Through 11 seasons of “Duck Dynasty,” viewers got an inside look at the lives of Phil and Kay Roberston and their wild-at-heart brood in the backwoods of Louisiana. But the God-fearing, tight-knit family wasn’t always that way.
Mr. and Mrs. Robertson recently sat down with The Washington Times’ Higher Ground to discuss the upcoming film “The Blind,” which tells the miraculous true story of betrayal, redemption and forgiveness that defined the early years of their marriage, and ultimately, transformed their family forever.
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“I knew that we were meant to be together,” Mrs. Robertson explained. “I wanted our marriage to work no matter what. And I knew that God could change him. And so I went and I just put my faith in that possibility that that was going to happen.”
For his part, Mr. Robertson has always been open and honest about his sinful lifestyle in the early years of their marriage. Not only was he unfaithful (a few years ago Mr. Robertson revealed that he had fathered a daughter from one of his affairs), but he also struggled with alcoholism and was a mean drunk.
His behavior nearly destroyed the couple and tore their family apart, but God miraculously got ahold of the Duck Commander founder and changed his life. Now, the Robertson patriarch hopes his redemption story will offer hope to those who are lost like he was.
“I think maybe if these people watch the movie and see how I was, and then they look at me now and see how I operate, [it will give them hope],” Mr. Robertson said. “You got to remember all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God so I’m not the only person that has sinned. The way out is faith in Jesus Christ.”
“I would have never dreamed I would be out there preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ when I was back there getting drunk as a skunk,” he continued. “But when that happened and I was freed from it, [everything changed]. That’s why I’ve been saying ever since that happened and I came to Jesus [what God can do].”
That doesn’t mean that reconciliation came easy for the couple who have now been married for 57 years. The hardest part for Mrs. Robertson was learning how to trust her husband again and put the past behind them.
“When Jesus forgives us, He wipes it all away. So I knew when I forgave Phil, I had to wipe it away,” she said. “And then to try to not just forgive, but to forgive and forget and that was hard.”
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And while the couple credits Mrs. Robertson’s faith and constant prayers for carrying them through the toughest times, ultimately, it was the transforming power of Jesus Christ that changed their relationship and the trajectory of their lives.
“Jesus—that one sacrifice—has made perfect, forever, those who come to Him. If you just think about it, His blood gives us the opportunity to move beyond our sinful self,” Mr. Robertson said. “What do you get when He shows up, when you come to Him by faith? Love, joy, peace, patience…. It’s well worth the effort to follow Jesus faithfully.”
Watch the rest of the interview below:
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Marissa Mayer is a writer and editor with more than 10 years of professional experience. Her work has been featured in Christian Post, The Daily Signal, and Intellectual Takeout. Mayer has a B.A. in English with an emphasis in Creative Writing from Arizona State University.
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