Duck Dynasty star Phil Robertson has died at the age of 79.
The TV star and hunter shot to fame with his family on the A&E show Duck Dynasty, which initially ran for 11 seasons from 2012 and 2017. Phil was the patriarch of the Robertson family and the founder of Duck Commander, a company that makes products for duck hunters.
His family had previously revealed in December that Phil had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease and that his condition had been deteriorating. They have now announced his passing in a tribute on Facebook.
His daughter-in-law Korie Robertson wrote: “We celebrate today that our father, husband, and grandfather, Phil Robertson, is now with the Lord.
(Image: Zach Dilgard/THA/Shutterstock)
“He reminded us often of the words of Paul, ‘you do not grieve like those who have no hope. For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him.’
“Thank you for the love and prayers of so many whose lives have been impacted by his life saved by grace, his bold faith, and by his desire to tell everyone who would listen the Good News of Jesus. We are grateful for his life on earth and will continue the legacy of love for God and love for others until we see him again.”
(Image: Karolina Wojtasik/THA/Shutterstock)
The family said they will hold a “public celebration” of Phil’s life as well as a private service, adding: “We know so many of you love him and have been impacted by his life. We’re having a private service for now, but we’ll share details soon about a public celebration of his life.”
A&E also paid tribute to Phil, who in 2014 was briefly suspended from the network after making homophobic and racially insensitive comments in a controversial GQ interview. They wrote: “We are saddened to hear of the passing of Phil Robertson, a hunting industry pioneer and the patriarch of the beloved Robertson family.”
(Image: Karolina Wojtasik/THA/Shutterstock)
Last year, Phil’s son Jase said his father was “really struggling” and suffering pain and issues with his memory. He explained on the family’s Unashamed podcast that he was also diagnosed with “some sort of blood disease that’s causing all kinds of problems. It’s accelerated and it’s causing problems with his entire body.”
Phil, who was a devout Christian, sparked controversy with remarks he made in a 2013 interview with GQ magazine. He had claimed homosexual behaviour was sinful and that black people in Louisiana were “happy” and not mistreated despite living under Jim Crow laws that mandated racial discrimination against African Americans.
Phil married Marsha Kay Carroway (known as Miss Kay) in 1966. The couple went on to have five children together – sons Alan, Jase, Willie and Jep – and 16 grandchildren.
It’s been revealed that Phil’s son Willie and wife Korie will appear in a new spin-off reality TV series, Duck Dynasty: The Revival. The show will hit screens on May 28.
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
