The family of “Duck Dynasty” star Phil Robertson has revealed the patriarch has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, as well as a blood disease that’s causing “all kinds of problems.”
Son Jase shared the news on Friday’s episode of the “Unashamed with the Robertson Family” podcast, saying the Alzheimer’s is in its early stages but that his 78-year-old dad is “not doing well.”
“According to the doctors, they’re sure that he has some sort of blood disease,” Jase said. “It’s 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 just not doing well. He’s really struggling.”
Jase said his dad has continued to express his intent to “get back to the podcast,” but that he “can barely walk around without crying out in pain.” Memory issues have also rendered him “unable … to sit down and have a conversation.”
According to the Mayo Clinic, Alzheimer’s disease causes brain cells to die over time. Though short-term memory loss is an early symptom of the disease, it can eventually affect the sufferer’s ability to do everyday tasks, and complications can be fatal.
While Robertson does have his good days, Jase said, his doctors are “all in agreement there’s no curing what he has.”
“If he’s unable to go duck hunting, that pretty much tells you all you need to know,” his son added, saying the family is now focusing on how to make his father more comfortable.
Robertson has appeared in all but 10 of 119 episodes of “Duck Dynasty.” The reality hit, which aired on A&E from 2012 to 2017, centered on his family’s Louisiana duck-hunting business.
Robertson was briefly suspended from “Duck Dynasty” nearly a decade ago after he referred to “homosexual behavior” as a sin.
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