The men in this unique family have something else in common, too: super long beards that are pretty much their trademark. Until now, when one of the Robertson men decided to shave his beard, rendering him basically unrecognizable to his fans and even some of his relatives!
Bushy Tales
Jase Robertson, one of the beloved brothers on the show, is known for his jokes and his fluffy beard, among many other things. Fans have come to know and love his character, fuzz and all. So, they were in for quite a surprise when he told them he was going to lose it. There were mixed feelings from across the board about it.
Some fans were really looking forward to seeing Jase with zero facial hair, while others were teary-eyed even thinking about the prospect of him getting rid of the beard. The results of the transformation were so shocking that even his own wife admitted it was hard to recognize him without the beard!
All the Quacks
The Robertson fortune was built solely off of one thing: duck calls. It’s a pretty crazy thing for an entire fortune to be built off of, but that’s exactly how this family can afford to live the over-the-top lifestyle that they choose to live. But while the Robertsons may seem pretty wild, to say the least, that doesn’t mean that they aren’t also educated. In fact, the family’s patriarch, Phil, not only went to college, but he was actually his school’s star quarterback.
The NFL even tried to draft him directly from Louisiana State, but he turned down the offer because football season and duck hunting season interfere with one another. Phil launched his company all the way back in the early 1970s, but it wasn’t until 2012 that it was popularized by the hit reality show.
The Famous Fuzz
The crazy-long and super recognizable chin full of hair isn’t exclusive to Jase – it’s a Robertson family staple. Most of the men in the family sport the beard, or at least have (or will) for a portion of their lives. In fact, the long facial locks have become so popularly attached to the family that they won’t even talk about shaving.
At least, they wouldn’t until Jase made the announcement that he was going to be losing his beard. The shock that fans first exhibited was understandable, considering how unheard of this move was amongst the family. Although, he wouldn’t be the only one in the group to decide to go with a more clean-cut look.
Married at a Young Age
Phil Robertson married his wife under unconventional circumstances, as far as modern-day marriages go. Miss Kay, Robertson’s wife and resident matriarch, was only 15 years old at the time they tied the knot. The show features the families of their 4 grown children, Jep, Jase, Willie, and Alan, as they pursue the family business of duck hunting.
Some of the family members have gained quite a following since beginning their journey on the show. Willie’s daughter, Sadie, appeared on the hit show "Dancing with the Stars." But how would their fans know who to follow, if they didn’t have their famous beards? And what would happen when they decided to get rid of them?
Speak No Evil
Fans may be aware of the controversy that arose when Phil Robertson made anti-LGBTQ+ comments during his interview with GQ magazine, in January 2013. The family backed him up in a statement that they released following the incident, saying that the remarks stemmed from his literalistic beliefs in one of the many versions of the Christian bible. The situation angered people so much that the series was actually pulled from the air for a while.
In fact, ratings actually dropped quite a bit in the aftermath of that interview as well. But the show did see the completion of a successful 11 seasons before they finally called it quits. So, did Jase decide to shave his beard because he was no longer going to be on TV?
The Handsome One
Beards are kind of a coin toss when it comes to attraction. Some are turned off by them and some get turned all the way on. "Duck Dynasty" viewers have dubbed Jase Robertson as both the best-looking and funniest of the entire bunch. However, he earned that title with his full beard in tow.
After all, "Duck Dynasty" ladies love themselves beards so long they could be hiding something within them. How would Jase’s fans feel when he appeared bare-faced? Would they still think he was just as good-looking? As it turns out, they would have a hard time recognizing him at all, without his signature style.
The Reason for It All
The long bushy beard is pretty much a staple on the male side of the Robertson family. When someone mentions "Duck Dynasty," it’s hard not to imagine Phil, Jase, and the others sporting their wily, speckled gray and brown beards while they crawl through the bush.
So, it came as a shock when Jase told the world that he was going to get rid of his beloved facial strands. No one could understand why on Earth he would let go of such a trademark feature of his. That is until he confessed his reasons for his decision to bare it all.
