‘Duck Dynasty’ star Phil Robertson struggling with broken back, ‘mini-strokes’ amid Alzheimer's diagnosis
WEST MONROE, LOUISIANA: Phil Robertson, the legendary patriarch of the Duck Dynasty clan, is dealing with some serious health issues.
His son Jase Robertson broke the news on their podcast, 'Unashamed with the Robertson Family', revealing that Phil is in the early stages of Alzheimer’s and struggling with multiple health problems.
Jase shared that Phil is “unable to sit down and have a conversation.”
“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.
A complicated diagnosis for Phil Robertson
Willie Robertson, another of Phil’s sons, elaborated on his father’s condition in an interview with Fox News. “He’s battling a lot of different things right now,” Willie explained. Among them is a blood disorder that causes Phil to produce “too much blood,” making it thicker and potentially leading to ministrokes.
“He’s got a blood disorder, and then he’s got the mental issues that could be early [onset] Alzheimer’s … and probably some ministrokes because of his blood,” Willie said. “And so, it could be some stroke stuff happening, that has happened. So, we’re still checking on all that.”
As if that weren’t enough, Phil is also dealing with a fractured back that’s causing him immense pain on a daily basis. “Especially in any situation where he’s getting up from the seated position or laying position, [it’s] super stressful for him, too, and very painful,” Willie noted.
The family is doing everything they can to manage Phil’s discomfort, from trying new medications to consulting multiple doctors.
“We’ve got several other things we’re looking at, trying some different medications. And, again, it’s a little bit more difficult with the pain issue, with the back, because that seems to dominate a lot of just his day-to-day is just from that, so we’re trying to get his back fixed up so that he can at least move around. We’re trying several different things. We’ve seen many doctors and [are] just getting the best care we can and best things that we can and trying to figure out what’s next," Willie added.
He said the "mental stuff" was harder to deal with.
“It’s hard with the mental stuff,” Willie said. “It’s hard to determine exactly what these causes are, especially with early signs, it’s hard to determine brain damage from stroke or is that Alzheimer’s?”
He added, “I know that’s in their family. Other siblings he has have had some of the same type of things as well. This has happened with just about all of his siblings that have passed away.”
Phil Robertson's appetite struggles and family cooking
Another challenge for Phil has been his appetite - or lack thereof. According to Jase, Phil is “not hungry at all” and often has to “make himself eat.”
Willie said Phil has an “enlarged spleen, which could be pushing on the stomach, and which could cause some of the appetite things.”
He suspects this might be connected to his blood disorder or his pain levels.
“There’s a couple of issues that we’re trying to get to the bottom of, which is maybe where some of that’s coming from. It could be the pain, but also with the blood disorder that has created some things that could be dealing with that as well,” Willie said.
But the family is stepping in where they can. Willie revealed that his father still enjoys some good home cooking, especially from him. “I just got a message from him for me to bring him more food. He seems to like my cooking,” Willie said with a laugh.
What’s on the menu?
“I do hamburgers, I’ve done a couple crawfish dishes. I’ve done all kinds of things that I think he’s always liked and eaten in the past, I don’t know if it’s as good as mom’s, but, I’m doing my best,” the 52-year-old shared, noting that Phil isn’t able to “normally do what he normally does for his food.”
Robertson family fights to stay ahead
The family has been proactive about Phil’s health from the start, taking him to the doctor as soon as they noticed signs of Alzheimer’s.
“We noticed some of the issues, and so we started taking him up to the doctor and trying to check out what exactly was wrong,” Willie said.
But diagnosing Phil’s condition hasn’t been easy. “It’s hard to know whether someone’s just getting older and being forgetful or whether there’s actually some damage. And that’s just what we’ve been trying to figure out,” Willie explained.
Day-to-day, Phil’s health is a rollercoaster. “Some days are good, and some days kind of aren’t so good,” Willie admitted, adding that the family tries to “have the most normal conversations we can with him.”
As if things weren’t tough enough, Phil’s wife of nearly 60 years Miss Kay is dealing with her own health problems. After breaking her foot over the summer, her mobility has been limited, making it harder for her to care for Phil the way she’d like to.
“They’re both down there, in the same spot. They sit in their chairs and they’re doing the same thing. So, they’re keeping each other’s company for sure,” Willie shared.
Faith keeps the Robertsons grounded
Despite everything, Phil’s faith remains unshaken and his knowledge of the Bible is as sharp as ever.
“He goes right back to that, and so we find those are things that seem to comfort him,” Willie said. “He still quotes the Bible and still talks about his faith in God, so I think that’s been comforting and something that he hasn’t lost yet.
“He can’t speak like he used to and teach his class, and so he’s kind of taking a break from that and his podcast and stuff. But it’s still strong and vital to him, he just can’t always make the words and thoughts that I think he wants to make.”
Willie continued, “His faith is such an important part of his life. And life is short and temporary, and he’s always known that. And we’ve always had such an eternal perspective, really, on life itself. We’re not sad, we realize this is, you know, these are things that happen on this earth, and we deal with them.”
For the Robertsons, faith isn’t just a comfort—it’s their anchor. “In these times, that’s where the faith component really steps up,” Willie insisted. “This is what we’re about, this is what he’s living for and for the hope that there’s something beyond. And so, and he’s definitely a testament to that, even where he’s at in life right now.”
And while the family remains realistic about Phil’s condition, they’re also holding onto hope. “Who knows? God could do some amazing things. I know there’s a lot of prayers going up. And so it wouldn’t surprise me if he has a turn and ends up doing great, so you just never know,” Willie said.
