‘Duck Dynasty’: Willie, Alan Robertson issue first comments on Phil controversy

Through the entirety of the time that “Duck Dynasty” and A&E had placed Phil Robertson on suspension, everyone within the family had refrained on making statements to the press about the situation. Instead, they chose to stand as a united front, and release statements on behalf of the family that shared how they felt on some of the choices and comments that were made.

But now that Phil has been reinstated and production will begin on the upcoming sixth season (season 5 starts airing on January 15), some of the show’s stars are starting to enter the world of public discourse again. Take, for example, the show’s de facto “star” in Duck Commander CEO Willie Robertson. In a post on Twitter, he (of course) defended Phil, but also acknowledged the controversy that came out of his comments to GQ:

“Back to work!!! So proud of all the fans of the show and family. Ole Phil may be a little crude but his heart is good. He’s the Real Deal!”

Meanwhile, Willie’s brother and the sole son of Phil without a beard in Alan chose to issue his own statement to E! News on the subject:

“Our family has become even closer through the past 9 days and we are excited to keep making a quality tv show for our dedicated fans, who have showed us wonderful support. We will continue to represent our faith and values in the most positive way through Duck Dynasty and our many projects that we are currently working on. The outpouring of support and prayer has encouraged and emboldened us greatly.”

Alan is the Robertson sibling who is the most active in the world of the church, though all of them have a certain degree of involvement. As you found out through most of this controversy, for example, Phil regularly speaks to a Bible study.

What do you think about these statements from the family? Share your thoughts below.