Complicated Birth
Jase’s daughter, Mia Robertson, gave the family quite a scare when she was born. She had several complications, including a cleft lip and palate. These conditions occur when a portion of the oral area is malformed, and typically begins during the pregnancy. Although it’s not something that any parent wants their child to have to go through, it is luckily something that can be corrected with surgeries.
By the time she was 10 years old, Mia had undergone 5 separate procedures, the first of which took place when she was just a few months old. All of the family members really rallied together to support Mia and her parents during those scary times.
Best Fans in the World
Cleft lips and palates can make it hard for the person who suffers from them to speak and eat, so the family made the decision to get Mia all of the surgeries that they could that might possibly make things easier for her. In 2014, the Robertson clan came together as she prepared for a bone graft surgery. But the family members weren’t the only ones who rallied.
They reached out to fans, who in turn completely amazed them with the amount of support they offered. Letters and thoughtful words on social media came pouring in, but the fans didn’t stop there. They did something truly amazing for Mia and others who suffer from the same thing.
Mia Moo
The family formed a charity that they dubbed the “Mia Moo Fund,” to raise money for cleft lip and palate research and cures. After experiencing exactly how much the condition could affect someone and their family, they wanted to do as much as they possibly could to help anyone else that was struggling with it, too.
According to the organization's website, the foundation cares about "finding resources and new technologies that will help decrease the chances of children being born with cleft lip/cleft palate and eliminating it altogether." But what exactly does the Mia Moo Fund have to do with Jase shaving his beard? As it turns out, quite a bit, actually…
Raising the Necessary Funds
For the foundation to get off the ground, they needed to put down a pretty substantial amount of money. Fans helped them reach the magic number through their incredibly generous donations as Jase pledged to shave it all off. Everyone was very interested in seeing what their favorite Duck Dynasty boy looked like without all of that fuzz covering up his face. But it wasn’t just the fans that were excited about the prospect of seeing him bare it all.
Jase’s wife, Missy, was pretty thrilled about the beard coming off, too. When the couple had first gotten together, it wasn’t nearly as long, and she hadn’t seen him without the beard for over 7 years! Jase made the announcement that if they saw $100,000 in donations, he would shave it all off. Would they be able to make it happen?
The Bare-Faced Brother
While it’s become expected of the Robertson family men to keep a face full of bushy beards, not all of them choose to do so. Al, Jase’s oldest brother, kept his face bare for most of his time on the show. In fact, Al’s actually known best for being the only man in the family who doesn’t have the signature Robertson beard.
But Jase was a different story and was also known in part for his looks – beard included. Some may think that they just let their fuzz grow and grow, but Jase kept his trimmed, so it appeared just the way he and his fans liked it.
Which Kind of Person?
Superfans of the show, and of Jase in particular, had mixed feelings when Jase made the announcement that he was going to be shedding the signature facial hairstyle. After all, they may remember his famous statement about the “two kinds of people without beards.” Apparently, those two kinds of people are women and children, to which Jase said, “I am neither.”
Of course, he was just kidding around when he made the comments, but some fans could have taken it to heart. How was Jase going to feel about his new look once he took the plunge? Was he going to be happy about it, or might he regret it someday? Considering the reasoning behind why he was doing it, chances are he was very happy with his decision.
Foreshadowing
Even though Jase sported his beard throughout the entirety of the series, he wasn’t always completely happy with it. In fact, in 2013 during one interview, he told reporters that he was going to shave it when the show wrapped up. But his reasoning at that point wasn’t quite as charming.
Back then, he simply wanted to shed his on-screen persona, so that the paparazzi wouldn’t be able to pick him out of a crowd. With his beard, Jase frequently gets stopped in public by fans who want his autograph or to take a picture with him. He was ready for a life with a bit more privacy.
Say Goodbye to the Beard
When the time started approaching for him to take his seat in the barber’s chair, Jase began to get nervous. Sure, the reason behind why he was going to lose the beard was very close to his heart, but that didn’t mean he was ready to lose his character just yet. After all, that beard had become a part of him for several years, and losing it meant saying goodbye to a big piece of his past.
