Robertson Family Opens Up About Hard Knocks Before ‘Duck Dynasty’

The story of the Duck Dynasty Robertson family is told through the eyes of three generations in a new 30-minute film released today on iamsecond.com.

The I am Second film features Phil and Miss Kay, son Jep and grandson Reed sharing honestly and openly about the ups and downs of the family and life before fame, fortune and faith—from their humble beginnings to the struggles that nearly tore their family apart.

“I owned a beer joint when some guy came in with a Bible, and he wanted to introduce me to Jesus. I ran him away,” family patriarch Phil Robertson says in the film. “You can only run the ol’ ‘sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll’ so far.”

“I would say the low point is when I ran Miss Kay and the kids off,” Robertson recalls. “You’re all alone, no hope, miserable. That’s when I began to contemplate, ‘Is there a way out of all this?’”

While the Robertsons have been praised for their family friendliness, in the I am Second film, each shares the raw details of their past, from alcoholism and run-ins with the law to drugs and thoughts of suicide.

The Robertson’s A&E reality show, Duck Dynasty, premiered its third season in August with 11.8 million viewers, becoming the No. 1 nonfiction series telecast in cable history and solidifying the popularity of all things Duck Dynasty. The family members have tried to remain true to themselves both on and off camera but are honest about their struggle with unexpected fame.

“I thought I was better than everyone else because of who my family was,” Reed Robertson says in the I am Second film. “Twelve million people watch us every week. That’s part of the pressure that’s on me.”

To see the full film, visit iamsecond.com/therobertsons.