Whatever Happened To The Cast Of Duck Dynasty?

In December 2013, Phil Robertson made national headlines thanks to some arguably homophobic and racist statements that hit a sour note with members of the American TV viewing audience. Luckily for the Duck Dynasty cast, their loyal fanbase was also outspoken about the temporary suspension of the family patriarch, which proved to be enough reason for A&E to forgo any extreme consequences like outright axing the show.

Although Duck Dynasty weathered the ugly backlash, the series was mortally wounded. The bearded brood would see the record-breaking 11.8 million viewers who tuned in for the Season 4 premiere dwindle to just 4.6 million by Season 6. In the span of just two years, Duck Dynasty managed to shed more than half its audience. With the slippage beginning right after Robertson's comments, it's hard not to see a correlation between his controversial remarks and the loss of a large swath of the show's audience.

In an interview with local news station KNOE 8, Phil and Kay Robertson said they don't have any grand plans for the future. Phil said he's basically going to spend all day in the woods, while Kay is looking forward to getting back to a "quieter life" despite the fact that she said she also still regularly cooks for anywhere from "eight to 30 people."

So do they miss the show? Kay said she'll miss sneaking biscuits to the crew (who weren't supposed to take food because apparently A&E operates on zoo rules?), but Phil wasn't sad to see them pack their cameras and go. "I, for one, was thankful it ended," he claimed. "There's a lot more to doing these TV shows than most people realize." But hang on a second, because while the Robertson family patriarch would like everyone to think he's happy checking duck blinds all day, he's actually been pretty busy outside the Louisiana wilderness.

The Duck Commander himself, Willie Robertson, also took a deep dive into politics as the show tapered down. He even spoke at the Republican National Convention in 2016, as well as consistently voiced support for then-candidate Donald Trump. Willie even attended Trump's inauguration and later visited the White House, according to MYARKLAMISS. When asked by the local NBC affiliate if he'd ever run for office, Willie said, "I don't make plans," and hinted at possible new TV projects and an expansion of the family's West Monroe, LA warehouse.

But like his dad, Willie's also not resting on his laurels in the afterglow of the tribe's TV success. He and his wife Korie also decided to reopen Willie's Duck Diner, a local family-themed restaurant once featured on the show. Along with his partner in the restaurant, Dr. Marco Moran, Willie was also instrumental in organizing relief efforts for victims of Hurricane Harvey. Think that's enough for him? Not quite, because Willie also starred in Uncle Si's A&E spinoff series, Going Si-ral, as—wait for it—the "Si-kick." As of this writing, there's no word on whether Going Si-ral has been renewed for a second season. We're guessing it depends how many more sen-si-tional puns they can come up with.

Arguably the breakout star of the show, Willie and Korie's daughter Sadie has become a full-blown media figure in her own right since the final duck call was blown. She actually started stepping out in 2014, when she nearly took home the mirrorball trophy on Dancing With The Stars. Since then, she's also become a bestselling author, launched clothing lines, and started an acting career.

On top of all of that, Sadie's taken the concept for her book, Live Original, and turned it into a full-blown brand. Like her mom, she rolled out a collaboration with Glory Haus in connection with the brand, which she's now grown into a blog and live show complete with a national touring schedule. Sadie views herself as "a beacon of light in an oft-dark world," according to her Live Original mission statement, which also describes the brand's ambitions as a combination of ministry and motivational speaking. In addition to embarking on a 2017 tour, she's also working on a follow-up book, Live Fearless, which she says is about her "journey of finding freedom."

As the last season of Duck Dynasty was airing, Uncle Si launched his A&E spinoff series Going Si-ral, which pitted the quirky technophobe against the internet. Debuting in November 2016, it was basically just rotating members of the Robertson family doing a mashup of Tosh.0 and America's Funniest Home Videos, and as of this writing, it's unclear whether the show has been picked up for a second season—but it doesn't matter, because Uncle Si isn't waiting around for that call. He's busy working on new music and about to start touring with his band, Uncle Si & The Sicotics, which is comprised of himself, his daughter-in-law Marsha Robertson, and Bridgette Tatum.

Si must have learned a thing or two from his solo series, because he and his bandmates now routinely post lengthy Facebook Live posts that not only function as way to keep fans engaged, but also play out at times like a de facto reality show. They're also selling ringtones, which someone probably had to explain to Si are like duck calls that come from inside fancy voice-sending machines. At any rate, it looks like diehard Uncle Si fans are still able to get their fill of the eccentric Vietnam War vet, and for that we say God bless the internet, Jack!

A few days after Duck Dynasty's final episode aired, Missy Robertson spoke with the Daily Journal. When asked what was next, she said, "Right now, we're taking some time off to rest and re-evaluate what our next steps will be after Duck Dynasty. Jase is playing a little golf, and I'm enjoying being able to travel to see [my sons] Reed and Cole, who are currently living in Nashville and Malibu, and spending time with Mia and all her activities."

As of this writing, Missy has yet to strike out on a completely new venture, but she's continued her work with Mia Moo, as well as her jewelry line, Laminin, which she told Celebrity Page is unique in that all of the pieces are "made by women who have come out of very difficult situations." In fact, Laminin has become more than just a jewelry retailer — it's also an outreach program. According to Vents Magazine, through the creation of the Laminin House, Missy hopes to expand into "hubs all across the United States, and will serve as a ministry to women coming out of hard situations and need assistance finding a way to break into the workforce, such as women coming out of sex trafficking, homelessness, single mothers and women in need of a purpose."

Like they did with Uncle Si, A&E greenlit a spinoff for the youngest Robertson son, Jep, and his wife Jessica just before Duck Dynasty ended. As of this writing, A&E has aired two seasons of Jep & Jessica: Growing the Dynasty; according to Premiere Date, it's unclear whether there will be a third. But like every other Robertson, Jep and Jess couldn't possibly have just one iron in the fire, which is why in addition to operating Jess's jewelry line, Cavalry, the couple also launched a podcast, The Jep & Jess Show, in March 2017.

Speaking with ET, the busy couple said the show will be "all the things you don't know about us...behind the cameras." They also said the show would definitely feature regular visits from the rest of the Robertson family, a promise they've fulfilled multiple times—especially during a September 2017 episode featuring none other than Uncle Si, who discussed, among other things, "skunk battles and lucky deer shots." So in case you were worried, yes, all the charm of the reality show is still intact.

Now that we've gotten you caught up with the stars of Duck Dynasty, let's take a look back at some of the lesser-known tidbits of trivia from the Robertsons' earlier years and see how well you know the real story of this famous clan.