Plus, as a professional duck hunter, those kinds of beards are pretty much standard. But Jase had already made the commitment, and the donations were getting close to reaching the magic number. It was almost time for him to say goodbye to the beard.
Call Security
With people's notions and biases around beards, you can imagine the first-impression issues that someone like Jase can face. Jase’s beard may have earned him all kinds of recognition, but it also set him back a few times. One time when the family was traveling through an airport, Jase was stopped for additional security measures.
Why? TSA had to thoroughly search through the facial fuzz to make sure he wasn’t stashing anything illegal in all of that hair. Of course, that search took place right in the middle of duck hunting season when his beard was at its longest and fluffiest.
Caveman Status
During the same trip when Jase was halted by security while they sifted through his beard, an excited fan stopped him for an autograph. Of course, Jase obliged the fan, and he struck up some small talk with him while he signed his name. As it turns out, the kid wasn’t exactly a fan of Jase’s at all, nor did he have any clue what "Duck Dynasty" was all about.
The “fan” actually thought that Jase was the actor who played the caveman in the old Geico commercials. In his defense, they both really do have similarly colored fuzz! Was this mix-up enough to make Jase pick up the trimmers already?
10 Million Dollar Strands
Not just everyone who sports a crazy beard like the Robertson boys also have a bank account that could put most people's accounts to shame. But this duck-hunting reality star has stacked himself up with a net worth of over $10 million over the years.
He’s still at it today, too, making various appearances on different shows and at events around the country. The guy also has a podcast with his old man Phil, titled "Unashamed with Phil & Jase Robertson" and it has been running for six seasons and counting. In the podcast, the father-son duo discusses matters of Christianity for their religious fans and followers.
Jase Today
In 2017, the Robertson family saw the end of their reality show, which marked the end of an Era for Jase and the rest of the clan. But he wasn’t ready to retire just yet. Jase has kept himself fairly busy with television and radio appearances. A large portion of the appearances that he makes are at religious (Christian) events.
He also launched his own website, Camoflix, which is a haven for hunters and other outdoorsy types. But the end of the show also meant that it was time for Jase to let go of his beard and letting go of the beard meant making a lot of money for Mia Moo.
Shocking Fans Live
Jase certainly built up a lot of anticipation when it came to him getting rid of the beard. He appeared on the Fox morning show and announced he’d be going barefaced. But he didn’t just talk about the what, he talked about the why. Just in case any fans weren’t particularly excited about him losing his famous facial fuzz, they wouldn’t be able to be mad at him when they knew why he was doing it.
So, he marked his calendar for September 4th – that was the day he decided he was going to take the plunge. Fans were excited, but maybe not as excited as Jase’s wife, who hadn’t seen the face behind that fuzz in over 6 years! Everyone could hardly contain themselves when he walked into that barbershop. After all, Jase was the “good looking one,” but would they still think that when he revealed the rest of his face?
Time to Shave
When September 4th rolled around, fans were beside themselves with excitement. Jase knew that he had to give the fans what they wanted, which was to see the entire transformation before their very eyes. So, how exactly did Jase pull that off? He went live on Facebook and streamed the highly anticipated cut on his page.
Missy held the camera while the barber went to work, buzzing and snipping away until there was hardly anything left. When he spun around in that chair and his wife saw his face for the first time in 7 years, her reaction was priceless!
Who’s That Man?
The look on Missy’s face when she first laid eyes on her husband post-trim was hilarious. She couldn’t believe the incredible difference in appearance, simply by losing facial hair! Now, when Jase stood by the rest of his family members, they didn’t even look related anymore.
Missy loved the new look and expressed her happiness with the entire thing, both for the way it looked and for what it was going to do for the Mia Moo Fund. Missy admitted to her Twitter followers that Jase’s bare chin has prompted her to flirt with him like he’s a “new man.” Hey, happy wife, happy life!
