‘Duck Dynasty’ Star Lisa Robertson Shares Reaction to Breast Cancer Diagnosis

Lisa and Al Robertson arrive at "The Song" Movie premier at Franklin Theatre in Franklin, Tenn., on Sept. 19, 2014. (Jason Davis/Getty Images for City On A Hill)

Lisa Robertson, wife of “Duck Dynasty” star Al Robertson, is leaning on her faith amid her battle with breast cancer.

During a recent episode of the podcast “Unashamed with the Robertson Family,” published April 15, the mother of two recounted her response upon learning of her diagnosis.

“I think your reaction is the most important thing whenever you have somebody say, ‘Well, you have cancer.’ So what is your reaction? Well, then I’m gonna praise God,” she shared. “It’s not something you look forward to, but I—but I’m looking forward to growing in my walk with Jesus.”

“I feel like this is just another part of my story that God is gonna help me to bless other people with,” she explained. “After I go through this, look, I’m telling everybody, you know, you got to get checked ... because I don’t want anybody to have to go through this.”

Mr. Al Robertson, a former pastor, first announced that his wife of nearly 40 years had been diagnosed with breast cancer during a previous episode of the podcast on April 3, calling her health struggle an “eye opener.”

“I’m very proud of Lisa. She’s been super strong ... because when you start talking about what you have to go through, um, as a result of that—it’s not gonna be easy; it’s gonna be difficult. And so we’ve got that ahead of us to face,” he said, noting that his wife was scheduled to have surgery to remove the tumor in the coming months.

Battling Breast Cancer

Mrs. Robertson said she initially underwent testing after discovering a lump in one of her breasts, which confirmed that the tumor was malignant. Although she experienced a range of emotions, including disbelief, she said her initial thought wasn’t “why me.” Instead, it was, “Well, why not me?”

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“I have so many friends that this has happened to, people in the church, um, you know, people all across the world that this has happened to—so why not me?” she asserted.

Mrs. Robertson, who has been very open about her tumultuous childhood, including having an abortion at the age of 17, discussed how terminating a pregnancy may increase a woman’s risk of developing breast cancer—a subject that was explored in a 1993 study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

According to researchers, estrogen hormones, which have been shown to influence breast cancer progression, are produced in the first half of pregnancy to help spur breast growth. Therefore, if a woman undergoes an abortion during this period, she may be exposed to higher concentrations of estrogens, thus increasing her risk of breast cancer, the study indicates.

Mrs. Robertson, who shares her story of abortion at pregnancy centers and pro-life events across the country, suggested that the correlation between terminated pregnancies and breast cancer is not widely shared with women before they undergo the procedure.

“In the pro-life ministry, we talk about the, you know, the lies that, um, you know, the pro-abortion people tell. One of those lies is that ... abortion—it has no consequences to your body, um, to your mind,” she explained.

“Probably for three years, whenever I’ve been doing speeches, I’ve been talking about that. That, you know, another lie they don’t tell you is that, you know, women who have had abortion have a greater risk at having breast cancer,” she said. “And so whenever I first learned that I had this, I thought, ‘Well, it makes sense.’ I mean, why not me? I am one of those people.”

Robertson Matriarch Hospitalized

Mrs. Kay Robertson, wife of Phil Robertson, has also been struggling with health issues in recent months.

In March, it was revealed on an episode of “Unashamed with the Robertson Family” that the family matriarch, 76, had been hospitalized.

“Miss Kay has been in the hospital this month, and both of us can’t wait for her to be back home,” Mr. Phil Robertson, 78, wrote in a March 22 Instagram post. “She’s doing better, and she’s as ready to be out of the rehabilitation facility as I am to have her back with me.”

The couple, who wed in 1966 and share four sons, have overcome a slew of hardships throughout their nearly 60-year marriage, including Mr. Phil Robertson’s struggles with alcoholism, drug use, and infidelity.

Although the couple briefly separated early on in their marriage, they managed to repair their fractured relationship after Mr. Phil Robertson repented and found Jesus, he has said. Their inspiring love story is the focal point of the film “The Blind,” released in September 2023.

“There was a time when I had drifted so far into the clutches of the evil one that I didn’t think it would be possible to find my way back from the bottle to Miss Kay and our boys. I kicked them to the curb, and at any sign of shame or guilt, I scurried back to the darkness so the light wouldn’t shine on my sins,” Mr. Phil Robertson shared in his Instagram post.

“Our family’s movie, The Blind, shows me at my very worst 50 years ago, but when it comes down to it, it’s a movie about repentance, hope, and redemption. Anyone can be a new creation in Christ. No matter where you’ve been or what you’ve done, you can start living in the light,” he continued.

“Miss Kay likes to say that when God gives you a story, he gives you the strength to tell it. So live by the truth, and don’t be afraid of the light.”