There’s officially a new member of the Duck Dynasty family. Phil Robertson, star of the A&E hit series, introduced his adult daughter, Phyllis, to the world for the first time on his Unashamed podcast.
Phil, 74, was joined by his wife, Kay, and sons, Jase and Al, on the show. The Robertson family first revealed on last week’s podcast that Phil had a previously unknown daughter. Phyllis, 45, appeared on the podcast to share the story of how she came to learn who her father is.
How Did Phyllis Find Phil?
She first began to question her parentage after her son took a commercial DNA test. Phyllis learned that the results were conflicting with what Phyllis had been told about her ethnicity. Phyllis and her siblings then took a DNA test and she discovered that they were her half siblings.
“A little digging, internet searches, looking through the site, and put together a family tree, so to speak. My husband helped me with it. We filled in a lot of blanks,” Phyllis said.
She narrowed down her parentage to a few possibilities and thought, “I think I know who this might be.”
Confronting Phil Robertson
Phyllis decided to attend the Robertson’s church to deliver a letter to the family revealing her identity. She happened to be there when Phil was delivering the sermon.
“I was nervous,” Phyllis said. “I sat out in the parking lot, thinking, am I really going to do this?” She found herself reassured after entering the building.
“I thought, how cool is it that the first time I’m seeing my dad, he’s preaching the gospel?” Phyllis said. “That to me was like, that’s a cool dad.”
Phil’s Reaction
While speaking of meeting Phyllis, Phil said, “Girl, you’re the best thing that ever came out of my past.”
“Until she showed up, I had nothing good to say about what happened before I repented,” Phil said. “I had nothing good. I just walled it off.” Despite the shocking news, the Robertson family said there were no “awkward” moments between their families. “It was just like puzzle pieces clicking into place,” Phyllis said. “It was like I’ve always known you, in a way.”
Was Phyllis a Duck Dynasty Fan?
Phyllis admitted that she has never watched Duck Dynasty. To which Jase joked that it will be “very helpful moving forward.”
“I had no preconceived ideas, really. I tried to watch a couple of episodes … it felt like, you know, that’s not what I want my first impression to be,” Phyllis said. Even though Phil was separated from his daughter for 45 years, he was thrilled to have her in his life now.
“Phyllis, all I can tell you is, I’m glad you found me. I’m glad I found you,” Phil said. “All I have to say is, welcome aboard.”