What the Future Holds
The question on all of his fans' minds after he made the cut was this: was he going to grow it back, or keep the clean-shaven look? For a while, at least, it seemed that Jase and the rest of the family are happy with the new look.
The whole long-haired beard thing for camouflage doesn’t make a whole lot of sense, anyways – just use camo paint, Jase. Regardless of whether or not he was going to grow it back, cutting it all off served its purpose – it raised a whole lot of money for the Mia Moo Fund.
School Days
When you see the Robertson guys' faces are half-hidden by luscious beards for as many as eleven seasons, it's easy to think that those beards have always been there. It's like trying to imagine Tom Selleck without a mustache. It just doesn't compute. The fashion choice, however, was not always part of their lifestyle.
It might surprise some die-hard "Duck Dynasty" fans to know that the Robertson men hadn’t been growing those beards out for their whole lives. In their teen days, they sported the fresh-faced look (seen here accompanied by a classic mullet.) Yeah, the mullets definitely suit them, too.
The Sergeant
“Uncle” Si Robertson is known for his long and unruly beard, among other things, such as being the reed maker for the famous duck caller that made the family so wealthy. But he hasn’t always had the signature look, either.
In fact, this veteran served in the US Army and even fought in the Vietnam War. So, as you can imagine, there is little to no room for beards in the army, let alone something as grand as the Robertsons'. This means that during his military days, Si had to sport an extreme, clean-cut look. He appears to be a completely different person!
Happy Marriage
Missy and Jase looked so young and innocent in this picture of them. These two met in high school and started their love story in a way we thought was only reserved for romantic comedies — they went out on a fake date that was meant to help Jase get his ex-girlfriend jealous.
The mission turned out great but in a much better way than they had planned and the happy couple has been together ever since! Missy still looks gorgeous, of course, but Jase looks totally different. It’s got to be nice not getting food stuck in his beard anymore!
Different Days
The high school sweethearts went on to get married and start a family. Here you see the doting parents with their two eldest kids, Reed and Cole. This was before Mia came into the world and changed life for her parents and for many other kids.
The family in this picture is a far cry from any of the images that will pop up if you search for "Duck Dynasty" online. None of the regular trademarks are in there, but strangely enough, this is the same family, just several years in the past and before everything they owned was camo.
Puppy Love
Look how adorable these faces are together! It's a little hard to see it at first, but that guy hugging Jessica is actually her now-husband, Jep, minus the beard. Unless you consider that soul patch as a beard (and considering the context, we're going to assume you don't). They look just as happy these days as they did way back when this picture was taken.
It seems like they could be in high school or college in this photo but we couldn't find info on when exactly they first met. Those of you who are active in the Twittersphere can see them tweeting about each other and just being adorable.
Vacation in Paradise
Do you see that man on the right? Can you recognize him? If you're struggling, try to cover the bottom half of his face with your hand and see if helps. Yup! This fresh-faced dude is Willie Robetson. This picture was taken when he and his new wife Korie went on their honeymoon in Hawaii.
The young lovers enjoyed their time sunbathing on the islands of Hawaii and eating up fresh seafood. They’re even wearing their leis. Awww! When you’ve got millions of dollars, you’re free to take as many luxurious vacations as you want so they got to recreate the experience years later when Willie was already sporting his famous facial hair.
Blondie
Now who is this dimpled hunk sporting some platinum blond locks? Is he auditioning for a boy band? Is he training for a Brad Pitt loaklike pageant in the 80s? Is he about to shoot a commercial for hair bleach? Nope! This is baby Willie Robertson in all his beardless glory.
Uh-oh. He probably wasn’t super happy to see this photo of him as a teen circulating the web. Why? Maybe because that’s not exactly the image he’s tried to create for himself. You know, this kind of contradicts his whole “rough and tumble” vibe. We still love it nonetheless.
Growing Up
Willie admitted during one interview that the he and his brothers did not have it easy growing up. The Robertsons are now famously wealthy but that hasn't always been the case. Before they made a fortune with their duck callers, they lived under significantly different conditions.
