Duck Dynasty alum Phil Robertson is sadly no longer with us after his death at 79 in May 2025. Prior to his passing, the reality star’s sons would often share updates with fans regarding his well-being as he was battling a myriad of medical conditions, including Alzheimer’s disease. In Touch looks back on his health battle ahead of a new season of Duck Dynasty: The Revival.

Phil Robertson’s Death Was Announced by the Robertson Family

The family did not reveal Phil’s official cause of death but they have been candid about his multiple health issues, including a neurodegenerative disease and blood disorder.

“We celebrate today that our father, husband, and grandfather, Phil Robertson, is now with the Lord,” the family wrote via his Facebook while announcing his passing on May 25, 2025.

“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.”

In the weeks leading up to his death, his daughter-in-law Korie Robertson told the New York Post that his health was “declining really rapidly,” which was “so hard to watch.”

“He’s not saying very much anymore,” Korie said of Phil. “He doesn’t speak a lot.”

Phil Robertson Was Diagnosed With Alzheimer’s Disease

Phil’s sons Jase Robertson and Al Robertson revealed their father had been diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s disease during the December 6, 2024, episode of their “Unashamed” podcast, saying he was “not doing well.”

Jase explained his dad still wanted to participate on the podcast – which the duo launched in 2018 – but that his memory was starting to fail.

“I was like, ‘You know, your memory is not what it once was.’ He’s like, ‘Tell me about it.’ So, he is literally unable to — I think he would agree — to just sit down and have a conversation,” he told listeners about his father.

“There’ll be some days he’s a little better, a little more with you, and other days, not so much,” Al added about his dad’s condition. Alzheimer’s is a type of dementia “that affects memory, thinking and behavior,” according to the Alzheimer’s Association. Symptoms eventually “grow severe enough to interfere with daily tasks,” and there is no known cure.

Phil Robertson Was Battling a Blood Disease

Phil’s ailments continued to be a struggle for the reality star as his family rallied around him in support.

“According to the doctors, they’re sure that he has some sort of blood disease that’s causing all kinds of problems,” Jase told listeners about his dad’s health crisis during the podcast.

Al said his dad had been suffering from the unnamed illness for “years,” but noted it had recently “gotten a lot worse.”

“Yeah. It’s, like, accelerated, and it’s causing problems with his entire body,” Jase shared at the time.

Jase said his dad “can barely walk around without, you know, crying out in pain.”

He added, “We’ve got a team of doctors, and then we have another set of doctors who are looking at all the tests, and they’re all in agreement that there’s no curing what he has.”

Phil Robertson Was Suffering From Back Issues

Phil’s son Willie Robertson went into detail about his dad’s condition in an interview with Fox News on December 17, 2024.

“He’s got a blood disorder, and then he’s got the mental issues that could be early [onset] Alzheimer’s … and probably some ministrokes because of his blood,” Willie explained. “And so, it could be some stroke stuff happening, that has happened. So, we’re still checking on all that. But then he also has a back issue, he’s fractured his back and that’s where the pain’s at. So, he’s kind of battling many different things at the same time.”

Willie said “any situation” where his dad was “getting up from the seated position or laying position, [it’s] super stressful for him, too, and very painful.”

“It’s hard with the mental stuff,” he continued. “It’s hard to determine exactly what these causes are, especially with early signs, it’s hard to determine brain damage from stroke or is that Alzheimer’s?”

In addition to the blood disease and back problems, Willie revealed his dad had an “enlarged spleen, which could be pushing on the stomach,” resulting in a loss of appetite.

“There’s a couple of issues that we’re trying to get to the bottom of, which is maybe where some of that’s coming from. It could be the pain, but also with the blood disorder that has created some things that could be dealing with that as well,” the former reality star explained about Phil’s health.

Phil Robertson’s Family Was Making ‘Every Moment Count’ Amid His Health Battle

Phil had been married to wife Kay Robertson since 1996. Together they share four sons: Al, Jase, Willie and Jep Robertson.

“They want to give him the best life they possibly can under the circumstances and check in on him often and take him out for drives in the woods to reminisce about the good old days and make sure he’s getting the best care,” the insider exclusively told In Touch about his loved ones on January 20, 2025.

“It’s hard on the whole family and no one knows how much time Phil’s got left, but they’re making every moment count,” the insider added.

Jase Shared An Update on Phil Robertson Prior to His Death

“Tell you the truth, it hasn’t been good,” Jase admitted during an episode of the “Unashamed With the Robertson Family” podcast in April 2025. “I’m just giving the blunt truth. I’ll say, not good,” he continued, noting they were doing the best they could to make Phil “comfortable” amid his ongoing health battle.

His mother Kay, however, had improved after being hospitalized, which was a great relief. “For my mom, it’s been a lot better this past week, because she was really not doing good,” Jase told listeners about what recently transpired. “She got an infection from a fall, from a cut that had happened earlier … she’s still in the hospital, but [now it’s] more rehab, physically, and trying to get her to eat.”

“We were kinda dealing with the fact that maybe this is it,” he said, revealing family fears that it was fatal. “That’s what it seemed like in the moment. It seemed close there. So it was difficult.”

Phil Robertson’s Fan Support Uplifted His Well-Being

“Dad’s famously not connected to tech, but he does love to hear that out there in ‘computer land,’ as he puts it, there are people that are expressing their love and their appreciation for everything that he’s meant to them in their lives,” Al told listeners during the “Unashamed” episode on December 9, 2024, after revealing his dad’s health issues.

He continued, “These prayers, it seems, are having a real impact — not just on Phil’s spirit but also on his physical well-being. Al said the “outpouring of love, of support, of prayer” was “overwhelming.”

When Was Phil Robertson on ‘Duck Dynasty’?

Phil and his family rocketed to fame on A&E’s Duck Dynasty, which ran from 2012 through 2017. It focused on the West Monroe, Louisiana clan and their duck hunting product business, Duck Commander.

The Robertsons have since returned to the small screen with Duck Dynasty: The Revival, which premieres on June 1, 2025. Phil was not featured due to going through his health issues while filming was underway.