Phil Robertson, a conservative figure and star of the reality TV series Duck Dynasty, died Sunday, his family announced. He was 79.
Robertson rose to fame in the early 2010s by turning his small duck calling interest into a big business and beloved 11-season-long reality show about duck hunting.
Despite the show’s popularity, Robertson managed to get swept into numerous controversies thanks to his oftentimes offensive remarks on social issues and, more recently, his staunch support for President Donald Trump.
In December, Robertson’s family announced that the patriarch of the clan had Alzheimer’s disease and that his longstanding blood disease had worsened in recent years. The family did not share a cause of death.
Here’s everything to know about Phil Robertson and the controversies he was involved in over the years:
‘Bible thumper’s comments on homosexuality land Robertson in hot water
Soon after Duck Dynasty’s premiere in 2012, Robertson became known for his conservative views.
The self-proclaimed “Bible thumper” made headlines and drew swift backlash for an interview he gave with GQ in 2013 in which he claimed homosexuality was one step away from bestiality.
A&E suspended the patriarch for nine days following the interview, during which he was asked what he considered sinful.
“Start with homosexual behavior and just morph out from there. Bestiality, sleeping around with this woman and that woman and that woman and those men,” he said at the time.
In the same interview, he also downplayed the era of racial segregation, claiming he never “saw the mistreatment of any black person,” drawing fierce blowback from the civil rights community.
A little over a week after his suspension, A&E reinstated Robertson but emphasized that his views were not in line with their “core values,” the Washington Post reported at the time.
Robertson’s family defended his choice of words following immense backlash, saying that despite his “coarse” language, he was just expressing the teachings of his conservative Christian faith.
Free speech award, giving speeches to GOP leaders
In 2014, the Republican Party called on Robertson to speak at the Republican Leadership Conference in New Orleans.
During the event, attended by many prominent Republicans, Robertson spoke of religion on politics and told GOP leaders: “You can’t be right for America if you’re wrong with God,” NBC News reported.
Robertson also received backlash after giving a speech that included a graphic story about an atheist family being killed during CPAC the following year, according to the BBC.
"Two guys break into an atheist's home," Robertson said in the speech. "He has a little atheist wife and two little atheist daughters.
"Two guys break into his home and tie him up in a chair and gag him. And then they take his two daughters in front of him and rape both of them and then shoot 'em and they take his wife and then decapitate her head off [sic] in front of him."
He continued: "And they can look at him and say, 'Isn't it great that I don't have to worry about being judged? Isn't it great that there's nothing wrong with this? There's no right or wrong, now is it dude?'"
That same year, Robertson received a free-speech award by Citizens United, a conservative nonprofit group aiming to “reassert traditional American values.”
Marjorie Taylor Greene, Trump and Sarah Huckabee Sanders were fans
Robertson explored the backlash he’s received over the years in his 2022 book, Uncanceled: Finding Meaning and Peace in a Culture of Accusations, Shame, and Condemnation.
Following the news of his death, conservatives jumped to pay tribute to Robertson, who was an avid supporter of Trump for years.
“Phil Robertson was a living example of what God can do in all of our lives if we follow Him. He was a bright light for the world to see,” Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders wrote on social media.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene also offered prayers for Robertson’s family, writing that she was “sorry to hear” of his death.
“Phil Robertson was an American icon and an inspiring hero to millions of Americans,” right-wing activist Charlie Kirk wrote on X.
In 2019, Trump invited Robertson and his son, Willie, to join him on stage at a rally in Monroe, Louisiana.
“Smart as can be and wonderful people and they hit big, they hit big,” Trump said at the time, according to the Daily Beast.
While on stage, Robertson said, “I got it down to this. If you’re pro-God and pro-America and pro-gun and pro-duck hunting… That’s all I want!”
Robertson also spoke of his support for Trump during a 2020 podcast and expressed his support for the 46th president in the 2024 election.
“I’m a Trump supporter. I weigh a man in politics – I judge them by what they’ve done,” he said, adding that he “preached the gospel” to Trump when they met.
It was recently announced that a reboot of the series, titled Duck Dynasty: The Revival, was in the works. The new show, expected to premiere this summer, will catch up with the new generations of the Robertson family.
The original Duck Dynasty, which followed Robertson’s family’s life in rural Louisiana was a commercial success, running from 2012 to 2017.
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