Once the fortune was made — the living standard could be raised. And while it may sound like the opposite of a problem, the brothers had a hard time adjusting to that new reality. Sure, they eventually grew into the new lifestyle of the rich and famous, but it was no picnic at first.
Disbelief
Growing up, the Robertons did not live in a fancy mantion that they can now definitely afford. Back then, all six of them (two parents and four kids) lived in a small house with just two bedrooms. When things started looking up thanks to the duck caller's popularity, Jase had a hard time grasping their new reality as multi-millionaires, after having grown up in some tough circumstances.
He told reporters that his disbelief stemmed from the fact he grew up with his 3 siblings and 2 parents in a 2-bedroom house and often struggled. Thankfully, he has since learned to feel more comfortable with it.
Vacation Times
Let it be a lesson for us all — what people show and what people are truly experiencing can be two different things. Looking at Willie and Korie will have you thinking it's all sunshine and roses, but this relationship, just like any other relationship, needs upkeep.
Willie opened up during one interview recently and told reporters that his life and marriage weren’t without trials and tribulations. He admitted that dealing with stress could be a lot, while also raising a family and trying to expand their businesses. So, to get away from it all, they take family vacations to tropical areas where they can hang out together on the beach.
Willie’s Commitment
So, has Jase's bare-faced adventure inspired Willie in some way? Can we expect to ever see his dimples again? Not really. Sure, his kids have his dimples but that's about it. Korie, Willie’s wife, has said that her husband doesn’t have any current plans to shave his own beard.
Well, since Jase shaved for a cause close to his heart, maybe that's what Willie needs — an important enough cause to make him reconsider. In the meantime, however, the beard is not going anywhere. Apparently, they’re both completely content with him having a face full of hair. Hey, whatever floats your boat!
Throwback
Before Phil was famous for inventing the Robertson duck caller, he was known in his hometown for playing on his school’s football team. Word is he was actually pretty good. In fact, his football skills have earned him a college scholarship, where he met football ledend terry Bradshaw. Phil was a year ahead of him in college and the two famously played together.
Bradshaw recalls seeing him coming to practice straight from the woods after having a successful hunt. While Phil loved the sport, and could possibly make a career out of it, he loved hunting more. Hey, considering the fact he’s a multi-millionaire now, he probably has zero regrets about not pursuing a career in sports!
English Teacher
Phil lived an entirely different life in his pre-hunting days. This image shows him during his time as a teacher at a high school in his area. While most people would shutter at the thought of working with their live-in spouse, Phile didn't seem to mind that — he and his wife, Kay, both taught at the school for a few years together.
Phil Robertson, the teacher (ahem... the beardless teacher, we must add), seems like a completely different person than the duck-hunting wild man you see on the show. We wonder if any of his old student would have recognized him now.
Louisiana Living
Phil and Kay are high school sweethearts! She was 14 and he was 16 when they started dating. By the time Phil had gone to college, they were an old married couple — imagine that! They both grew up in Louisiana. It’s where they spent their own childhoods, where they met, and where they had children of their own.
They decided that it was also the perfect place to raise their family and nurture their empire, which is exactly what they did. They put down roots and they grew their success beyond belief! They probably couldn’t have imagined exactly how far they would come.
Origins of the Beard
Obviously, no one is born with a beard. No matter how hard it is to believe, Phil and the boys did not, in fact, arrive in this world with hairy cheeks. Growing a beard, and growing it to such famous lengths, has to be a conscious decision.
For the majority of his young life, Phil had a clean-cut face that was free of any facial hair. So, when exactly did he decide to start growing out his beard? When his sons hit their teenage years, Phil stopped shaving and just let it all grow. Apparently, they liked the look, because as soon as they graduated from high school, they followed suit.
Shooting Star
You would probably never be able to guess that the face in this picture is that of Willie Robertson. And we can't blame you! The Willie you know today is a fully grown man with a fully-grown beard. The individual in this picture is a smiley kid with a bowl cut.
