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Duck Dynasty's Sadie Robertson Welcomes Baby No. 2 With Christian Huff
Don't call it a comeback, it's a quackback.
Back in 2012, TV audiences were introduced to the Robertsons—patriarch Phil Robertson, his wife Kay Robertson, their sons Willie Robertson, Jep Robertson and Jase Robertson and their various spouses and ducklings—when Duck Dynastypremiered on A&E, going onto become one of TV's most successful reality series. But, after five years, 11 seasons and a reported $1.4 million-per-season payday for the tight-knight crew, the family were ready tolay low in Louisiana, ending the show in 2017 and retreating from the public eye.
"Itwas a whirlwind and it was fun because we were getting to do it as a family," Korie Robertson, who is married to Willie,told E! News' Francesca Amiker in an exclusive interview. "But it did feel like it was time for us to pull everything back."
As a friend once put it, Korie, 49, explained, life is like an accordion and "it needs to go out and it needs to come back in to make the music."
And, after five years living life in the spotlight, they were all ready to gosolo.
(Photo by Paul Archuleta/FilmMagic)
"We're all dreamers and doers," Sadie Robertson, one of Willie and Korie's six children,said. "And we like to do new things and having the time of those years to do that was awesome."
For Sadie, that was writing a bestselling book, creating a podcast and starting her own family with husband Christian Huff.
"We've grown into who we are all as individuals, what we're all passionate about and that might not have happened if we were still doing the same thing," the 26-year-old explained. "So it's fun to get through new things in life and start new things and see where that grows and takes us and now we'll see what the future holds."
Right now, it includes a return to the spotlight, thanks to the upcoming release of The Blind, a biopic centered around Phil's younger years living in Louisiana during the 1960s. The film doesn't hold back, addressing the Duck Commander creator'spast struggles with alcoholism, as well as the toll his infidelity took on his marriage to Kaybefore he turned his life around.
And, back in 2020, Phil discovered that he fathered a daughter from an affair he had decades ago. After a DNA tested showed he was a 99.9 percent match with Phyllis Thomas, the family welcomed her into the fold.
While Sadie acknowledged it was "really hard" to watch the film and learn things she never knew about her grandparents, she found the message that "there's no one that's without hope" inspiring.
Reliving Phil and Kay's story was "emotional," Korie added, but the family handled the film the way they've faced everything that's come their way: Together and not caring about what others may think, a skill they honed during the show's five-year run.
"We always go back to, 'Okay, what is most important?'" Korie explained. "'Who do we care about?' Those who really knows us and that's who you really have to listen to. It's people that you sit across the table from whose opinion really matters. We try to live our life that way."
Sadie commended her parents for helping her and her siblings"create good boundaries," which led to Sadie taking a seven-month break from social media earlier this year.
"Sometimes you do have to step away and it was so good," she said. "Now I'm back on with a fresh perspective and rooted in my people."
Not that tuning out the negativity is easy.
"It is hard pill to swallow," Sadie admitted. "You do have to create those boundaries for yourself to say, 'I'm not just gonna keep getting beat up by this. I'm going to take a minute, I'm going to get stronger and I'm going to come back with the right voices in that ear."
With The Blind's upcoming release and the family starting their production company, viewers may just get to see the Robertsons back on TV on their own terms.
"We feel that the entertainment needs more positivity," Korie shared. "Things that are hopeful, that are light and that point towards faith. We want to do more of that and if that looks like us coming back to unscripted TV? Maybe, we'll see!"
Keep reading to see family moments with Phil and Phyllis:
Insatgram/Phyllis Robertson Thomas
Insatgram/Phyllis Robertson Thomas
Insatgram/Phyllis Robertson Thomas
Insatgram/Phyllis Robertson Thomas
Insatgram/Phyllis Robertson Thomas
Instagram/Phyllis Robertson Thomas
Insatgram/Phyllis Robertson Thomas
Instagram/Phyllis Robertson Thomas
Instagram/Phil Robertson
The Blind hits theaters on Sept. 28.
