Phil Robertson, the Duck Dynasty patriarch, has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, his family announced.
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During Friday’s episode of the podcast Unashamed with the Robertson Family, his son, Jase Robertson, shared the news of the diagnosis. He also detailed a host of other medical setbacks his father is going through.
“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,” Jase explained.
“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 added.
Unashamed with the Robertson Family featured Phil, Jase, Phil’s son Alan, and his nephew Zach Dasher.
Of course, Phil Robertson previously played a significant role in the Unashamed podcast. However, the 78-year-old’s declining health has made it impossible for him to “sit down and have a conversation,” Jase shared. Jase added that his father now struggles to move around, often “crying out in pain” with every step.
“He misses it. He misses the stories we tell,” Jase revealed.
Phil Robertson’s Son Says ‘There’s No Curing’ The Ailments Afflicting His Father
Sadly, it seems there’s no cure for the myriad of illnesses Phil Robertson is suffering with. On the podcast, Jase said that the team of doctors treating his father told him that “there’s no curing what” Robertson has.
“We’re trying to make him a little more comfortable,” he explained.
Another issue afflicting Robertson is his rapid and alarming weight loss, despite maintaining what Jase described as a “pretty good” diet.
“He just can’t retain weight, he keeps losing weight, and he’s just not able to do much,'” Jase explained.
To balance Jase’s update about Phil’s condition, his brother and co-host Al Robertson clarified that their father still experiences a mix of “good days” and “bad days.”
Jase also expressed the Robertson family’s deep gratitude for the prayers and support being offered for his father.
Per A&E’s website, Phil gained fame as a quarterback at Louisiana Tech in the late 1960s but chose business over a football career. In 1972, he founded Duck Commander, a company specializing in hunting and outdoor goods, inspired by his popular duck call invention.
His business success led to the creation of several hunting-themed TV shows starting in the 1980s. However, his family became even more well-known in 2012 when they starred in the A&E reality series Duck Dynasty.
Duck Dynasty came to an end in 2017 after an 11-season run.