Yep, before Willie ran an uber-successful duck-hunting business, he played football. It definitely stands to reason that Willie was taking a page out of Phil's book and has developed a love for the sport. Just like his old man, he decided against pursuing it professionally and today he’s a multi-millionaire.
Happy Camper
Willie’s wife, Korie, has seen her husband both with and without his signature beard. As you can see in this picture, he didn't have a beard when the two got married. However, the couple's young daughter, Bella, has only seen her dad with a face full of fuzz. Obviously, she did not attend the wedding.
Would she even be able to recognize him without it if he ever decided to shave it off? The face in this wedding picture is a far cry from what he looks like today! Lucky for Bella, it doesn't seem like Willie has plans to give this look another shot.
Cheeky
Willie always had a feeling he wanted to take part in the family business. That feeling grew from a hunch to a real certainty after he got his business degree from Harding University. The university even declared him and his wife as Outstanding Young Alumni! He excelled at his job and became CEO of the company, upgrading and transforming it into a multi-million dollar corporation.
That certainly gives him something to smile about, which in turn brings out his dimples. Willie’s beard hides it all these days, but you can see those dimples now in the cheeks of his children, Luke and Sadie.
Matchmakers
Missy and Jase met when they were teenagers attending the same high school. They clicked and started dating almost immediately after the first meeting, though, as we said earlier, their first date was all orchestrated to help Jase get the attention of another girl.
Thank god the whole scheme turned out the way it did! You can see in the photo on the right how in love they were in those days. And in the photo on the left, they still appear very much in love, there are just more family members (but still no significant facial hair) in tow!
Young Love
Willie met Korie all the way back when they were making arts and crafts at a summer camp in third grade. How adorable is that? They didn’t exactly fall in love right away, but they did date later on in junior high. They stayed together throughout middle school and high school and even attended their senior prom together.
She was 18 and he was 19 when they went to the dance and hadn’t had any of their children yet. This picture was taken the night of the senior prom. Look how lovely they were in their matching attire. Nice dress, Korie!
Beach Bunny
While most people would resort to Facebook or Instagram to get to know another person (or maybe LinkedIn in some cases), If you want to get a glimpse into Sadie Robertson's personal life, you will need to find her on Tumblr. Sadie’s Tumblr is full of family photos, but the majority of them these days are more recent.
However, she did post this throwback pic of her and her uncle Jep hanging out on the beach during a family vacation. The Robertson clan loves their beach time, that’s for sure! Sadie’s Tumblr has a pretty impressive following. Check it out when you have a chance.
Keeping Up Appearances
It should come as no surprise that John Luke, the son of Willie and Korie, wanted to grow out his beard, to follow in the footsteps of all of the men in the family. After all, the beard is pretty much a rite of passage for the Robertson men. How could he not at least try it?
While we haven't seen him donning an impressive beard like his father, uncles, or grandfather, he did get to experiment with facial hair, as well as haircuts of varying lengths. Somehow, he pulls it all off, so we have no doubt that a bushy beard would look just as good.
Wedding Bells
Growing a beard out has not been the only thing on John Luke’s plate. He is also a devoted family man! Following in the footsteps of the other men in his family, John Luke married the love of his life Mary-Kate, at the young age of twenty (which is still a few years later than his grandfather, Phil, mind you.)
The young couple tied the knot in 2015 in a lavish ceremony on the family farm, in front of 700 guests. The two have since welcomed two children into the world: son John Shepherd Robertson, and daughter Ella Kathryn Robertson.
Hobo Style
Jase and some of the other men we saw on the "Duck Dynasty" TV show have a very particular style. Other than the signature beard and camouflage, the style includes wearing pretty much whatever the guy wants. This is not something to be taken lightly, even for a hunter, because show business can easily make or break a person over their sense of style.
While fans probably praise Jase for it, the staff at Trump International Hotel in NYC did not take so kindly to it. In fact, they actually threw him out because they thought he was a homeless person squatting somewhere in the building!
