Although Duck Dynasty patriarch Phil Robertson’s suspension is over, the controversy over his beliefs continues. A recently released video of a 2009 speech Robertson gave before the show turned the family into media superstars shows him telling men to marry 15-year-old girls.
The video just surfaced over the weekend and is supposedly from a 2009 Georgia Sportsmen's Ministry, reports People. He offers the crowd “river rat counseling,” saying that they should not marry women older than 15 or 16.
“Look, you wait 'til they get to be 20 years old, the only picking that's going to take place is your pocket,” Robertson says to a laughing audience. “You got to marry these girls when they are about 15 or 16. They'll pick your ducks. You need to check with mom and dad about that, of course.”
That last line probably refers to state marriage laws, many of which require the girl to be at least 18.
In the speech, Robertson also suggests that men marry women who carry Bibles and to make sure that “she can cook a meal.”
Robertson, 67, also revealed in his book, Happy, Happy, Happy: My Life and Legacy as the Duck Commander, that he married his wife, Kay, when she was just 15. The two have been married for 50 years and he just recently gave her a wedding ring.
Meanwhile, the Associated Press confirmed that Robertson’s son, Willie Robertson, will appear on Fox News Tuesday night during the All-American New Year special.
A&E reinstated Robertson on the show on Friday. No episodes were filmed during his suspension, so he will not miss a show.
image: screenshot