Duck Dynasty will pay tribute to Phil Robertson after the patriarch’s death days before the revival premiered.
Phil’s surviving son Willie Robertson will kick off the Sunday, June 1, premiere of the A&E series by reading from his labtop while seated in a living room chair.
“So ladies and gentleman, start your engines,” Willie says, according to the outlet. “Only one will earn the bandana, so let the games begin. What do you think, Phil?”
Phil then reportedly answers his son with a big thumbs up.
“Ah, that was awesome!” Willie replies, laughing as the screen reportedly fades to black, flashing an in-memoriam tribute to Phil featuring a photograph of the late patriarch.
One week before Duck Dynasty‘s return, the Robertson family confirmed that Phil died at age 79 following a battle with Alzheimer’s.
“We celebrate today that our father, husband, and grandfather, Phil Robertson, is now with the Lord,” Korie Robertson wrote in the May 25 statement. “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.”
She added: “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. We know so many of you love him and have been impacted by his life.”
Phil’s diagnosis was originally confirmed by his family in December 2024 after news broke that A&E ordered Duck Dynasty: The Revival. The original show, which aired from 2012 to 2017, gave viewers an inside look at the lives of the Louisiana natives and their business, Duck Commander.
In addition to patriarch Phil and his wife, Kay Robertson, the OG series followed Phil’s brother Si Robertson and Phil’s sons: Willie, Jep Robertson and Jase Robertson.
Willie, 53, and his family — including wife Korie, daughter Sadie Robertson and son John Luke Robertson — were also at the center of the show’s initial run. Duck Dynasty faced backlash in 2013 when Phil was briefly suspended over homophobic and racist comments made in an interview with GQ.
Phil ultimately returned and when the show ended, he led his own series titled In the Woods With Phil and hosted the “Unashamed With Phil Robertson” podcast.
Before Phil’s death, Willie reflected on how their family was cherishing the time they had left with him.
“I think it’s just [about] giving and caring about the people you love the most, and that’s the family and the grandkids,” Willie exclusively told Us Weekly in a May cover story. “I mean, every moment now I think about how special it is, like, one Saturday we were down fishing, and so I had ’em all there and just these small, tiny moments.”
He continued: “I think a lot of us just forget about ’em. We don’t think about how special they are. And so, you realize that once you see someone getting really towards the end of their life and won’t be here — or certainly are not in the mental capacity to even have a conversation — those moments are special, and you just want to enjoy ’em and live in that moment, live in the small things and don’t get too caught up in just running after all the things that we run after and we get busy.”
Duck Dynasty: The Revival airs on A&E Sundays at 9 pm. ET.
