Yes, you read it right. The family was contractually required to keep the beards for the duration of filming. Despite the fact that they were required for continuity of story and keeping with the backwoods feel of the show, it's shocking that they couldn’t do what they wanted with their facial hair.
During the height of the show in 2012, Duck Commander (and their other company, Buck Commander) brought in more than $40 million in revenue. The A&E network made a killing selling commercials at $180k a pop during the show, and money flowed.
While we’ve seen patriarch Phil decrying the morals of America, it's important to note that he was quite the deviant as a younger man with drinking and carousing. It’s also rumored he had a mean streak and wasn’t shy about it. It was his association with future wife Kay that helped turn his life around after a short separation in their marriage.
While they’ve had their ups and downs, it's important to remember that their relationship began when Kay was only 14 and not a legal adult. The family believes that couples should marry in their teens. Phil even threw Miss Kay and her kids out once.
As a true rags-to-riches story, Phil Robertson grew up in very humble beginnings. He was one of seven children in rural Louisiana and grew up without modern conveniences like electricity, plumbing, toilets, or bathtubs—stating that they lived like 1850 instead of 1950. He worked very hard to secure a living and future for his family and sons.
Phil played football in high school and rubbed shoulders with future great HOF Terry Bradshaw. He also joined Terry and played starting quarterback just 30 miles away at Louisiana Tech University before Bradshaw was drafted.
As we see, the whole family is deeply committed to their evangelical faith. Phil has performed more than 300 baptisms in the river near his house. The family and several friends were baptized by Phil and continue in their steadfast faith today.
Despite becoming a breakout star, Uncle Si was originally super shy in front of cameras. His camera-averse reactions led the producers to hide cameras in order to capture him unaware in candid moments.
Uncle Si became one of the characters on the show that many women swooned over. He got so many proposals for companionship that he had to change his profile information on his Facebook to include his wife, who is rarely mentioned on the show.
Phil Robertson has a master’s degree in education from Louisiana Tech and formerly worked as a teacher prior to founding his million-dollar business. What he does lack is computer and social media skills, denying the need for either.
While Kay loves to cook and the entire family can be seen eating around the table, she’s got one dish in particular she’s fond of. She swears by her fried frogs. Cue your "ewwwwws" and grab your bib; those frogs can be juicy!
Phil actually has four sons, but one didn’t appear on the show. Alan decided to opt out, as he's not heavily involved with the family business. Alan has some rather torrid memories of his father at a young age that he prefers not to share along with a very checkered past.
Si’s tea cup is so famous it has its own Facebook page. It’s also very common in the South—many households have these plastic Tupperware cups from the '70s. Si received his cup from his mother when he was in Vietnam.
While we only see the Robertsons in trucks or on tricked-out 4-wheelers, Willie has a custom camouflage BMW that he rolls around West Monroe in.
Korie and Willie go all the way back to grade school and credit their knowing one another that long for the success of their marriage. They claim that it’s the "lack of baggage" that one accumulates with other relationships.
Jep faced some tragic instances of abuse outside the family as a boy. The surprising detail is that they happened on a school bus, which should have been a safe place, and were perpetrated by an older girl.
Phil Robertson has been very vocal about his opposition to any type of non-hetero lifestyle. This has caused numerous issues for A&E, who eventually suspended him from the show.
While the wily Uncle Si appears to be a bachelor on the show, he’s been happily married for more than 40 years. However, he had to ask his wife, Christine, about 100 times to marry him. She declined each time, claiming that she couldn’t have kids. Luckily for them, that was inaccurate, and they had two of their own.
Unlike most couples of the modern times, this cute couple waited until marriage to formally consummate the relationship in keeping with their faith and religion. Both kept a "Godly Agreement" to help one another have a happy marriage.
Korie and Willie Robertson attended Harding University in Searcy, Arkansas. A Church of Christ affiliated school, Willie studied business and eventually graduated from NE Louisiana University (aka University of Louisiana-Monroe).
Phil’s oldest grandson, Reed, had difficulty adapting to the fame of the show and declined to appear much. He has been vocal about the negative effects of the show on his mental health and his one-time desire to end his life at 18.
Willie became the face of the family due to his love of the spotlight and availability for awards shows and just about any public appearance ever. This led to some jealousy and tension with the Robertson men, who tried to stay levelheaded and grounded.
There have been multiple books written about the woes of the Robertson family, including those authored by Si Robertson and Alan Robertson. Within these memoirs, tales of abortion, drinking, marital infidelity, and mental illness are described in detail, which blistered this faithful family.
You may think this "backwoods" family is just that, but don’t be quick to dismiss them. They are a powerful force in politics and have helped shape the Republican landscape in northern Louisiana for years.
While the word on the street is that past instances of drugs and alcohol were done by the time filming started, the boys' addiction to chewing tobacco was not. A&E cuts all scenes where the cast is actively seen dipping, as it didn’t create good visuals for this family of faith.
That shouldn’t shock anyone reading, but you might not know that the duck hunting experience comes at quite the cost. Many of their duck hunts are done in rural, southern Arkansas at private, borrowed camps—and cost thousands of dollars for a quick weekend out.
Martin met the Robertson elders at house church, while he met the boys at a poker game. Justin grew up in the shadow of his duck-hunting legends and was astounded to get along with them so well. One thing led to another, and Martin joined the family business.
Sadie became an instant social media darling due to the success of the show. This young girl enjoyed a brief modeling career and even started designing clothes for Sherri Hill formalwear. Her one rule in designing is that her creations have to be fingertip length.
Rebecca, a foreign exchange student from Taiwan, was adopted by Korie and Willie when she was 16. However, she didn’t appear on the show much due to the fear of anti-Asian racism and overexposure during high school.
Proving that reality TV is not as real as you think, a casting email circulated looking for bearded actors to stand in for the Robertsons at certain times when scenes were considered risky. That’s incredibly odd for a "reality" TV show.
