Miss Kay Robertson of the Duck Dynasty family shares about her struggles in marriage, including thoughts of suicide, separation from her husband, Phil, and mothering three boys on her own, in a new short film released Friday on iamsecond.com.
From a young age, Robertson dreamed of the storybook life with a husband and four kids but had no idea the difficulties that would lie ahead. At age 14, her father passed away suddenly from a massive heart attack. She specifically remembers Phil Robertson attending her dad’s funeral.
“When I got my first look at Phil Robertson, I liked what I saw,” she says in the film. “It didn’t hurt that he was the star quarterback of the football team. That was just added stuff.
“I loved that he cared enough about me to come to my dad’s funeral. From that point, when I saw him that day, it was like we were history—together ever since. I think in a lot of ways, he took my dad’s place as my protector, my pioneer man.”
The Robertsons married when Miss Kay became pregnant at age 16.
“The first year was a real struggle. We were so poor, so in love, but so poor,” she says.
But the financial struggles were nothing compared to the changes that came when Phil began drinking. Miss Kay was certain things would get better after their third child was born, but they didn’t.
One night, Miss Kay came home late because the car broke down, only to have Phil accuse her of an affair.
“That night was when I hit my lowest point in my whole life because it came to me that I’ve been fighting for this marriage a long time and it’s not working,” she says.
She went into the bathroom wanting peace and thinking suicide might be the only way to get it. But the patter of little house shoes and a word from her oldest son, Alan, changed everything and gave her a hope for which to live.
While things got better for Miss Kay, that only created greater distance between her and Phil until he eventually told her she was ruining his life.
“He said, ‘I want you and the three boys to leave. That’s it. I just can’t take it anymore,'” Miss Kay says. “I said, ‘OK, I want it noted that I didn’t leave you. You kicked us out.'”
While she didn’t know what to do, Miss Kay and the boys prayed for Phil every day—until one day he showed up at her work with a surprising confession.
To see Miss Kay’s full film, visit iamsecond.com.
I Am Second is hosting a Twitter party to discuss the film with viewers on Tuesday at 8 p.m. CST. Individuals can join the party by following @iamsecond and using the hashtag #MissKayFilm. For more information, visit iamsecond.com/misskaychat.
The Robertsons’ reality show, Duck Dynasty, ended its fifth season on A&E in March. Miss Kay’s short film follows the November release of a 30-minute I Am Second film featuring three generations of Robertsons—Phil, Miss Kay, Jep and Reed—sharing about the ups and downs of the family and life before fame, fortune and faith. To see the film, visit iamsecond.com/therobertsons.
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