How Phil Robertson Fired Back After ‘Duck Dynasty’ Producers Edited Jesus Out of His Prayer

Phil Robertson took a major issue with the Duck Dynasty producers' creative liberties when those liberties involved downplaying his commitment to Jesus.

The reality TV patriarch voiced his feelings loud and clear after producers cut "in Jesus' name" from a prayer he gave in one episode. His next dinnertime prayer was so full of fire and brimstone, it wasn't even possible to air it on TV!

How Did Phil Robertson React When 'Duck Dynasty' Producers Edited Jesus Out of His Prayer?

Jase and Willie Robertson recently appeared on The Resilient Show podcast, where they recalled the moment that producers edited Jesus out of Phil's prayer.

"I see why they did it — because they want everyone to watch the show," Jase explains. "So they're just looking at it like 'Oh, let's just take that part out.' They didn't realize that by doing that, they really upset my dad."

Fast forward to the taping of another episode, which centered around a family dinner. Phil was set to lead the prayer.

"So he launches into something along the lines of, 'I wanna pray for this television crew,'" Jase continues, saying that Phil only ramped up from there.

"He just kinda launched into, 'These hellions from Hollywood who had the audacity to edit Your son's name out of a prayer,'" he continues. "He's like, 'Save them from the fires of hell for doing such a thing.' And then he said, 'In your son's glorious name, Amen.'"

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"It was like, three seconds of silence and then the family busted out laughing. But all the camera operators were horrified," Jase says.  "The funny part was the director coming out and saying, 'Okay, can you try it again?' Like, 'Can you say a prayer we can actually air on television?'"

But Phil had made his point. The Robertsons agree that they don't recall Jesus being edited out of on-air prayers again after the incident.

How Did The Duck Dynasty Family Push Back When They Didn't Agree With Producers' Decisions?

Phil isn't the only Robertson who went head to head with Duck Dynasty producers over a creative decision.

Jase Robertson also remembers an episode where the family was building a kids' playhouse set. During a break, the producers finished constructing a structure that was clearly dangerous to children, and they asked Jase to pretend on camera like he'd built it.

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"I was like, 'No, I'd never build that,'" he says. "They were like, 'Well, this is what we're gonna do.'"

He was so upset, he said, he was ready to leave the set right then and there. "They just thought it'd be funny," he says looking back. "And I would never build anything that would endanger any kid. That's not funny."

Finally, he asked three crew members if they had kids of their own — and none of them did. "And I said, 'Well, that's the problem.'...'Cause they were just trying to be funny, and I thought, 'People in real life would never think that's funny.'"

The producers ultimately saw it Jase's way, and he wound up finishing the construction of the playset as originally planned.

Despite those moments, the Robertsons — including Phil — had a generally good relationship with the Duck Dynasty crew, in large part because producers usually listened when they stood up for points they thought were important. The relationship was so positive, in fact, that the family returned for a Duck Dynasty reboot with seasons in 2025 and 2026.