kay, was hospitalized and spent time in rehab for an undisclosed illness.
Lisa Robertson, wife of oldest Robertson son Alan, was diagnosed with breast cancer in early 2024. She underwent a “very invasive, radical surgery,” but didn’t require any chemotherapy or radiation treatments. As of late October, Lisa was doing well and recovering from reconstruction surgery.
Read Sadie Robertson’s full statement about her grandpa’s health diagnosis below.