"There's No Curing What He Has" — Health Update on 'Duck Dynasty's' Phil Robertson

The Robertson family patriarch, Phil Robertson, from the popular show Duck Dynasty, isn’t doing well these days. On the Dec. 6, 2024, episode of the family’s podcast, Unashamed with The Robertson Family, titled “Phil’s Diagnosis,” his sons wasted no time addressing their dad’s health within the first five minutes.

They admitted it took a while to speak out, as they were waiting for more clarity on Phil’s condition before sharing details. Now, they’re far enough along to reveal that Phil has been diagnosed with early-stage Alzheimer’s and is also dealing with another health issue.

Here’s the latest on Phil’s health and how he’s coping with the symptoms, according to his sons.

In addition to being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, doctors are also "sure that he has some sort of blood disease that’s causing all kinds of problems," according to his son Jase.

Another son clarified that Phil has been dealing with this issue for years, but it has only worsened. The blood disease is "causing problems with his entire body," and with both conditions combined, "he’s just not doing well, he’s struggling."

Jase shared that Phil keeps saying he’ll get back to the podcast, but there are times when Phil can "barely walk without crying out in pain." When Jase pointed out that Phil’s "memory is not what it once was," Phil jokingly replied, "Tell me about it."

Although Phil is eager to get back to the podcast, Jase says he’s "literally unable to just sit down and have a conversation." One of Phil's other sons clarified that while their dad "misses" the podcast, like any Alzheimer’s patient, he has both good days and bad days. Jase explained, "There are days you feel like he’s coming back, and then other days he’s like, 'Who are you?'"

Jase added that his dad is in pain all over and has been losing weight, along with memory loss. "It’s those two things happening simultaneously," making it harder to cope some days.

However, Jase was a little hopeful, considering his dad is "eating pretty good," though he's still struggling to retain weight.

With more clarity on their dad's health, Phil's sons are focused on keeping him as comfortable as possible, using strategies they've learned from doctors to help with his memory. But as Jase put it, "there's no curing what he has." He shared that they've got two sets of doctors reviewing all the tests, and everyone agrees there’s no cure.

Still, the family isn’t letting it get them down. Instead of feeling "doom and gloomy," they're staying "optimistic about doing a few things to slow it down." They even tried to get Phil out of the house for a duck hunt.

However, Jase revealed that his dad didn’t shoot his weapon and later called the experience "miserable" because he was in pain.

Phil told his sons he’d reach out when he’s ready to try hunting again.

With Phil's physical abilities more limited these days, Jase said that him not being able to hunt (and enjoy it) "tells you all you need to know."