Trump Train
In the entertainment industry, you can find two types of people: those who stay as far away from politics as possible, and those who famously voice political opinions. The "Duck Dynasty" men definitely belong to that latter group. Unsurprisingly, a family of a husky, outdoorsy nature, with an affinity for hunting, has a political affiliation that most people can guess pretty easily.
When Donald Trump was campaigning for his Presidency back in 2016, Willie wasn’t shy about voicing his support. In fact, the Duck Dynasty star vocally endorsed him during a speech at the Republican National Convention, which Trump personally thanked him for.
Dinner With Obama
In 2013, before he jumped on the Trump Train, Willie and his wife attended the White House Correspondents’ dinner and met with a different president — Barack Obama. The couple got to hear a surprising discovery and learn that they have an unexpected fan.
At the dinner, Obama has spoken to the couple and expressed to them that he actually enjoyed watching "Duck Dynasty." Is anyone else seeing a mental image of the former president sprawled on the couch, watching an episode of the show while wearing camouflage and sporting a waist-length beard? No? Well, we are sure now you can't help but picture it.
Little Trump
Going beyond supporting Trump's opinion, Willie is actually close to the former president's family. It should come as no surprise that someone who gave several speeches in support of Donald Trump would associate with his son. Willie and Korie have been known to spend time with Eric and Lara Trump.
Not only did Willie vocally give his support to the campaign, but he also gave financial support in the form of a large donation. In this picture, for example, you can see Willie with Eric and Lara at the 10th Annual Eric Trump Foundation Golf Invitational. The 2016 event was held at Trump National Golf Club Westchester.
Colorful Past
Visually speaking, Al might be the odd one out of the Robertson brothers, since he is the only one who is not sporting a beard that could get tangled in his belt buckle. Al Robertson’s clean-cut appearance may give the illusion that he’s more reserved and collected than some of his family members, but that's just your beard prejudice speaking.
Don’t let that face fool you. Al’s actually got quite a bit of history. These days though, he’s definitely calmed down a bit, which probably has a lot to do with the fact he has since had a couple of kids.
Mourning Family
In 2017, the Robertson clan rallied together to face one of their toughest battles yet. Glenn Durham, a cousin of Korie’s mother, had been fighting cancer for several years when the disease finally overcame him. Everyone was devastated by the loss, but they were all there to support each other through troubling times.
Prayers were a large part of the mourning process for the devout Christian family. Fans flooded social media to show their support for the grieving family. It's times like these when you see what is probably the best thing about having such a large family — the loving support system is simply irreplaceable.
Mr. Robertson’s Neighborhood
The Robertsons are a super tight-knit family, but they’re also an incredibly large family. This conundrum has led to what they fondly refer to as “Robertson Row.” Robertson Row is actually a cul-de-sac of a beautiful neighborhood in Louisiana. There are 8 homes surrounding the entirety of the loop, 4 of which are inhabited by the Robertson brothers and their families.
The other 4 homes are filled with either friends or extended family, hence the nickname for that end of the street. When something so devastating like losing a family member happens, they can come together easily to lean on one another for support.
Heartbreaking Times
Family members took to social media to express their pain and sadness when Glenn Durham’s battle with cancer came to a devastating conclusion. Glenn was a cousin of Chrys Howard (Korie’s mom,) and Korie happens to occupy a house on Robertson Row.
All of the family members on the street (so, the entire street pretty much) came together to support each other after it happened. Chrys and her husband, John, appear on the show as such kind-hearted people, so it’s no wonder that the other family members felt the need to try and lift their spirits up after their loss.
Honoring a Memory
After Glenn’s passing, fans flooded social media to show their support for the family. Many of the comments were religious in nature, as a lot of the fans of the show are Christians like the cast. “Grieve a period as all we must.... but those who pass in the LORD are not lost to us.... rather only separated for a time that we may anticipate and affirm all the more that sweet and eternal reunion,” wrote someone on one of the pages.
Chrys spoke on her own social media about how right before he passed away, she and Glenn were listening to a church sermon on his laptop. She captioned it that he “wanted to know more about God,” right up until he took his last breath. She went on to say that he spent his life preaching to others.