FAMILY MOURNING

‘Duck Dynasty’ Star Dies at 79 Following Alzheimer’s Diagnosis

Phil Robertson had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.

Duck Dynasty star Phil Robertson has died at 79. His daughter-in-law, Korie Robertson, shared the news on Facebook on Sunday, writing, “We celebrate today that our father, husband, and grandfather, Phil Robertson, is now with the Lord.” In December, Robertson’s family revealed on the podcast Unashamed With the Robertson Family that the reality star had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. Robertson’s son Jase added that his father had “some sort of blood disease... causing problems with his entire body. He’s just not doing well, he’s really struggling.” One fan wrote on Facebook “Phil was like America’s grandpa who passed along his God-given wisdom for life to pass on to the next generation.” Robertson made his fortune by inventing the Duck Commander call. Duck Dynasty became the most-watched nonfiction cable series in history in 2013, following the Duck Commander business headed by Phil and his brother Si. Phil Robertson was briefly suspended from Duck Dynasty in 2013 after stating that homosexuality was a sin; his time-out lasted just nine days. The following year, Robertson made headlines for the wrong reasons once again when he described AIDS as God’s punishment for “immoral” behavior. Just a few years later, the outspoken conservative expressed his disdain for the American health care system, telling the Fox Business Network that, “I didn’t have health care for 50 years.” A reboot of the show, Duck Dynasty: Revival, premieres on A&E later this year.